traditional horse shoes vs tennis shoes for horses on the trail

ok...so...i am sold on 'tennis shoes' for our horses, have been using the same ones since 2016, we started with just the front boots to test...and incorporated some socks and back boots after just a few rides (as soon as we could afford them)...they moved to the top of our list of things we NEEDED...at least caballo simple boots...i have heard that the cheaper versions aren't 'worth a dime.

we used to keep our horses shod...and we tolerated all of the headaches that came with that...until a friend shared this info with us...so, im sending it on with you...to do with what you will...

my mare has bogged down in a mud pit up to her belly...me on her back...how she got up and out alone...i have no idea...but when she came up...she was wearing her tennis shoes :)
many miles traveled...and they are always on at the end of the ride
the whole underneath of their hooves are protected, which is a wonderful thing on the rocky terrain we travel
there seems to be no slipping problem as far as traction goes
easy to keep clean and pliable....
holes in bottom to drain out water that might get in

problems:

really need to get some socks for your horse as well...the leather rubbing does happen and causes raw spots...i can attest to that

well...thats about it....it is a big it though...i don't like sores on my horses..especially a raw sore that is getting rubbed against...please take note on that...

any other questions, i would be happy to answer

https://www.cavallo-inc.com/

hope this helps someone else...

The one with a white face is pretty - what colour do you call that?

Teri, thank you for this information! Hubs & I have been waffling (teetering?!?!?) about *ALL* livestock, due to maintenance issues. I have had horses (& most other typical livestock), in the past, so am all too familiar with the labor involved, and frankly, horseshoes have been a huge sticking point, for me, considering I'm much older than I was, less physically capable, and ok, maybe even lazier, lol. Knowing the tennis shoes are an option just might turn that decision, for me! I'm not afraid of trimming & filing hooves, the more delicate side of frog care, etc - but a source of protection for the frogs, gentler, non - invasive all over hoof protection, and not needing a ferrier? That ROCKS!!

Hester Winterbourne wrote:The one with a white face is pretty - what colour do you call that?

i would love to be able to answer that...but, no one can agree LOL...some people call her buckskin...that is what her coggins paper had on it last year...some people call her grulla...had that on her coggins the year before...some call her dun...LOL...whatever she is....she is one fine mare!!! we call her grulla...love that little girl...she is so quiet and sweet...codi is NOT!...i ride suni when i want to be ridden...codi when i want to ride!!! :)  spent the day with her and codi today...so, i am soooo relaxed...thinking about a glass of wine to just sit back and meditate on a wonderful day... :) i am soooo glad to find some horse folks who are also permies!!!  YEEEAAAHHHH!!! :)

Carla Burke wrote:Teri, thank you for this information! Hubs & I have been waffling (teetering?!?!?) about *ALL* livestock, due to maintenance issues. I have had horses (& most other typical livestock), in the past, so am all too familiar with the labor involved, and frankly, horseshoes have been a huge sticking point, for me, considering I'm much older than I was, less physically capable, and ok, maybe even lazier, lol. Knowing the tennis shoes are an option just might turn that decision, for me! I'm not afraid of trimming & filing hooves, the more delicate side of frog care, etc - but a source of protection for the frogs, gentler, non - invasive all over hoof protection, and not needing a ferrier? That ROCKS!!

thing is, carla, i can attest to cavallo simple boots...that is what we use....my friend told me the same thing...although she had tried quite a few different brands...she sold me on cavallo right off of the bat..i had to save for a little bit...but have saved BIG considering how many years we have worn them...and it looks like we are gonna get at least one more year out of them...the craftsmanship is really good--we ride hard...we have passed that info on to a lot of folks who are now switched over as well with great results :)  i think you will be well pleased...i don't give out references lightly :)

We’ve been hesitant to invest in the boots due to concerns about rubbing. This makes me feel a little more like giving them a try.

How many miles per ride are you putting on them?

P.S. I have a grulla / buckskin also. He’s a looker. ❤️😻

teri morgan wrote:

thing is, carla, i can attest to cavallo simple boots...that is what we use....my friend told me the same thing...although she had tried quite a few different brands...she sold me on cavallo right off of the bat..i had to save for a little bit...but have saved BIG considering how many years we have worn them...and it looks like we are gonna get at least one more year out of them...the craftsman is really good--we ride hard...we have passed that info on to a lot of folks who are now switched over as well with great results :)  i think you will be well pleased...i don't give out references lightly :)

I feel the same about referrals, so yours is much appreciated. Now, that is a boon to the likelihood of getting a horse or two. The landscape here is rough & rocky, and on our land, we have 2 ravines to maneuver, a stream to forge, and a pond with a steep, slippery bank all the way around. We'd not intentionally take them close to the pond - but, the rest would definitely cause some serious wear & tear on bare hooves, and would be prohibitive. Shoes, properly changed in a timely manner, can get expensive, and finding a trustworthy ferrier could be a challenge (though I'd hazard a guess there'd be one in either the mennonite or amish communities, in the area). Frankly, I've been out of equestrian pursuits long enough that I didn't even know the tennis shoe option existed. :P

teri morgan wrote:some people call her buckskin...some call her dun...

 Ah that I have figured out the difference on - dun have a dorsal stripe and buckskin don't because buckskin is a different gene - the cream dilution on bay.  Glad to hear her manners live up to her looks!

Myrth Montana wrote:We’ve been hesitant to invest in the boots due to concerns about rubbing. This makes me feel a little more like giving them a try.

How many miles per ride are you putting on them?

P.S. I have a grulla / buckskin also. He’s a looker. ❤️😻

hey myrth

you are the first person i talked to on this site i think :)  i looked at your site and saw you also took in cats...LOL...i have never liked cats...but cats like me...a black no tailed cat made it past noah (our great pyrenees) on our old farm...and became my mom's little sidekick...she and the horses were the only animals we got to bring with us to the homestead.  since...we have acquired a momma cat and her two babies...who have taken up residence in the roof of our house...no joke...she has an older baby as well as the father of those two who come and eat and visit...getting her fixed as soon as i can catch her...which is gonna be SOON! :)  mom's cat, the black no tailed one...lives in the house with us... :)  we have also acquired a blue heeler mix from a local neighbor who...well...we have her anyway :)  

miles...i dunno...don't keep up with anything in the woods...all i can tell ya on that is that we ride in when the sun comes up...and come out as it is going down...until this year, i haven't had anyone that i could trust to stay with mom overnight...this year that has changed for us and we have a wonderful sitter who comes three days a week...also, that is the biggest reason we sold the farm down south and moved to the mountains...so, that we could just saddle up and go...right into the mountains...no fences... :)

hmmmm....i would figure our avg riding would consist of maybe two days a week...all day long...we ride lots of steep slopes through the mountains and river beds...so, the terrain gets pretty tough...we have yet to have any slippage or injuries on the trail...

the picture i showed was when they were new...LOL...they don't quite look the same now...ill get some pics though...not to bad considering what we have put them through...we keep them clean and soft...they are leather...and during our rides...especially early in the season...we check often for rubs...and we start them out a little at a time on small joy rides and work up to a full day's ride...we use pastern wraps ( i call them socks) as well...although, those usually come off after the early weeks of riding...cause we cross lots of water...and while the boots do a wonderful job of shedding water...well, i just don't like the girls to have wet feet all day...so...if we do get the socks wet...we try to stop and hang them on a branch to dry...or just remove them all together...and replace the boots...i guess in summary...boots are great...wouldn't trade back to horse shoes for NOTHING...socks...good...but can do without if you have time to get your horses used to the boots.  

my cowboy rides a buckskin... :)  do you live in montana?

Carla Burke wrote:

teri morgan wrote:

thing is, carla, i can attest to cavallo simple boots...that is what we use....my friend told me the same thing...although she had tried quite a few different brands...she sold me on cavallo right off of the bat..i had to save for a little bit...but have saved BIG considering how many years we have worn them...and it looks like we are gonna get at least one more year out of them...the craftsman is really good--we ride hard...we have passed that info on to a lot of folks who are now switched over as well with great results :)  i think you will be well pleased...i don't give out references lightly :)

I feel the same about referrals, so yours is much appreciated. Now, that is a boon to the likelihood of getting a horse or two. The landscape here is rough & rocky, and on our land, we have 2 ravines to maneuver, a stream to forge, and a pond with a steep, slippery bank all the way around. We'd not intentionally take them close to the pond - but, the rest would definitely cause some serious wear & tear on bare hooves, and would be prohibitive. Shoes, properly changed in a timely manner, can get expensive, and finding a trustworthy ferrier could be a challenge (though I'd hazard a guess there'd be one in either the mennonite or amish communities, in the area). Frankly, I've been out of equestrian pursuits long enough that I didn't even know the tennis shoe option existed. :P

carla, don't feel alone...i hadn't heard of the boot either...what this choice does is allows the horse to go barefoot when not being riden...i love for my horses and me to go barefoot whenever it is possible!!! :)  no nails hammered in or thrown shoes out in the middle of the trail... my favorite part is the protection it offers the underneath of the hoof not just the frog...the whole underneath the hoof is protected...horses have to get used to them...and getting them the right size is very important...we followed the measuring instructions to a t and still had to send back and get another size...which was not a problem either...i suppose it is a small company...cause i always talked to the same person...and they were wonderful!!! even they shipped the replacement pair before i sent back the originals ;)  we got the front ones for both of our horses first...and then quickly got the back ones...ya really need both if you are riding hard...front ones are good enough for pasture, arena or easy riding...

just so many reasons to change over to boots especially for the trails...

Thanks Teri. That helps. I really need to look into this. I prefer keeping my horse barefoot, but really long rides in harsh terrains require shoes. And shoes get expensive. It sounds like these could be the answer.

No, I don't live in Montana. But my preferred handle probably wouldn't meet site guidelines. So I quickly picked a name that started with the same letter. I figured I could change it later. I am not really happy with the name, and petitioned to change it, but to no avail. 😕

Edited to add: my second name change petition was quickly granted and I am now pleased with my name.

I have a set of renegade hoof boots. :-)

For all the barefoot enthusiasts, I wanted to share this awesome blog that pertains to conditioning/rehabilitating hooves back into the rock crunchers that mother nature blessed them with.  Rockley Farm  She also wrote a couple of books which can be found on amazon.  Nic Barker - Feet First: Barefoot Performance & Hoof Rehabilitation, and Nic Barker - Performance Hoof, Performance Horse

Joshua Parke wrote:I have a set of renegade hoof boots. :-)

For all the barefoot enthusiasts, I wanted to share this awesome blog that pertains to conditioning/rehabilitating hooves back into the rock crunchers that mother nature blessed them with.  Rockley Farm  She also wrote a couple of books which can be found on amazon.  Nic Barker - Feet First: Barefoot Performance & Hoof Rehabilitation, and Nic Barker - Performance Hoof, Performance Horse

i was sure wishin that someone would post about another brand of boot (aka tennis shoes :)!  i see more and more people choosing to barefoot their horses and tennis shoe them on tough trails!!! i think it is wonderful...and our horses hooves are in the most WONDERFUL shape ever!!!

Rick Gore of youtube's Think Like a Horse has a great video discussing boots, glue on, and traditional metal shoes. If your not familiar with this man, he is a bit short with what he calls stupid and can come off as a bit brash/opinionated but he truly loves and cares for horses and it gets him worked up to seem them mistreated. I try to watch his stuff and take it as just humorous when he gets worked up rather than take offense.



BTW he has many other great videos worth watching if you haven't yet. He is also very vocal advocating bitless riding. Has some great videos discussing sacking out horses, and lots of general care videos.

Oh I totally forgot, Rick also has a website with lots of great articles and info. Here is a link to the hoof section. There is a specific "why shoes are bad" there you can check out, or look around at all the stuff he has there.

http://www.thinklikeahorse.org/index-28.html