Cavallo Overseas

The past month has been a whirlwind of travel and meetings with old friends and new. As the interest in barefoot horses continues to grow, it has now reached even the most conservative horse owners. What was once an alternative movement relegated to unconventional horse owners has now gained mainstream acceptance in many parts of the world.

Our journey started in the UK with Cavallo distributor Battles who have been in operation for over 175 years. Their modern administration, warehousing and manufacturing facilities occupy a 5-acre site in the north of Lincoln. It is marvelous to see the dedication to systems and service that secures the growth of this company. You may think that old school tradition would reign with a history this long, but that is certainly not the case at Battles. Jim Bowen, Managing Director, is a forward thinker who has grasped the barefoot and booting concept and is enthusiastically focusing the company on supplying the needs of the market throughout the UK.

We carried on to Spoga, the International Trade Fair for Equestrian Sports, in Cologne, Germany. This show is the perfect place for international business. Again, we were excited to note the acceptance of booting horses. People approached our stand with comments ranging from stories of years of success with Cavallo Boots to simple questions such as, “Can these boots really be worn for riding horses?”  We are thrilled to expand Cavallo distribution to China, Greece, Jordan and France. Interest from the eastern European countries included the Ukraine and Russia. These are exciting times! People are understanding the benefits of booting their horses with Cavallo. It is both healthy and cost-conscious.

Aarhus, Denmark was the meeting place for the Bi-Annual Cavallo conference in Scandinavia. Greg and I were happy to have Trevor from the Cavallo factory with us. He shared production information and new product development for 2011, all in all bringing the Cavallo family closer. We spoke of the overall acceptance of booting, shared stories of success and change, and heard examples of the various methods of distribution in each of five countries: Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Holland. Each group was offered the opportunity to grow and expand from the experience of  one another.  We finished up with great enthusiasm and a proliferation of inspiration for the continued success of Cavallo.

Happy Trails,

Carole and Greg