A Career on the Hoof: Does Geography Matter?

If you're considering a career in hoofcare (or know someone who is), this video might be helpful to you. The requirements of the job, according to South African racetrack farrier Andy Rivas, are pretty much the same all over.

Educational Hoof Anatomy Gifts to Give and to Get from the Hoofcare Collection

Let's make things perfectly clear...educational gifts go on giving!

Click on the arrow in the lower right corner of the Scribd window to scroll between the pages of our new brochure about educational, creative and crystal-clear hoof anatomy specimen preserved by plastination.

The "relief" or "plain" handheld specimen without acrylic $50

These specimen--or ones quite like them--are ready to be shipped from the Hoofcare Collection in time for holiday gifts. Prices range from $50 for the "handheld" sagittal hoof in relief (no acrylic sheet, but the actual tissue is plastinated) to $250 for the most complex models, such as a foal limb showing growth plates.

"Tall" sheet specimen of a foal's limb--size and age vary but growth plates are clearly visible. This specimen was photographed on a flat surface but would look like the others shown if held up to the light. $250

A "sheet" of the whole hoof is usually $95. "Sheets" that are as large as 6x12" likely extend to or beyond the fetlock and are priced by size and speciality up to $250 for special items such as foal limbs.

A standard "slice" or "living x-ray" of the whole foot varies in how much of the pastern is included; shape and thickness of  the acrylic may vary.  No two are alike. $95.

These specimen make great gifts for veterinarians and farriers--it is like carrying a living radiograph with you to illustrate conditions or structures. They are also becoming standard equipment for classrooms. They wipe clean easily and are resistant to heat and breakage. The freestanding "block" specimen are beautiful for display at home, in offices or at clinics and farrier shops.

An entire set of blocks cut from one hoof create a simulation of an MRI image and can be used by equine practitioners for imaging study. These sets are sold by special order and can be horizontal, as shown, or sagittal.

Both normal and laminitis hooves are available, along with all thicknesses of sole, variations of hoof-pastern axis, and conditions of the foot. Laminitis is shown in many forms in these models and is sometimes open to interpretation. The colors of the specimen vary considerably. Some are quite intense while others are pale. Light passes through them to illuminate all the structures.

Freestanding half-inch thick "block" models. $200. 

Note: these specimen are for sale only to US readers. We will gladly arrange for orders to be shipped from Germany to other countries. All orders shipped from the Hoofcare collection are subject to changes in price and 6.25% sales tax to Massachusetts readers.

Laminated posters are also available for $20 each. You can write on them with a dry-erase pen.

An email or telephone consult can determine an exact price, shipping charges, and a low-resolution sample snapshot can be emailed to you for approval. Orders can be made by PayPal, once the price is determined, or by Visa/Mastercard, or you may send a check.
Click on this link to download or view at full size the new Equine Hoof Anatomy Plastinate Brochure. This brochure details many customization alternatives for commercial orders. For educational and professional uses, the plastinates are embedded in clear acrylic without labels. or logos.

Hoof anatomy has never been so clear!

© 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

Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: ALthough I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post, Hoofcare Publishing acts as a sales agent in North America for these educational models.. 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.