White Turf: How Do Polo Ponies and Racehorses Stay on Their Feet in the St. Moritz Snow?

A ski-joring horse displays the outside of his right front hoof during a race. Coronet and hoof wall injuries are common when horses are shod with calks. (Swiss Images photo)

Calks? Check. Snow rim pads? Check. Ice-breaker hoof pick? Check. Horses competing in the polo and racing each February in St. Moritz, Switzerland are prepared from the ground--or should we say snow?--up.

It happens every February. Winter looks gray and boring and spring can't come quickly enough and then the images start showing up from the glamorous ski resort of St Moritz, Switzerland and you remember that it is possible to have fun with horses in the snow. And that there are some people out there who manage to do it with a great deal of style.

But how do they keep the horses of their feet?

New from War Horse: Off-Screen Actors Speak on the Film (and the Horse)

A new two-minute trailer from Dreamworks Pictures juxtaposes the off-screen stars of the new Steven Spielberg film War Horse with their on-screen characters. What do the actors have to say about the film, what it means, and what's at the heart of a horse's journey into the swirling maelstrom of war?

The momentum is building for the premiere of this film in the USA on Christmas Day. To learn more, follow @warhorsenews on Twitter.


Speaking of World War I, which this blog will be doing often in the runup to the premiere of War Horse, here's a fascinating artifact from the National Army Museum in London, which is currently hosting a War Horse exhibit.

They named this object "Jim's Hoof" and describe it this way: "Trumpeter W H Barrett rode Jim throughout the First World War (1914-18). Unlike so many other horses, he made it back to Britain alive and in 1919 was presented to Queen Alexandra by the British commander-in-chief, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig."

I'm sure it must be the photo, but it doesn't look silver on my computer screen. And do you notice anything about Jim's hoof? You're right: no nail holes. How is the shoe attached to the hoof? Why did they choose to cover the heel bulbs that way?

Perhaps this priceless artifact was the inspiration for the Shoe Secure heel guards from Scotland.

Also from the National Army Museum, but pre-dating World War I is a memorial to a favorite polo pony of Captain Sherer of the 49th (Bengal) Native Infantry in India. He is often credited with bringing the sport to Europe.

The museum tells us that though there is no inscription to suggest that it was awarded as a trophy, it is among the earliest examples of polo memorabilia (1865) belonging to a British Officer; they assure us that both hooves are from the same pony.

Looking at this photos, do you think that Captain Sherer commissioned a silversmith or a farrier to make the  silver horseshoes?

 TO LEARN MORE

War Horse Television Commercial (November 2011)
First War Horse Movie Trailer (June 2011)

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. 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). 

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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.

Call 978 281 3222 to order your copy!

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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.  

Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal

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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.

Weekend Humor: A Desperate Polo Widow and High Hoofcare Fashion News

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

It's Sunday, time to relax and have some hoofcare- or lameness-related humor. This week our humor comes from South America: what happens when the worlds of polo and fashion collide below the hock in Argentina?



I have to thank my friend Molly Knott of DappledGrey.com out in Oregon for that video. If you are interested in equestrian fashion or know anyone who is, Molly's web site is the place to find out about the newest and most stylish English gear and clothing for horses and humans.

The polo wrap boots from the video are an actual item--they really are for sale! What's more, they are a fundraiser for Ethiopian children with the foot disease Podoconiosis, an infection caused by a fungus in the soil there.

And from the runways of European fashion boots come hoof boots for humans, all part of the hot new equestrian look. Christian Dior last week showed models in veiled hats and side-saddle attire, and here we have boots that make women's feet and legs look like hooves, with just little black bases sticking out at the bottom.

Wait, there's more! I made a new friend this fall, San Francisco fashion designer Trace Cohen of Bind. Trace was interested in farrier aprons.

He added both a farrier apron and a tanner's apron to his line of super-hip men's clothing, so if you're walking around New York or LA or Milan and see someone walking down the sidewalk wearing a farrier apron...it might just be an expression of high fashion, not a horseshoer. The high-fashion farrier aprons come in black for winter.

Do you think that New England deep-winter barn clothes will ever have a high-fashion value? Two fashion shoots I've often thought someone should do were women from Maine in their favorite barn clothes and (more seriously) Saratoga's early-a.m. exercise rider colony, who have quite a style all their own.

That wraps up the fashion report, I hope it made you smile! It's all true!


© 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.