Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital opens doors for International Equine Podiatry Conference April 18-20, 2024

Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky will host the third International Equine Podiatry Conference.

The doors to the forge are always open at the Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Someone is always going in or out, and the equine podiatry clinic is a favorite stop on every hospital tour. But from April 18-20 this year, the doors will open even wider to welcome attendees to the hospital's third International Podiatry Conference. 

Attendees should expect to roll up their sleeves, buckle their aprons, and spend two days in a stimulating state-of-the-art treatment and diagnosis center where the highly-trained staff looks expertly -- and exclusively -- at the equine hoof. A registration at this conference guarantees that the motivated participants can and will get their hands dirty and their questions answered.

Preview: Rood & Riddle Equine Podiatry Conference

Rood & Riddle Equine Podiatry Conference

April 14-16, 2022

Spy Coast Farm Equine Education Center 

Lexington, Kentucky

Late breaking news! Attention, veterinarians: 19.5 hours of RACE continuing education credit has been approved for this event.

Supporting limb laminitis: Dr. Scott Morrison's case review of Kentucky Derby winner Country House

Red roses show up twice a year: on Valentine's Day, and on the first Saturday in May, Kentucky Derby Day.

But this year, those two rose-filled days collided. On February 14, the world learned that 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House will not be returning to the races as a four year old, after all. As it turns out, the Derby was his last race.

The Valentine night announcement had a punchline: His owners revealed that the big chestnut son of Lookin at Lucky has been under treatment for supporting limb laminitis by Scott Morrison, DVM, of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, since mid-summer. 

Dr. Morrison kindly agreed to share his insight into the management of this horse's six-month facedown with supporting limb laminitis, a medical complication which, according to laminitis overviews of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, ends in euthanasia for 50 percent or more of horses afflicted. 

So that is where this story begins.

Shoeing for the Roses: Girvin's Kentucky Derby Quarter Crack and New Horseshoe Details

Photos and text © Fran Jurga and Dr. Raul Bras

Note: This story was updated to reflect the latest changes made on May 3.

There can be speed bumps on the road to the Kentucky Derby. There can be detours. And there can be road blocks.

The trick is being able to tell which one you're facing when a problem threatens to disrupt your colt's chances to run for glory on the first Saturday in May.

Sometimes a little detour can actually pay off, and one of this year's runners is out to prove that it pays off to take the scenic route.