Farrier Travis Burns Promoted at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

Travis Burns

Farrier Travis Burns recently received a promotion to faculty level at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Travis is now "lecturer and college farrier" at the Blacksburg, Virginia campus.

From the Hoof Prints newsletter of the veterinary college's Equine Field Service: "Travis Burns, hospital farrier, was recently promoted to faculty status in recognition of his important contributions to the college’s clinical, instructional, and outreach programs, particulary in podiatry. It is great to see our faculty and staff rewarded for their efforts."

Travis joined the university in the winter of 2010 and has been helping Professor R. Scott Pleasant, DVM, MS, Diplomate, ACVS create what is shaping up to be an innovative and energized equine podiatry unit at the vet school.

Travis's background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from North Carolina State University, a stint at farrier school, and completion of the unique professional internship program at the Forging Ahead multi-farrier sport horse practice in Round Hill, Virginia. While with Forging Ahead, Travis had exposure to podiatry cases when assisting Paul Goodness in his work as consulting farrier at the Marion du Pont Scott Equine Medical Center, which is affiliated with the university. 

Obviously, Travis liked what he saw; he seized the opportunity to specialize in podiatry. He and Dr. Pleasant will hopefully inspire others to be creative about career specializations and the initiative to develop forward-thinking programs where once none existed.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Cornell Vet School Honors Steve Kraus With Permanent Appointment as Resident Farrier and Lecturer

Steve Kraus has officially been named to the permanent position of head farrier and lecturer in the faculty of Large Animal Surgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

According to Cornell, as head farrier Kraus is responsible for teaching and recruiting farrier students. His position also supports patient needs within the equine and farm animal hospitals. His typical duties include basic horseshoeing, corrective hoof trimming/shoeing, therapeutic methods, splint fabrication and other relevant needs.

Cornell's farrier education program currently offers three 16-week courses in basic farrier education each year, which Steve instructs. One of the changes Steve has made in the farrier course is giving students access to a large number of polo, equitation and school horses at Cornell's Oxley Equestrian Center.

Steve Kraus (Cornell University photo)

Caring for the hooves of the university's equestrian center horses will greatly increase the "hands on" experience of the students during their time at Cornell and give them exposure to real world shoeing situations in a working stable.  Kraus has been the farrier at the 60-horse facility for many years.

"There has always been a lack of practice horses for the farrier students," Kraus said on Friday. "Now they will collectively do approximately 120 shoeings during their stay. I take the students over there three afternoons a week."

Steve graduated from Cornell in 1970, and has been shoeing horses for the university since 1968. He is deeply involved in the sport of polo, and not only does he play the sport, he trains ponies, referees and coaches, for both the outdoor and indoor programs at Cornell.

Steve's expertise in the farrier world goes far beyond his well-established business in the Ithaca area. He has been a technical consultant and product advisor to Mustad for more than 30 years and his influence can be seen in nails, shoes and tools used by farriers all over the world as well as hoofcare products used by horse owners and trainers.

Among his other duties, Steve is currently busy planning the Cornell Farrier Conference, which will be held November 12-13, 2011 at the vet college. The program will include a special tribute to the late Cornell vet school farrier Buster Conklin who died early this summer.

Steve succeeds Michael Wildenstein, who retired from the position last summer. Steve had a temporary appointment until July when he was officially hired to the permanent position at the vet school.

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© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Tell Us About This Shoe...

Not much information was passed along with this photo. Is this a Quix shoe? That was my first guess, what's yours? It looks like it's a big shoe on a big foot, but maybe it's a tiny foot and it's actually an Imprint and just looks yellow? Thanks for your help! (Photo courtesy of Nottingham Vet School, Great Britain)

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  
 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Olds College Fills First Two-Year Farrier Degree Program

New students in the classroom at Olds College in Alberta, Canada last week. They'll be together for two years in the new program.

They said it couldn't be done. They said farrier students demanded short courses. They said that farrier schools should emulate the barefoot trimming training programs that compete with them with home schooling and weekend or weeklong on-site formal programs peppered through the program. They said students these days don't want to work as hard as you have to to become a good farrier.

They said Olds College would never fill the new two-year degree program for professional farrier training when they announced it last year. Not in this economy.

But they did. Students sat down at their desks for the first day of classes in a filled-to-capacity program at the Alberta, Canada campus last month.

A horseshoe is one big learning curve for a student farrier. Photos by Thowra_UK via Flickr. Thanks!

“Olds College was already commended by the equine industry for its one-year program, considered the best in the industry,” said Jeff Suderman, Director of Student Recruitment. “We are encouraged to see that the move to a more comprehensive program has been well received.”

The previous program at Olds was one year in length. But Olds holds the belief that horses today represent a significantly greater investment for owners and that society calls for a heightened awareness of animal welfare and how it is achieved. According to the program's new rationale, by doubling the Farrier Science Program’s length, Olds College will ensure that students graduate with increased knowledge of equine anatomy, horse handling and horse husbandry as well as sufficient proficiency in welding, basic blacksmithing and advanced corrective and therapeutic horseshoeing.

In keeping with the college’s emphasis on real-life, hands-on learning, the farrier program now requires completion of a total of eight months of what they call "Directed Field Study", split into five-month and three-month sections, respectively.

“One thing that attracted me to Olds College was the fact that it offers more than just six-week training programs. The two-year diploma stretches out learning to ensure we understand and develop the skills we need,” said Tyler Johnson, a first-year student in the new program.

Traditionally, the number of applicants for the Olds College program has exceeded its capacity, which caps at 16 students. Existing familiarity and aptitude with the farrier profession and horse and tool handling are just some of the areas of competency students need to demonstrate before they can even be considered for acceptance into the program.

“Olds College already graduates some of the best farriers in North America but today’s industry needs them to be even better,” says Dean Sinclair, Olds College Farrier Science Coordinator.

Olds College discontinued its shorter programs. Only the two-year program is offered, showing what a commitment the college is making to in-depth training of its students.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.
 

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Moyer's AAEP Presidency Means Temporary Changes at Texas A&M Vet School

(press release edited for space restrictions) 

Dr. William Moyer, professor and department head of the Large Animal Clinical Sciences Department (LACS) of the Texas A & M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVM), will become the next president of theAmerican Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in December 2010. While Moyer goes on administrative leave to fulfill his duties with the AAEP, Dr. Allen Roussel, professor and associate department head at veterinary college, will become the acting department head of the LACS on September 1, 2010 until January 1, 2012.

"This is the greatest honor I have ever received," explains Moyer. "I have been a member of AAEP since 1969. AAEP has set the ground work for a lot of other organizations of its kind. It was the first to have a motto, and it is one of the only organizations that is very progressive in dealing with all issues of the horse world. Personally, AAEP is my window to the world I work in. I am very grateful to Dr. Roussel for fulfilling the responsibilities of my current position while I execute my role with the AAEP."

AAEP's mission statement is "to improve the health and welfare of the horse, to further the professional development of its members, and to provide resources and leadership for the benefit of the equine industry." AAEP encompasses all aspects of the horse industry. Moyer is currently president elect of the AAEP. He received his DVM from Colorado State University in 1970. He has been the department head of the Large Animal Clinical Sciences Department for 17 years. He also holds memberships in the American Veterinary Medical Association, Association for the Advancement of Sports Potential, Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, Association of Equine Sports Medicine, and the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.

"Dr. Moyer's rise to the presidency of the largest, most influential equine veterinary organization in the world speaks volumes about his success as an influential leader and the regard in which he is held in the profession," said Dr. Eleanor Green, Carl B. King dean of veterinary medicine at Texas A & M.  "The AAEP presidency is one of the greatest honors, opportunities, and responsibilities an equine veterinarian can achieve.  We are all very proud of Dr. Moyer."

"As AAEP President, Dr. Moyer will advance both the AAEP and Texas A & M University," Green continued.  "In recognition of the growing responsibilities and time commitment associated with AAEP Presidency, Texas A & M fully supports Dr. Moyer and encourages him to focus his talents and energies on his presidency during his term.  So how can the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences continue to flourish during this period?  Dr. Moyer fully supports Dr. Allen Roussel in serving as Acting Department Head.  What speaks volumes about Dr. Moyer's selfless nature and his well-known advocacy for and faith in his faculty is that he has entrusted the department completely to Dr. Roussel.  He has made it clear that he wants Dr. Roussel to lead the department as if he were the permanent department head until his return.

"Dr. Roussel is up for the challenge.  He has demonstrated excellent leadership as Associate Department Head and has been working side-by-side with Dr. Moyer over the last few months.  One can almost hear Dr. Roussel saying, 'Put me in coach.'  Because of unselfish dedication of both of these leaders, the department will not merely be held together, it will continue to drive forward."

Hoof Blog note: Among his many other accomplishments, Dr. Moyer is co-author of A Guide to Equine Joint Injection and Regional Anesthesia, our current bestselling book. Sadly, it has gone out-of-print and we are down to the last copies. If you need one, please go to our order page and make sure you get one before they are gone.

Also: Dr. Green knows what she's talking about; she was AAEP President in 2008.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.

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Friends at Work (But for how long?): J. C. Maloyed at Virginia Intermont College

5 March 2010 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com

Virginia farrier J. C. Maloyed has survived back surgery and 25 years of ups and downs as farrier for the equestrian program at Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia. But could the wavering economy be affecting the ability of families to send daughters off to college with an equitation horse and an allowance to keep up with a show schedule? JC wonders about his future, as the college--which has won 13 national riding championships, by the way--looks for cash to keep the program going and the stables full. Read an article about J.C. and the job he loves in today's Bristol Herald Courier. What affects the equestrian program at a school like Virginia Intermont affects us all.

Canadian College Expands Farrier Program to Two-Years

18 February 2010 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com


The following is a press release from the farrier program at Olds College in Alberta, Canada:

Responding to industry demand, Olds College will be changing its already acclaimed one-year Farrier program to a two-year program in October of 2010.

The college’s new Farrier Science diploma will see students emerging with increased knowledge of equine anatomy, horse handling and horse husbandry. As well, emphasis will be increased on welding, basic blacksmithing and advanced corrective and therapeutic horseshoeing. In keeping with the college’s emphasis on real-life, hands-on learning, program completion will now require a total of 8 months of Directed Field Study, split into five-month and three-month sections respectively.

Mark Hobby, President of the Western Canadian Farriers Association, believes that new farriers today need more training than can currently be found on the continent. “Olds College is to be commended for its current one-year program. It is the best in North America by far,” says Hobby. “It is still not long enough, however. The proposed two year program is essential if we are going to be fair to equines, owners and students.” Hobby adds that Europe, generally considered to hold farriers to a higher standard, requires four years of training for farriers and requires them to be licensed by law.

Traditionally, the number of applicants for the Olds College program has exceeded its capacity, which caps at 16 students. Existing familiarity with the farrier profession and horse and tool handling are just some of the areas of competency students will need to demonstrate prior to acceptance into the program.

“Olds College already graduates some of the best farriers in North America but today’s industry needs them to be even better,” says Dean Sinclair, Olds College Farrier Science Coordinator. “Horses now represent a significant financial investment for most owners and there is also a heightened awareness of animal welfare and how it is achieved. This program will set a new standard and we are quite proud of it.”

Sinclair’s sentiments are echoed by the American Farrier’s Association (AFA). “All too often, farriers don’t survive their initial entrance into our profession because they arrive ill-prepared for success,” says AFA President Richard Fanguy. “By providing students with ample opportunity for both classroom instruction and practical experience, Olds College is helping to provide stability and professionalism within our industry.”

(end of press release)

Editor's note: Mark Hobby was probably misquoted in this press release. He may have been referring to the mandatory four-year farrier training program in Great Britain, which ends in an examination, rather than all of Europe. In other countries in Europe, the qualifications and education for farriers vary widely from formal to informal to non-existent although efforts by the EFFA hope to make standardized farrier training a reality across Europe in the future. Note that trimming and soft-shoeing (boots and non-steel shoes) do not require training or registration in most countries, but farriery (defined by the application of steel shoes) often is a regulated trade with a lengthy mandatory apprenticeship.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.

Virginia Tech Hires Full-Time Farrier for Veterinary College Post

20 January 2010 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com

Travis Burns will leave his employment with the multi-farrier practice Forging Ahead in Round Hill, Virginia to become the full-time farrier at the veterinary college at Virginia Tech. He's shown here with one of his favorite horses, a big-footed barefoot fellow named Gumpy. (Hoofcare & Lameness photo)

This announcement was received this week from the
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Virginia; thanks to Drs. R. Scott Pleasant (far left) and David Hodgson (near left) for their assistance. (University announcement text in red)

We are very pleased to announce that Travis Burns, of Marshall, Virginia, has joined the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech as a full-time farrier.

Burns’ arrival in February will allow the College to provide complete equine podiatry services through the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. In his position, Travis will assist the equine faculty in building on the service, education, and community engagement strengths of the College. We believe that Travis’s special skills, knowledge, and experience will be a great resource for our students and regional horse owners, farriers, and veterinarians.

Proper management and care of a horse’s hooves is essential to the overall health of the animal, according to Dr. David Hodgson, head of the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences. “Properly trimmed and balanced hooves and correctly fitting shoes are essential to preventing lameness and other maladies in horses,” said Hodgson. “The addition of Travis to our department and hospital further enhances the overall preventive healthcare package we are able to offer our patients, clients and referring veterinarians. We are very pleased to welcome him and plan for him to enhance our ties to the local community of farriers. Travis will be working closely with Dr. Scott Pleasant and other members of our veterinary team. Dr. Pleasant is one of the leading veterinary exponents for the advancement of hoof care in horses. ”

Travis’s interest in horseshoeing began at an early age while working with horses at his uncle’s riding stable in North Carolina. He attended farrier school in the winter of 2002 and then continued to shoe horses while attending college. He graduated from North Carolina State University in 2006 with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. In 2007, Travis was accepted into a one-year internship program at Forging Ahead, an elite multi-farrier practice in Northern Virginia. Upon completion of the internship program, based on his outstanding ability, Travis was retained at Forging Ahead as an associate farrier.

Travis recently achieved Certified Journeyman Farrier certification by the American Farrier's Association, the highest level of certification granted by the organization.

(end of Virginia Tech document)

Hoofcare and Lameness would like to congratulate both Travis Burns and Virginia Tech for the new directions each of them is taking (and taking together). While Travis is heading into a new area, there is no doubt he gives a lot of credit to the formal internship program that he completed at Forging Ahead; he was later hired on as an associate farrier there. The fact that he would be an AFA Journeyman and be considered for this position at the vet school so early in his career is testimony to the program that Paul Goodness has designed at Forging Ahead for farriers who want to seriously accelerate their careers working on top sport horses or specializing in lameness. While not everyone can be an intern at Forging Ahead, the program can be emulated by others, and hopefully more internships for working professional farriers will be offered in the future.

How does Paul Goodness feel about losing his protege? "I think it's so great," he said in a phone interview this morning, "that Virginia Tech would choose a young, talented farrier like Travis. He'll go far in this industry. They are starting with a clean slate, by hiring someone who wants to help horses and make a positive difference on many fronts. This is a step forward for the farrier-vet world. I will be able to stay in touch with Travis and send him cases from Leesburg. (Note: Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Virginia, which is affiliated with Virginia Tech and where Paul is the farrier).

"It's not a crisis here at Forging Ahead. It's true, 2009 wasn't the best year for us, and I'm sure not the best year for most farrier businesses," he continued thoughtfully. "But we've already picked up new clients this month and I don't feel like I need to be running back and forth to Florida. Scott and I have full books, all day, just here at the shop with haul-ins. We're predicting a big year and an influx of foreign riders to the area to train and compete before heading to Kentucky for WEG in the fall. The farrier business should be just fine, as should be the lameness referrals."

Here's a re-post of the NBC News segment taped at Forging Ahead about the internship program during the run-up to the Kentucky Derby last April:

, ,Please allow time for NBC's "Thank Goodness" video to load. Click the play icon to begin.

Links to more articles about Forging Ahead:
Link to Internship Program Announcement in 2007
Link to "Friends at Work" About Forging Ahead in 2009
Link to Forging Ahead web site

In 2009, Travis attended the Fifth International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot in West Palm Beach, Florida and the North East Association of Equine Practitioners Conference in Ledyard, Connecticut. He also was a guest presenter at one of our Hoofcare@Saratoga evenings last August in Saratoga Springs, New York, where he presented Forging Ahead's clever reverse Mustad glue-on shoe for laminitis therapy.

While I was working on this announcement, several people forwarded to me links to a story that was published around the country today, via Associated Press, and most notably on the ABC News and National Public Radio web sites. The article features Jason Wilson-Maki, farrier at Texas A&M University, along with a brief mention of Michael Wildenstein, farrier at Cornell.

There are many hardworking farriers at vet schools around North America, including Jason and Michael, whether full-time employees or contract service providers. I'm sorry to say that I don't know who they all are, so if you work for or with a vet school, please contact The Hoof Blog so we can keep a list.

And today we can add Travis Burns to that list of farriers...and Virginia to the list of vet schools that has one.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask.

Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).

To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found.

Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.

Foot Balance And Lameness Thesis Wins British Award

A study of foot balance and lameness in riding school horses has won the Royal Agricultural Society of England‟s "Eqvalan Duo Equine Thesis of the Year Award‟, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year. The award is sponsored by Merial, manufacturers of the Eqvalan equine wormer.

On Friday, before a panel of academic and horse industry authorities, Laura Corbin from Warwickshire College in England reported on her research on riding school horses and described how she developed an objective system to evaluate foot balance. She found that horses with chronic foot conditions often had poor scores for foot balance and proposed that maintaining good foot balance could reduce lameness and provide long term economic benefits.

Laura is currently undertaking a studentship with the Roslin Institute and is at the University of Edinburgh in preparation for her PhD.

Her winning thesis “Foot Balance and Lameness in Riding School Horses”, was selected from research theses submitted by universities in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Laura competed against four other finalists in a presentation of her study which the judges described as “fascinating and extremely useful information for the industry”.

Second prize winner was Charlotte White of Nottingham Trent University for her dissertation: "An investigation into the occlusal secondary dentine thickness in horses of different ages".

From the abstract for Corbin's thesis is this general summary:

"Inappropriate foot balance has been implicated as a causative factor in many instances of equine lameness. In this study, the static foot balance of 81 horses at two riding schools was evaluated in order to assess foot balance in relation to lameness.

"An objective system was used to assign a foot imbalance score to each horse based on the occurrence of the following foot abnormalities: sheared heels, underrun heels, contracted heels, broken hoof pastern axis, mismatched hoof angles and small feet, as assessed using specific measurements of the foot.

"The mean foot imbalance scores were 2.9 (± 1.0) for horses at Riding School A and 2.9 (± 1.2) for horses at Riding School B. (Minimum score = 0; maximum score = 6).

"Horses with chronic foot conditions were found to have significantly worse foot balance with respect to the foot abnormalities identified in this study (as indicated by a higher foot imbalance score) than those without.

"At one of the riding schools, horses that had been lame within the last year had significantly worse foot balance than other horses in the population.

"The results suggested that poor foot balance in riding school horses may contribute to the occurrence of lameness and the development of chronic foot conditions. Maintaining appropriate foot balance in riding school horses may therefore reduce the incidence of lameness and chronic foot conditions and could provide long-term economic benefits.

"Further investigations incorporating a greater number riding schools are necessary to confirm the results of this study; prospective studies would be of particular value."

Note: the abstract is a little vague about defining what a chronic foot condition is or how severe or longlasting the lameness conditions were. Hopefully the full paper will disclose a lot more about the methods and presumptions of this study. Congratulations to Laura for bringing the preventive value of good hoof balance to the attention of the public. Warwickshire College is home to one of Britain's leading farrier college programs.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. Permissions for use elsewhere are most often easily arranged.

Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).

To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found.

Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.