Rivers and mud don’t pull off Cavallo Hoof Boots!

Another great story from one of our favourite customers.

From: john******@comcast.net
Sent: Monday, February 28, 2011 10:12 PM
To: Krystle

On Sunday I rode out on Dillon, festooned with Cavallo hoof boots all around and circumnavigated the Deer Creek Preserve, a part of the Sacramento Valley Conservancy, on a beautiful 6,000 acre working cattle ranch, along with ten or twelve friends.  We moved slowly because the ground is very wet and very slippery.  The land in the preserve is rolling hills, oaks and about five hundred head of cattle where we were riding.  The numerous watercourses on the land were all running freely, but not nearly so freely as Deer Creek itself at the north end of the property.  Deer Creek is a year round stream but Sunday it was robust.  Running fast and fairly wide at 20 to 30 yards, the fords were four to five feet deep; deep enough to require us to kick out of the stirrups and hook our boots on the horses’ butts.  Dillon went down the bank with front legs stiffened and hind legs tucked under his rump to a big splash hitting the water, then followed the others across the very slippery rocks on an uneven bottom.  When the water threatened to overtop my high boots I retracted my landing gear and stretched on top of Dillon who found his way with nary a misstep and without much fuss at all. Half way across it became clear my stirrups would float if they could and keeping dry was going to be a problem.  My dear friend Lynda, on Jackson a 14 hand plus gelding who missed his footing and put his head in the water, retained her seat because she is a damned good rider.  I held my breath.  We clambered out on the far bank and through the sucking mud and up atop a knoll and all got a good laugh.  No one got dumped.  Dillon emerged with all four boots firmly attached despite scrambling over slick rocks in the creek, a very muddy approach and much laughing and shouting.  The boots were on at the start and still on three hours later.  Almost all the horses were shod but several were barefoot on the front and had one or the other boots.

Have fun.

John ******