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Meet Jessica and Castuo from Spain!

You may remember our previous post about Uxía and Cissa forging new pathways in Spain with their journey. Now we have met Veterinarian Jessica Madueño, from Barcelona. In an otherwise fairly traditional country, Cavallo Hoof Boots are rocking it! Here’s a conversation about Jessica’s inspiring journey, we wanted to share with you:

Can you tell us about yourself and your horse?

My name is Jessica Madueño. I am a 30 year old veterinarian and I live in Barcelona, Catalonia. My wonderful Castuo NR is a 4 year old P.R.E. and I have owned him since May 2021. I was not looking for a young, green horse; and I must say that greys had never caught my eye before. When I met Castuo for the first time, I felt “the bond” in less than 10 minutes and knew he was my soulmate horse.

When he arrived at home, he wore horseshoes and he was lame on his left foot because the previous owner trimmed too much. Castuo’s living conditions were poor and I think he had always been in pain, not only physically but mentally. He lived 24/7 in a box, ate a lot of concentrate and straw but little hay and only went out to the outside 1 or 2 two times per week.

Now he is barefoot, lives in a big paddock where he can eat quality hay ad libitum (as well as a balanced diet), does regular exercise and has someone who loves him so much.

How did you begin working with Castuo after you brought him home?

The first thing I did when Castuo arrived home was calling our EP from Ekuo team. He rested until July when at last, he recovered a little bit. Meanwhile, we took this time to get to know each other better and did some light ground work. It is very important to me to train the brain as well as much as the body.

Then, we started using the Trek Cavallo Hoof Boots. I will never forget the first time we used the boots. He was the happiest horse, his trot and canter were absolutely stunning!

Thanks to the boots we can do dressage, we hike outside and trick train without pain as well as recovering more and more each day. We can not be happier with the boots as they fit perfectly and never lose them during our training.

How long have horses been part of your life?

As far back as I remember, I have always been in love with horses. Even though I did not have horses at home, I was obsessed with my uncle’s Anglo-Arabians when I was just 3 years old. Unfortunately, my parents were not horsey people and it was not until I was 15 that I could start my dressage and show-jumping lessons. Then, I knew horses would be always a part of me.

When did you know you wanted to be a veterinarian?

As a kid my dream was not to be a veterinarian but a dolphin or horse therapist (something I still love). When I grew up and was 16 I realized that horses had taught me and helped me so much that I felt deeply in debt. So I wanted to give them back all my gratitude healing and looking after them every day of my life.

What are your future plans for Castuo?

The main plan for us now is to build the strongest bond. It is very important to me that Castuo relies on me. I also think it is the clue to success in every equestrian field. So I do not mind the time it takes, we carry out varied training sessions almost every day, and the most important thing, we always have fun.

When we are ready in the future, I would really like to compete in dressage with him and show others that barefoot horses are capable too.

Find Jessica & Castuo on Instagram here!

I hope you enjoyed that interview as much as we did.

Wishing you many happy trails!

-Carole

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