What's on that hoof knife? Biosecurity for British farriers

What's on your hoof knife?

A new and forward-looking education initiative is helping shine a positive light on the potential role that responsible farriers can play in preventing and containing an equine disease outbreak. Earlier this fall, Great Britain was on high alert when at least 41 locations were affected by cases of highly-contagious equine influenza. Racing was cancelled. Incomes were lost.

But something was gained.

The Barbaro Effect: How One Horse Changed the Face of Laminitis Awareness--and Google Search Statistics--Forever

A racehorse named Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby in 2006. He fractured his right hind leg in the Preakness, two weeks later, and suffered from laminitis during his complex recovery from surgery to repair the limb that summer. The world watched him struggle to recover. Eight months after his injury, he was euthanized. Laminitis was given as the reason for ending his life. The world--not just the horse world--was stunned that his life couldn't be saved. What was this disease, they wanted to know? Barbaro showed them what it was, in the most tragic possible way. His name became synonymous with laminitis awareness and research. And Google has proof of that.

Barbaro died on January 29, 2007. Where were you, eight years ago today? More importantly, where was your awareness and knowledge of the disease of laminitis? And where are you--and your laminitis awareness and knowledge--now?

Happy Australia Day

Happy Australia Day! (Today's a big mid-summer holiday throughout the country!)

The heavy horses are a big attraction at the Royal (Sydney) Easter Show, which includes a heavy horse shoeing competition.  I've been there, done that but my photos don't look anything like this one. I did have the honor of riding on the massive Carlton hitch wagon in the parade one year, though.

The massive McGuire hitch of Clydesdales resides year-round in a permanent palace of a barn, right on the showgrounds, and the show hosts a wonderful heavy horse breed show, with special classes for antique vehicles. The Clydesdale breed is very popular in Australia and dominated the classes when I was there.

All horse events for the huge show had been cancelled because of the equine influenza outbreak but things seem to be under control again...and the horse events are back on!

Good luck to everyone in the horse business in Australia getting back on their feet after the disastrous epidemic.