Hoofcare and Lameness is pleased to announce the publication of THE SOUND HOOF: Horse Health from the Ground Up by Lisa Simons Lancaster PhD, foreword by Fran Jurga. $27 per book plus $5 post in USA, $12 air post r.o.w. Worldwide launch 1 October 2004. Soft cover. 126 pages, illustrations/photos, references, reading list, indexed. Focuses on current therapy and philosophies, both traditional mainstream and “natural” shoeing and barefoot care of horses. Author is a leading research team member in hoof physiology lab (Michigan State University), veterinary student, and a farrier.
Chapters:
- Holistic Hoofcare (Holistic practitioner, chronic condition issue, farrier’s role in holistic hoofcare, horseman’s role in holistic hoofcare)
- Hoof and Lower Leg Anatomy (terminology, anatomical structure)
- Reading the Hoof (evaluating soundness, understand balance, three-dimensional balance; great detailed discussion on Dave Duckett's balance system)
- Hoof Care Research and Theory (The nature of research, hoof deformation research, history of hoof deformation research, breakover, 4-pt trim and natural balance)
- To shoe or not to shoe (Balance, conformation, advantages of barefoot, disadvantages of barefoot, things to discuss with your farrier, dealing with pain)
- Laminitis and navicular (laminitis, what is laminitis, causes and mechanisms, metabolically based theories, how is laminitis diagnosed, horse do you know if your horse has laminitis, what to do if you suspect laminitis, prevention and treatment, navicular syndrome, clinical signs, diagnosing navicular, speculative mechanism and risk factors, relationship between inner and outer structures, prevention and treatment of heel pain, foam padding for heel pain, holistic approach)
- Sound management (support team, selecting a farrier, how to keep a farrier, doing your own trimming, safety, record keeping, scheduling, your horse’s health is in your hands)
- Action gallery (holistically-managed--mostly barefoot—sound horses in competition and recreation
- Forms, appendices, references, resources, index.
(Note this book has been endorsed by Henry Heymering with a resoundingly positive back cover review, and you know how hard that is to come by! He says, among other good things, “Much of the research on hooves from ancient to current times is explained with unmatched clarity. The more people read this book, the more sound horses there will be.”)
PUBLICATION DATE: 1 October 2004, shipping NOW.
Note: Many of you read Lisa’s insightful article about her role assisting Dr Robert Bowker in hoof research projects at the Michigan State University’s “Equine Hoof Laboratory” in Hoofcare #78.