Connecticut Drops Charges Against "Equine Podiatrist" for Illegal Practice of Veterinary Medicine

For years, Connecticut has been known as the wealthiest state in the United States of America. Add to that the highest number of horses per square mile of any state. It's also one of the most beautiful states. If you had to pick a state to live in and run a farrier business, you couldn't do much better for job security than Connecticut.

After a state legal decision made there last month, it might be an even better state in which to be an equine podiatrist.

Historic Capewell Triumphs Recalled As Connecticut Looks Back After Learning Delta Mustad News of Nailmaker's Departure

Several reports from the Hartford area today expressed sadness at the news that Capewell Horse Nails will now be made abroad, following yesterday's announced by Delta Mustad. 

The Hartford Courant had an article featuring Stanley Wojnilo, the company's veteran nailmaker. On Twitter, the Connecticut and Hartford Historical Societies announced the news.

Things few people know: before the existence of today's Farrier Industry Association of salesmen in the hoofcare industry, there was the Order of Nutmegs. When there were horseshoer conventions, the Nutmegs would have big banquets and just generally celebrate in grand style.

Why were they called "Nutmegs"? A "nutmeg" was a name for a pedlar without many scruples. They'd travel around with a wagon-load of goods back in the days before mail order or malls. One of thins they sold was the spice, nutmeg. But it might not be a nutmeg you were buying--it might be a knot of wood. They looked alike.

Among those Nutmegs toasting the horseshoers (and each other) at conventions in the old days were Capewell salesmen who called Connecticut (known as "the nutmeg state") home. Capewell had an army of salesmen on the road visiting hardware stores and blacksmith and horseshoer supply houses. A Capewell salesman was synonymous with the successful tradesman.

For many years, the Capewell factory in downtown Hartford was derelict. It was once called "one of the great cathedrals of American industry". Capewell was one of the first US companies to ever offer daycare for the children of women who worked in the factory. I'm not sure when this photo was taken; the last time I tried to find the factory, I couldn't. Maybe I was lost, or maybe it is gone. Delta Mustad bought the Capewell horse nail business, not the building, in 1985. Photo by Nivek29

© 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.

Capewell Ends 131-Year Run Making Nails in USA as Delta Mustad Consolidates Horse Nail Factories

George Capewell's grave; photo from the Library of Congress

The news from Delta Mustad hit the streets today: Capewell nails will no longer be made in America. Of course the company has big plans, but a chunk of US horse history ceases with this announcement.

Detail, horseshoe and nail from Capewell grave

Hoofcare Publishing and I wish all the employees of the Connecticut factory the very best in their new pursuits and of course we wish the best to all our friends all over the world who are part of the Delta Mustad Hoofcare universe.

Someday I'd like to give the Capewell name and nails their due place in history. It could be a book, and maybe it should be a Ken Burns-type documentary film. Capewell's tradition in and around Hartford, Connecticut deserves it.

George Capewell was born on June 26, 1843 in Birmingham, England, and soon emigrated with his family to Connecticut. He started working in factories at the age of 15, and worked his way up by demonstrating his prowess for the new field of mechanical engineering.

He spent five years perfecting a machine to automatically make a nail with the necessary block-like head, beveled blade, and point, which was patented in 1880. It was an age when other nails were manufactured, but the tips were blunt, and required the farrier to "point" each one on the anvil.

Capewell's nail machines were a success, and he ran parallel manufacturing operations in the US and Great Britain. He sailed on the maiden voyage of RMS Lusitania, which would be sunk by German U-boats and signal the beginning of war against Germany for the Americans.

Capewell's factory in Connecticut burned to the ground in 1902, but he rebuilt it. During the war, he was a pioneer of progressiveness: he hired women to work in his factories and provided free day care on site for their children.

Capewell's old ads and calendars are highly collectible, but its wooden boxes are treasures.

Throughout his life, he expanded his company to dominate sales all over the world. Capewell bought out many of its competitors; when it finally purchased its arch competitor, Putnam Nails, in 1895, inventor Silas Putnam had to publish a letter endorsing Capewell as the best nails in the world.

He died on November 6, 1919, just five days before the end of World War I. 

I remember the first time I visited the factory in Connecticut. I remember meeting some Polish women who worked as nail inspectors. Their job was so important. I was impressed, and everyone was always so nice.

Mustad hired me to write the announcement that they had bought Capewell. Nails were a very political hot-button issue in the horse world back then; Capewell owned the US market, and Mustad opened their operations here from a warehouse in Auburn, New York around 1980.

After Mustad bought Capewell, a beautiful new factory and warehouse complex was built north of Hartford amidst the tobacco fields of Bloomfield.

George Capewell

The workers always seemed a little embarrassed that I was so interested in meeting them. They always have been so important to the farrier industry and the horse world, and they always will be, since it sounds like Delta Mustad plans to continue making Capewell nails.

I'm so glad I was able to see those old Capewell nail machines at work, in the original factory, and meet those people.

I can still hear the clattering sound the machines made in the high ceiling halls of that old factory in Hartford. I hope I never forget that sound.

Here's the announcement that Delta Mustad Hoofcare posted on its web site today: (text in italics is direct quote from company)

Today Mustad, the world leader in hoofcare products, including horseshoes and nails, announced the consolidation of its global hoof nail production in Mustadfors (Sweden) and Emcoclavos (Colombia). 

The closure of the Capewell production facilities in Bloomfield has been announced on Feb 21st, 2012.

“We are continuously looking for ways to improve our production, distribution and customer service,” says Hans Mustad, CEO of the firm. “After a careful and thorough evaluation process we have decided to close the nail production at Capewell and move the entire Capewell production to Mustadfors, Sweden.

 In Bloomfield a total number of 26 employees are affected by the closure. 

"All agreements with our staff are made in the spirit of Mustad´s values as a family company, with a 180-year tradition in social responsibility,” confirms Hans Mustad. The North American sales and customer teams are not affected and remain unchanged. 

An old post card showing the now-abandoned and derelict Capewell factory in downtown Hartford. Mustad moved the company to Bloomfield soon after purchasing the company.

“With the focus on two state-of-the-art production facilities in Sweden and Colombia we are in a position to further improve the quality of our products, utilize innovations and manage even better supply as well as customer service,” continues Hans Mustad 

“We are very grateful to the Bloomfield employees for their dedication and craftsmanship in producing Capewell horsenails. Their efforts have been instrumental towards maintaining Capewell's 131-year reputation for exceptional quality with suppliers and customers from around the world. We will continue that positive legacy as we transition to the next phase of Capewell's future” confirms Petter Binde, Mustad’s Sales & Marketing CEO. 

The Capewell brand will remain unchanged and continues to be an integral part of Mustad´s market leading, global product offering. 

(end of text from Delta Mustad Hoofcare)

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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.

Hoofcare@NEAEP: See You in Connecticut!

by Fran Jurga | 20 September 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog

Don't call the office this week. Hoofcare and Lameness will be on location at the first-ever conference of the Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners (NEAEP) in Ledyard, Connecticut. The new NEAEP organization is kicking off its public persona with a double-barreled lecture series from Wednesday through Friday. One lecture hall is podiatry only, while the other covers a range of veterinary topics, including equine sportsmedicine.

Chances are, you'll find me in the podiatry lectures. The NEAEP has brought together a great group of speakers--including Robin Dabareiner, Melissa Fagerlin, Ian McKinlay, Scott Morrison, Scott Pleasant and Patrick Reilly--and filled a trade show with exhibitors.

I will try to keep the blog updated from Connecticut, but if you are planning to attend--and I hope you are--please stop by the Hoofcare booth in the trade show and say hello!

Registration will be available on site; details are at www.neaep.net. See you there!

PS I chose this nice old illustration as our company's booth logo for this event because it is so old. It dates back to a time when farriery was veterinary medicine, and the art of bandaging a horse was an example of one of the many arts of farriery. NEAEP is an organization comprised of both veterinarians and farriers (and other horse health professionals) and I am looking forward to working with this organization for many years to come!

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. 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.

Meet NEAEP. Now Ask: Who's an Equine Practitioner? New Org's Broader Definition Includes Vets and Farriers; Meeting Discount for Hoofcare Subscribers

by Fran Jurga | 19 April 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog

NEAEP President Christopher ("Kit") Miller DVM and NEAEP Board Member David Farley work together in the barn aisle and in the board room. (NEAEP photo)

And now for something completely different...

A new organization unleashed a flurry of email promotions on the east coast of the USA this winter, and they're not done yet. The message is that a new organization, the Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners (NEAEP), plans to expand what (and who) an equine practitioner organization is by inviting veterinarians, technicians and farriers to become members of the new umbrella professional group.

And they would recommend that everyone's first step--whether members or prospective members--be to plan to attend an equally ambitious dual-program conference planned for the fall at the Foxwoods Casino Resort in Connecticut.

According to its web site, the mission of the NEAEP is "to improve the health and welfare of horses by providing state-of-the-art professional education and to support the economic security of the equine industry by complementing local associations thereby giving equine veterinarians, farriers, technicians, veterinary students and horse owners a unified voice at the state and regional levels."

Two farriers--Patrick Reilly of Pennsylvania and David Farley of Florida--are on the new association's Board of Directors.

Reilly said, "It is fantastic to have these two professions working together in these areas. While this was intended as a regional association, we have had interest in membership from farriers all over the United States, and from as far as Ireland. I am encouraged to see that other farriers are equally excited at this unique opportunity for our professions to work and learn together."

I caught up with Dave Farley recently to ask him about the organization from the working farrier's point of view. Dave is a longtime advocate of continuing education for farriers; he runs a show horse shoeing business with his son, both in Florida and in Ohio, and keeps up a busy clinic schedule working in product development and especially product education for Farrier Product Distribution.

"This is a commitment, it's not an experiment," Dave stressed. "And the wider membership extends to vet students and technicians. The NEAEP is committing to hosting a foot conference each year, which will benefit any farrier. It's really exciting, and a very open group. The veterinarians are willing to learn from us (farriers).

"One of the biggest accolades in the farrier industry is this, to be accepted on an equal level," he continued. "And here it is. I work with vets all the time, but I know a lot of farriers who don't, and this organization will help them."

Perusing the list of directors and officers of the organization shows that this group is rooted in the east coast circuit of show horses and sport horses, with several noted veterinary practitioners making a commitment to the startup, including Dr Mark Baus of Fairfield Equine Associates and Dr Stephen Soule of Palm Beach Equine Clinic. President Miller practices outside New York City.

The academic side of equine practice is not forgotten; Dr Jose Garcia-Lopez of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is currently President-Elect, and Reilly, the farrier quoted earlier, is on staff at the University of Pennsylvania and is on the board with Farley. You may recognize other disciplines and individuals on the long list of officials.

Hoofcare and Lameness has made a commitment in this venture as well. We will support the first conference and look forward to seeing many of our Hoof Blog readers and Journal subscribers there.

CONFERENCE DISCOUNT: The NEAEP has generously offered a $75 conference registration discount to Hoofcare and Lameness subscribers. This is like getting your subscription for free...with money left over! The catch is that you must pre-register by August 15th and, since the online registration is automated, you would need to register by phone to receive the discount. The normal registration for the three-day event is $465; the Hoofcare and Lameness rate will be just $390 for telephone registrations by August 15th.

By the time August rolls around, you will have forgotten this announcement, lost it, be away on vacation or be too busy to call. But you can get your registration done now, guarantee a hotel room, and plan to have a quality educational experience.

See you there!

Here are the links you will need to learn more:
NEAEP officials and staff
Vet program
Podiatry program
NEAEP membership information

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. 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.

Farrier Politics: SNEFA Officers Resign; SNEFA Officers Re-Group

Connecticut farrier Geoff Goodson has resigned as president of the Southern New England Farriers Association, along with vice-president Roy Amaral and certification chair Michael Windsor. Sean McClure is now president, John Blombach is vice-president.

The three officers resigned at the June 1 association meeting, and Geoff called the Hoofcare & Lameness office on 2 June to let us know.