Harlan Pennington told me today that his last day as farrier at the Kentucky Horse Park will be February 24th. That's Harlan in the nice photo with this post.
Harlan has been farrier at the Horse Park outside Lexington for more than eight years. His job is to shoe the Park's 100 or so horses--including 20 draft horses--and also meet and greet the public who wander through the shop as they tour the grounds.
He said he did not know who his successor would be or what the hiring process would entail.
The farrier shop is centrally located on the grounds and will soon be expanded. Harlan will still be associated with the project, as he is chairman of the American Farrier's Association's Kentucky Horse Park Visibility Committee.
Harlan said that the front part of the shop, where the public enters, will be enlarged into a 10 x 20 foot room that he hopes will become an educational display area to explain blacksmithing and the American Farrier's Association. The AFA national headquarters is located in a nearby building.
By my count, Harlan is the fourth farrier to work at the Horse Park since it opened. The first farrier, John Bodkins, had two assistants...and only 20 horses to shoe. Bodkins was followed by Saddlebred expert Shorty Roberts, who in turn yielded the anvil to Dave Gibson. Harlan came in to help Dave with the draft horses when he was hurt...and never left.
The farrier shop should be open during the upcoming American Farrier's Association convention, to be held in Lexington at the Lexington Center downtown and the Horse Park arena February 28 to March 1.
The centerpiece of the shop is no doubt the huge framed photo on the wall, showing farriers from (probably) England or Ireland shoeing a light draft with roadster shoes.
Double-click on Christian Lipski's photo to see an enlarged view of this wide-angle shot of one of America's most talked-to and photographed farrier icons. What you are seeing on the blog is a cropped version of the original photo.
Harlan is president of the Bluegrass Horseshoers Association and will serve as the host association's convention coordinator for the AFA.
We'll miss you, Harlan.
Friday, February 08, 2008
End of an Era for Kentucky Horse Park Farrier
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Santa Anita Cancels Friday Racing While Artificial Track Rehab Continues
Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, announced today that live racing will be canceled Friday due to a one-day delay in the last phase of its main track renovation. Racing is set to resume on Saturday. This is the track's second closure for track revamping in the 2008 race meet; some racing days were also lost because of torrential rain that aggravated the situation.
According to Ian Pearse, founder of Australian based Pro-Ride, whose synthetic polymer and binder is being blended into the troubled Cushion Track synthetic surface, the initial timeline of starting last Sunday and completing on Thursday was jeopardized because the track was still wet from Sunday’s rain, which forced cancellation of live racing on Sunday.
“We expected to make substantial progress starting late Sunday,” said Pearse. “We began amending the track, but the uneven drainage left it very wet in places and drier in others. The binder and polymer application is the most crucial piece of the renovation puzzle, and it cannot be done properly unless the surface is consistent, which delayed the initial application of the polymer until Monday.”
Santa Anita President Ron Charles said, “We know and deeply regret that the lost days have inconvenienced many horsemen and fans. At this point, as painful as it is to everyone to miss another day, an extra 24 hours is absolutely necessary to make sure that we allow Pro-Ride the time to complete this massive project according to their exact specifications.
"Our track crews have been working from 7:00 a.m. until after midnight every day, and will continue to do so until we get this finished. We will definitely race on Saturday. Ian agrees, and is very confident that the process is going well now. The portions of track that have been completed so far are as good as we expected. We have become increasingly encouraged that this new surface is going to be what we had hoped -— a good, consistent and kind surface that we all believe will drain properly for the rest of the meet.”
After rain caused drainage problems in the new Cushion Track, Santa Anita contracted with Pro-Ride to remix the Cushion Track with Pro-Ride's liquid polymetric binder fibers, which are not waxed. Pearse was interviewed by the Blood-Horse earlier this week.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
You Asked For It: Here's the 2008 Budweiser Clydesdale Super Bowl Commercial
Thanks to YouTube for making video blogging possible! My guess is that we will see a lot of foals (of all breeds) named Hank this year...
Monday, February 04, 2008
American Farrier's Association Board Election Results
The American Farrier's Association (AFA) announced the results of its new governance board election tonight via email from election committee chair Don Gustafson.
The AFA board was formerly made up of representatives of some 60-odd "chapter" organizations around the United States and Canada. The reformed government consists of an executive committee and three representatives from five regions.
And the winners who will test the new form of governance, according to Gustafson, are :
Region 1 (135 ballots cast)
Region 2 (164 ballots cast)
Region 3 (173 ballots cast)
Region 4 (181 ballots cast)
Region 5 (147 ballots cast)
The AFA board was formerly made up of representatives of some 60-odd "chapter" organizations around the United States and Canada. The reformed government consists of an executive committee and three representatives from five regions.
And the winners who will test the new form of governance, according to Gustafson, are :
Region 1 (135 ballots cast)
3 Year Term – Bill Searle, CJF, #819, OR (103 votes)
2 Year Term – Jason Harmeson, CJF, #1371, CA (88 votes)
1 Year Term – Pat Gallahan, CJF, #2986, AZ (82 votes)
Thanks also to Kenny Lyon, CJF.
Region 2 (164 ballots cast)
3 Year Term – Dusty Franklin, CJF, #4361, OK (102 votes)
2 Year Term – Alan Larson, CJF, #2785, TX (92 votes)
1 Year Term – Dennis Manning, CJF, #270, UT (74 votes)
Thanks also to Michael Chance, CJF, and Walt Taylor, CF.
Region 3 (173 ballots cast)
3 Year Term – Roy Bloom, CJF, #1102, WI (129 votes)
2 Year Term – Dave Farley, CF, #1516, OH (88 votes)
1 Year Term – Garnett Oetjens, CJF, #2038, MI (48 votes)
Thanks also to Rick Burten, CJF, David Kleinendorst, CF, Dion O’Brien, CJF,
William J. (Toby) Tobler, CF and Chris Zizian.
William J. (Toby) Tobler, CF and Chris Zizian.
Region 4 (181 ballots cast)
3 Year Term – Dan Bradley, #522, MS (106 votes)
2 Year Term – Jerry Langdon, CJF, #1879, NC (103 votes)
1 Year Term – Steve Davis, CF, #3980, TN (97 votes)
Thanks also to Ron Kramedjian, CF and Mike (Dr. Michael) Miller, CJF.
Region 5 (147 ballots cast)
3 Year Term – Bruce Daniels, CJF, #460, NJ (125 votes)
2 Year Term – Steve Kraus, CJF, #360, NY (103 votes)
1 Year Term – Jack Millman, CJF, #1489, MA (85 votes)
Thanks also to Mike Givney, CF and Sean McClure.
Thanks to the AFA for providing these results. A more detailed report is available at http://www.americanfarriers.org/
Thanks to the AFA for providing these results. A more detailed report is available at http://www.americanfarriers.org/
Vettec Launches Sole-Guard for Barefoot Horses at Cincinnati Conference
Start to finish application of the new Sole-Guard material."Sole-Guard™ is the first product of its kind to offer fast and effective protection and support for the unshod foot," Rovelli told Hoofcare and Lameness today at our booth in the trade show. "(The hoofcare professsional) simply fills the bottom of the foot with Sole-Guard, creating a protective coating that bonds to the foot for three weeks (in most weather/environmental conditions)."
"Sole-Guard sets firm to protect the unshod foot, but retains flexibility to move naturally with the foot, providing comfort and support," he continued. "Sole-Guard provides complete protection and support in one easy application."
He did mention that an application "gun" is needed and that is should be applied by professionals experienced with its use.
Photos of the new product will be added to this post. He also mentioned that the price point will be about $30 per tube and that should do four feet. This seems like a great application for barefoot broodmares and newly-shoeless-but-ouchy horses.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Friends at Work: Jeremy Davis in Tennessee
Here's a new friend at work, Jeremy Davis from Tennessee, who was recently featured in an article in the Knoxville News. Click on the blue type to read a nice storyy about a hard-working farrier; Tennessee was hit by a cold snap this week so Jeremy probably has even more stories to tell!
Note: “Friends At Work” is a regular feature of the Hoof Blog. When newspapers and web sites alert us to features on our hard-working readers and friends, I sometimes can figure out how to link to the story and share the photo with blog readers. Preference is given to people who aren’t normally in the news…and the more exotic the locale, the better! Scroll down the blog to read more "Friends at Work" posts from all over the world. You could be next!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
AFA Negotiates with FEI Games for Farrier Services at 2010 Kentucky Mega-Event
The World Equestrian Games—formally known as the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™--is coming to the Kentucky Horse Park and if you think 2010 is a long way off, you’re just not thinking “big” enough.
The American Farrier’s Association has been thinking big, though, and the news is that members of the AFA’s Executive Committee have met with Kate Jackson, Competition Director for the Games. At stake: cooperation between the Games and the AFA, who have agreed, in principle, to provide standby farrier services throughout the Games.
“I am pleased to inform you that I am presently in negotiations with the WEG on behalf of the AFA to determine an official level of recognition by the WEG of the AFA for services rendered by AFA Farriers to the WEG in 2010,” said AFA President-Elect Andrew Elsbree, who will take office on March 1st. “We are currently negotiating sponsorship levels with Kate Jackson,” he continued.
“AFA Farriers are the most qualified and best educated hoof care professionals to serve the multiple disciplines competing at this global equestrian event,” Elsbree said on Saturday. “We will be available before and during the Games to help competitors anyway we can!”
At Elsbree’s side in presenting the AFA’s offer to WEG was the AFA’s vice president, Dick Fanguy, who will, according to the AFA’s ascendancy scheme, probably be AFA president during the Games in 2010.
The AFA would probably have announced the agreement at their convention next month, but news of the relationship was leaked in an article in a Lexington newspaper on January 18 by members of the FEI Games Foundation. The statement in the newspaper—that AFA members would shoe horses for free for WEG competitors—was incorrect, so a correction appeared in a later paper, which drew more attention to the AFA’s relationship to WEG.
Wording of the title and how the AFA can make use of sponsorship is governed by official FEI Games policies and will be decided during further discussions between the AFA and Jackson, according to Elsbree.
“She’s had positive experiences with AFA certified farriers before,” Elsbree said, “And was delighted to think that we could manage the logistics for them.”
Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital stepped forward as a sponsor in return for being named the “Official Equine Hospital and Veterinary Partner” of the Games. Rolex watches are the “Official Timepiece” of the Games.
As Competition Director, Jackson will organize all logistical arrangements for the importation, quarantine, stabling, veterinary and training facilities for more than 900 horses from more than 60 nations as well as oversee and coordinate the production of the competitions.
By way of comparison, only 300 horses traveled to Los Angeles in 1984.
The AFA’s national headquarters is located in the cluster of offices on the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park, where the Games will be held. The Park also features a small horseshoeing shop where visitors can watch a farrier work. Elsbree said he recently met with Horse Park Director John Nicholson about ways to improve the AFA’s visibility at the Horse Park.
At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, farrier Ada Gates coordinated horseshoeing services, utilizing members of the Western States Farriers Association and local farriers. For that event, horses were stabled at the Santa Anita racetrack, where a farrier shop was made available to visiting farriers who were on site to serve clients or as official “team” farriers. Santa Anita provided a standby farrier all day for two weeks before the Games and during the Games. Those farriers made their trucks available to the visiting farriers. On competition days, standby farriers were on hand at competition sites and at the stables. Ada’s detailed article in the November/December 1984 American Farriers Journal is a chronicle of those weeks.
Pat Harmon, the late Bill Crowder and other farriers from Georgia worked together to provide farrier services during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
About the Games: The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be held September 25-October 10, 2010, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The event, which is held every four years, will decide the world champions of the eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The Games have never before been held outside of Europe; nor have all eight disciplines ever previously been held together at a single site. It is anticipated that more than 600,000 spectators will attend the 16-day competition.
Congratulations to the AFA for establishing a relationship with WEG. Watch for an official announcement of the agreement soon.
The American Farrier’s Association has been thinking big, though, and the news is that members of the AFA’s Executive Committee have met with Kate Jackson, Competition Director for the Games. At stake: cooperation between the Games and the AFA, who have agreed, in principle, to provide standby farrier services throughout the Games.
“I am pleased to inform you that I am presently in negotiations with the WEG on behalf of the AFA to determine an official level of recognition by the WEG of the AFA for services rendered by AFA Farriers to the WEG in 2010,” said AFA President-Elect Andrew Elsbree, who will take office on March 1st. “We are currently negotiating sponsorship levels with Kate Jackson,” he continued.
“AFA Farriers are the most qualified and best educated hoof care professionals to serve the multiple disciplines competing at this global equestrian event,” Elsbree said on Saturday. “We will be available before and during the Games to help competitors anyway we can!”
At Elsbree’s side in presenting the AFA’s offer to WEG was the AFA’s vice president, Dick Fanguy, who will, according to the AFA’s ascendancy scheme, probably be AFA president during the Games in 2010.
The AFA would probably have announced the agreement at their convention next month, but news of the relationship was leaked in an article in a Lexington newspaper on January 18 by members of the FEI Games Foundation. The statement in the newspaper—that AFA members would shoe horses for free for WEG competitors—was incorrect, so a correction appeared in a later paper, which drew more attention to the AFA’s relationship to WEG.
Wording of the title and how the AFA can make use of sponsorship is governed by official FEI Games policies and will be decided during further discussions between the AFA and Jackson, according to Elsbree.
“She’s had positive experiences with AFA certified farriers before,” Elsbree said, “And was delighted to think that we could manage the logistics for them.”
Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital stepped forward as a sponsor in return for being named the “Official Equine Hospital and Veterinary Partner” of the Games. Rolex watches are the “Official Timepiece” of the Games.
As Competition Director, Jackson will organize all logistical arrangements for the importation, quarantine, stabling, veterinary and training facilities for more than 900 horses from more than 60 nations as well as oversee and coordinate the production of the competitions.
By way of comparison, only 300 horses traveled to Los Angeles in 1984.
The AFA’s national headquarters is located in the cluster of offices on the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park, where the Games will be held. The Park also features a small horseshoeing shop where visitors can watch a farrier work. Elsbree said he recently met with Horse Park Director John Nicholson about ways to improve the AFA’s visibility at the Horse Park.
At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, farrier Ada Gates coordinated horseshoeing services, utilizing members of the Western States Farriers Association and local farriers. For that event, horses were stabled at the Santa Anita racetrack, where a farrier shop was made available to visiting farriers who were on site to serve clients or as official “team” farriers. Santa Anita provided a standby farrier all day for two weeks before the Games and during the Games. Those farriers made their trucks available to the visiting farriers. On competition days, standby farriers were on hand at competition sites and at the stables. Ada’s detailed article in the November/December 1984 American Farriers Journal is a chronicle of those weeks.
Pat Harmon, the late Bill Crowder and other farriers from Georgia worked together to provide farrier services during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
About the Games: The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will be held September 25-October 10, 2010, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The event, which is held every four years, will decide the world champions of the eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The Games have never before been held outside of Europe; nor have all eight disciplines ever previously been held together at a single site. It is anticipated that more than 600,000 spectators will attend the 16-day competition.
Congratulations to the AFA for establishing a relationship with WEG. Watch for an official announcement of the agreement soon.
All HoofBlog text and images © Hoofcare Publishing 2008 unless otherwise noted.
To learn more about new research, products, and treatments for the horse's hooves and legs as reported to veterinarians and farriers in the award-winning "Hoofcare & Lameness Journal", go to http://www.hoofcare.com
Direct “subscribe now” link to Hoofcare & Lameness Journal: http://www.hoofcare.com/subscribe.html
Contact Hoofcare Publishing anytime:
tel 978 281 3222 fax 978 283 8775 email bloginquiry@hoofcare.com
To learn more about new research, products, and treatments for the horse's hooves and legs as reported to veterinarians and farriers in the award-winning "Hoofcare & Lameness Journal", go to http://www.hoofcare.com
Direct “subscribe now” link to Hoofcare & Lameness Journal: http://www.hoofcare.com/subscribe.html
Contact Hoofcare Publishing anytime:
tel 978 281 3222 fax 978 283 8775 email bloginquiry@hoofcare.com
Toe Clips Making a Comeback on the Track?
Here's a lovely shot of the hooves of Lawyer Ron, caught before he stepped off Ray Amato's famous black mats outside trainer Todd Pletcher's barn at the Oklahoma track in Saratoga.
Note two things about this photo: 1) the toe clips! and 2) no toe grabs! and, while you're at it, the depth of heel on the near side. Many racehorses are dismissed as having low heels but Lawyer Ron seems to be doing just fine. He just turned five.
Lawyer Ron won the Eclipse Award this week for best older stakes horse.
Todd Pletcher is often imitated around the backstretch; I wonder if we'll be seeming more toe clips this year!
By the way, a detailed presentation and forum on toe grabs is scheduled for the AFA convention in Lexington, KY on March 1; toe grabs will also be on the agenda of the second Racehorse Welfare and Safety Summit, hosted by the Grayson Foundation/Jockey Club on March 17-18. Mr. Pletcher is on the hoofcare committee that has been studying toe grabs.
PS I don't think Todd Pletcher would tolerate messy wrapping, in case you are wondering about that. I think the near bandage was probably pushed up during shoeing. The off has probably been rewrapped.
Thanks to Sarah Andrews for the image to post.
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!
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.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Friends at Work: Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
British farrier Pete Wherret DipWCF showed up in a New Zealand newspaper today. He’s in Hawke's Bay, seeing to the hooves of the 700 polo ponies in town for the Dewars Cup. Read the article about the inter-Equatorial polo-specialist farrier (and the tournament) here.Note: “Friends At Work” is a regular feature of the Hoof Blog. When newspapers and web sites alert us to features on our hard-working readers and friends, I sometimes can figure out how to link to the story and share the photo with blog readers. Preference is given to people who aren’t normally in the news…and the more exotic the locale, the better! Scroll down the blog to read more "Friends at Work" posts from all over the world. You could be next!
Return to hoofcare.com.
Go to most recent story on the Hoof Blog and view all news from the top.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
USEF Rule Requires Heel Measurements on Some Hackney Roadsters
This is the USEF official diagram of measuring heel length, according to the rule book. "Heel length" may be a misnomer; what is actually being measured is hairline distance from the ground, since the heel angle can be exaggerated (high or low) and identical hair line heights may be paired to radically different heel lengths.
Received from USEF's Stacey Meier, posted here for general public information
Lexington, KY— The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has selected the six competitions which will be required to take heel measurements from the first and fourth place ponies in Roadster and Hackney Roadster Pony Championships. The 2008 competitions include:
J. D. Massey Classic - Pendleton, SC (April 16-19)
Des Moines Springfest - Des Moines, IA (April 24-27)
Syracuse International - Syracuse, NY (June 25-28)
Lexington Junior League - Lexington, KY (July 7-12)
Kentucky State Fair - Louisville, KY (August 17-23)
UPHA/American Royal - Kansas City, MO (November 18-22)
Prior to these show dates, competition managers, secretaries and stewards will receive informational packets that will explain all procedures and policies regarding USEF rules HK116.3. and RD112.2 which state:
“All Hackney Roadster and Roadster Ponies must be re-measured and issued new measurement cards prior to competing in licensed competitions for the year 2004 and beyond. In all Hackney Roadster or Roadster Pony championship/stake classes (except Junior divisions) at selected USEF competitions which will be notified in writing by USEF, the first place and fourth place ponies must allow a heel measurement to be taken immediately following the class to verify the heel measurement is at or below what is indicated on the current measurement card; a copy of which must be on file in the show office prior to the pony competing.
"The heel measurement will be taken by the competition steward at a location determined by the measuring official and competition management. The heel measurement must be taken from the left bulb of the left front heel, from the skin line on the lower side of the coronary band with the ruler perpendicular to the flat surface. It is the trainer's or driver's decision and responsibility to determine if the pony will be hitched or unhitched for this measurement. If the heel measurement is higher than the measurement on the pony's USEF measurement card, an overall height measurement must be performed by two measuring officials (See GR502.4) no later than one hour following the end of the session at the designated location.
"Any entry that exceeds the legal height limit will forfeit winnings in that class. In the event there are fewer than four ponies in a class, the pony occupying the final placing will be measured. In the event of an emergency and the steward is unavailable to take the heel measurement immediately, competition management must appoint a representative to remain with the pony until the heel measurement can occur.”
Any questions regarding these USEF rules or the 2008 competitions selected should be directed to Carrie Mortensen at the USEF office via email at cmortensen@usef.org or by calling (859) 225-6986.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Speed Skater vs. Rough Shod Icelandic Horse: Place Your Bets!
Claudia Pechstein may be in for a surprise on March 8th. The former world champion in speed skating has won five Olympic gold medals, two silver and two bronze...but has she ever skated against a horse wearing studded shoes?
At the European Championship on Ice, which will be held in Berlin, some of the best Icelandic horses in Europe will be tolting at high speed against each other, but there will also be held a very exciting speed duel between Pechstein and a pacing horse.
Pechstein is featured on a video on YouTube skating backwards; she even looks fast that way. I hope they clip those furry Icelandics to cut down on wind resistance. Claudia doesn't seem to have any.
These horse can fly across the ice, it should be a great race! They wear sharp-studded shoes. Not far from here, harness races are held on the frozen lakes in Maine in winter. Those horses allegedly wear shoes with a continuous outside "sharp" rim.
Photos below from the Icehorse event web site.
Too Fat? Too Thin? British Court Faces Conflict Over "Abused" Horse with Cushings Disease
A magistrate in Norwich, England is learning a lot about Cushings disease this week, according to newspaper reports. A pony seized by animal welfare officials had been a family pet for 20 years. Following their veterinarian's advice, the owners kept the pony in a very lean condition score to prevent laminitis as a complication of the Cushings disease that the pony suffered.
The pony had already suffered laminitis.
The owners said they were quite surprised when animal welfare authorities seized the pony, claiming it was emaciated. The pony was sound at the time of seizure.
The pony's veterinarian testified in court that the condition of the pony was not abusively thin, and that the owners were trying to be kind to the pony and avoid a recurrence of laminitis.
According to newspaper reports, the vet representing the animal welfare agency testified that the horse had suffered muscle wastage and fat loss as a result of poor care.
In the USA a few years ago, a well-meaning welfare agency seized two thin ponies in New Jersey. The owner claimed they were being kept intentionally lean to avoid laminitis. The welfare agency, wanting to be kind, plumped up the ponies while they were in custody. The ponies developed laminitis and the owner sued the welfare agency.
In other court cases this year in Britain, horse owners were prosecuted for allowing horses to become too fat, putting them at risk for laminitis.
The pony had already suffered laminitis.
The owners said they were quite surprised when animal welfare authorities seized the pony, claiming it was emaciated. The pony was sound at the time of seizure.
The pony's veterinarian testified in court that the condition of the pony was not abusively thin, and that the owners were trying to be kind to the pony and avoid a recurrence of laminitis.
According to newspaper reports, the vet representing the animal welfare agency testified that the horse had suffered muscle wastage and fat loss as a result of poor care.
In the USA a few years ago, a well-meaning welfare agency seized two thin ponies in New Jersey. The owner claimed they were being kept intentionally lean to avoid laminitis. The welfare agency, wanting to be kind, plumped up the ponies while they were in custody. The ponies developed laminitis and the owner sued the welfare agency.
In other court cases this year in Britain, horse owners were prosecuted for allowing horses to become too fat, putting them at risk for laminitis.
Politics on All Levels: Smear Campaign in Farrier Election
Mike Miller AWCF of Alabama sent a scan of a post card sent to farriers in the southeastern United States recently. Mike is a candidate for the board of the American Farrier's Association and was the target of a hate-mail campaign designed to cost him votes.
Mike, who is also an M.D., is an unabashed and unapologetic supporter of some type of registration of farriers in the United States.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
New Book Announcement: Therapeutic Farriery Available from Hoofcare Books
Therapeutic Farriery: A Manual for Veterinarians and Farriers by Yehuda Avisar has made its way east."Yudi" may not have a name that is a household word in vet/farrier circles, but I don't know of many well-known experts who would have the time and perseverance to complete a project like this. He has paid his dues; this Israeli-born veterinarian worked as a farrier at the side of the legendary Charles Heumphreus, longtime resident farrier at the University of California at Davis' vet school, and many of the photos in the book show examples of his work on cases at the school.
This new book is very well-researched and referenced. Many of the photos look dated because they are from the Heumphreus archive, but this is the closest thing we have had to an actual new textbook on farriery in many years. You won't find banana shoes or plastic shoes or inflatable hoof pads or even Natural Balance shoes. There are no justifications for hoof balance theories and hardly a word about wild horses.
If there is such a thing as a subjective science, hoof science is it. Every author is noted for his exclusions and his biases and this book is no different in that respect. And the cases are all illustrative of the dry California hoof, something that has been missing from hoof reference books to date. The author's specific division of hoof problems into subsets is inspiring--he even has separated heel dermatitis from foot mange and defines things like "false quarter". He gives references to people like Don Birdsall, a California farrier who was way ahead of his time in "mapping" the foot and studying coronary contour and dedicates a small section to the oft-overlooked (or misdiagnosed) problem of coronitis. Most interesting to me was a section on frostbite and, conversely, burns in the hoof caused by power tools or resin curing.
One could use this book to reference many concepts in farriery and find both text and clear diagrams to back up a certain technique. It would make an excellent textbook for a college or professional course, and I think that may the author's intent. The book is nicely designed, with references in color to offset them from the text.
The tendency in farrier publishing is for an ever-rising standard of photography and graphics, thanks to the influence of talented visually-oriented people like Chris Pollitt. This book takes a step or two backward, to the text-centric, footnoted reference books of the pre-Internet, pre-PowerPoint age. When you need a reference book, this book can be a treasure on your bookshelf.
Therapeutic Farriery costs $90. You can order it from Hoofcare & Lameness; please include $6 for post in the USA and $13 for post to most other countries. It is hardcover, 292 pages, and is fully indexed and illustrated. Click here for a printable, faxable/mailable order form, or send an email with Visa/Mastercard info and your full name and address to books@hoofcare.com
And how's your book coming?
Thursday, January 17, 2008
British Government Seeks to Count, Quantify Hoof Trimming in Lead Up to Regulation of New Paraprofessional Group
A nation with one of the most standardized farrier programs in the world--and an Act of Parliament to back it up--is looking at natural hoof trimmers in preparation for a possible national training and registration program. Equine dental technicians are also on the list of “new paraprofessionals” under scrutiny by LANTRA.
Lantra Equine and Professions Allied to Veterinary Science Industry Partnership Manager, Lisa Jarvis said: “We estimate that around 500 dental technicians and barefoot trimmers work in the UK, but it is an emerging area and very little is known about it.”
Lisa adds: “In order for Lantra to work with the para-professionals and (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Defra to develop frameworks for training and qualifications we urgently need equine dental technicians and barefoot trimmers to take part in this research.”
The agency has invited people currently making a living as natural hoof trimmers to fill out a survey form about their background, training, horse skills, and levels of expertise at trimming.
The survey questions are grouped into eight main themes:
· Current numbers employed in the industry
· Entry route into current job role (i.e. school, college, university)
· Training route used (length of training, type of training, accreditation)
· Predicted numbers entering the industry
· Job roles – tasks, competencies
· Business – number of clients and horses treated
· Membership in organizations
· Interaction with other professionals (e.g. veterinary surgeons, farriers)
Farriers in the UK are regulated under the Farriers Registration Act, a national law enacted by Parliament in the 1970s. The Act specifically outlaws the shoeing of horses by anyone who is not a qualified farrier listed by the Farriers Registration Council.
Barefoot trimmers have been able to work on horses for pay in Britain up to this point because they are not performing farriery, i.e., applying shoes. According to the Farriers Registration Council (FRC), farriery is defined in the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 as ‘any work in connection with the preparation or treatment of the foot of a horse for the immediate reception of a shoe thereon, the fitting by nailing or otherwise of a shoe to the foot or the finishing off of such work to the foot’. In the future, in other countries and in other legal documents, farriery may be re-defined as “trimming and/or shoeing”, or it may continue to migrate into two distinct professional groups.
Click here to view the survey (but don't fill it out unless you live in Britain and are a hoof trimmer).
Lantra Equine and Professions Allied to Veterinary Science Industry Partnership Manager, Lisa Jarvis said: “We estimate that around 500 dental technicians and barefoot trimmers work in the UK, but it is an emerging area and very little is known about it.”
Lisa adds: “In order for Lantra to work with the para-professionals and (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Defra to develop frameworks for training and qualifications we urgently need equine dental technicians and barefoot trimmers to take part in this research.”
The agency has invited people currently making a living as natural hoof trimmers to fill out a survey form about their background, training, horse skills, and levels of expertise at trimming.
The survey questions are grouped into eight main themes:
· Current numbers employed in the industry
· Entry route into current job role (i.e. school, college, university)
· Training route used (length of training, type of training, accreditation)
· Predicted numbers entering the industry
· Job roles – tasks, competencies
· Business – number of clients and horses treated
· Membership in organizations
· Interaction with other professionals (e.g. veterinary surgeons, farriers)
Farriers in the UK are regulated under the Farriers Registration Act, a national law enacted by Parliament in the 1970s. The Act specifically outlaws the shoeing of horses by anyone who is not a qualified farrier listed by the Farriers Registration Council.
Barefoot trimmers have been able to work on horses for pay in Britain up to this point because they are not performing farriery, i.e., applying shoes. According to the Farriers Registration Council (FRC), farriery is defined in the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 as ‘any work in connection with the preparation or treatment of the foot of a horse for the immediate reception of a shoe thereon, the fitting by nailing or otherwise of a shoe to the foot or the finishing off of such work to the foot’. In the future, in other countries and in other legal documents, farriery may be re-defined as “trimming and/or shoeing”, or it may continue to migrate into two distinct professional groups.
Click here to view the survey (but don't fill it out unless you live in Britain and are a hoof trimmer).
Friends at Work: New Zealand Heat Wave Takes Its Toll on Farriers
The temperature in New Zealand hit 30.7 Centigrade this week; that's roughly 87 Fahrenheit and considered a heat wave in the sub-tropical country.
The local paper in Bay of Plenty chose the job of a farrier as one of the worst to be doing during the hot spell. (It's summer in the Southern Hemisphere, remember.)
Read more about the New Zealand heat wave and a little bit about Peter Huxtable here.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Santa Anita Will Add Australian Pro-Ride Binder Fibers to Cushion Track Footing on Main Track
(edited from text provided by Santa Anita)
ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 15, 2008)—Santa Anita Park officials announced today that its troubled synthetic "Cushion Track" racing surface in southern California will be reformulated under the auspices of the Australian company Pro-Ride by adding binder fibers to the existing surface mix.
“Tests show that we’ve found a way to reformulate the existing Cushion Track surface,” said Santa Anita President Ron Charles. “With the addition of polymers and fiber, the surface becomes kinder, more consistent and it cushions the impact of the track on the horses. It functions properly in diverse weather conditions and reduces the amount of kickback,” he added.
Pro-Ride will introduce their patented polymer binders into the existing Cushion Track. “We’ve made this choice based upon the results of scientific testing and the reaction of the horsemen to whom we’ve shown the final product,” said Charles. “The addition of the Pro-Ride polymer and fiber effectively transforms the existing Cushion Track into the synthetic surface we wanted from the start.
“We are now in the process of developing a timeline for acquiring the necessary polymer and fiber,” Charles said. “It is estimated that it will take 10 to 12 days to produce the binder. The material will be mixed into the track surface without having to remove or displace the track. It is our intent to schedule the application so as to minimize any disruption to training or racing,” he added.
Santa Anita’s winter/spring meeting runs through April 20.
ARCADIA, Calif. (Jan. 15, 2008)—Santa Anita Park officials announced today that its troubled synthetic "Cushion Track" racing surface in southern California will be reformulated under the auspices of the Australian company Pro-Ride by adding binder fibers to the existing surface mix.
“Tests show that we’ve found a way to reformulate the existing Cushion Track surface,” said Santa Anita President Ron Charles. “With the addition of polymers and fiber, the surface becomes kinder, more consistent and it cushions the impact of the track on the horses. It functions properly in diverse weather conditions and reduces the amount of kickback,” he added.
Pro-Ride will introduce their patented polymer binders into the existing Cushion Track. “We’ve made this choice based upon the results of scientific testing and the reaction of the horsemen to whom we’ve shown the final product,” said Charles. “The addition of the Pro-Ride polymer and fiber effectively transforms the existing Cushion Track into the synthetic surface we wanted from the start.
“We are now in the process of developing a timeline for acquiring the necessary polymer and fiber,” Charles said. “It is estimated that it will take 10 to 12 days to produce the binder. The material will be mixed into the track surface without having to remove or displace the track. It is our intent to schedule the application so as to minimize any disruption to training or racing,” he added.
Santa Anita’s winter/spring meeting runs through April 20.
Colorado State Study Finds Surpass Cream Beneficial to Both Treat Osteoarthritis and Relieve Pain in Horses
(Original text was provided by Colorado State University)
FORT COLLINS - Colorado State University Equine Orthopaedic Research Center scientists have discovered that a topical cream may be the first cream available to both treat osteoarthritis and relieve pain.
The first scientifically controlled study in horses testing the benefit of a topical diclofenac liposomal cream on equine osteoarthritis, sponsored by IDEXX Pharmaceuticals Inc, was headed up by Dr. David Frisbie, a clinical sciences professor with expertise in joint disease, and a team of researchers at the Equine Orthopaedic Research Center. The center is part of the university's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
"These findings offer opportunities for a new approach to treating this debilitating disease that affects both humans and horses," said Frisbie. "Finding a drug that treats the pain in addition to the disease allows us to provide better comfort to equine athletes with osteoarthritis while helping them improve."
The topical cream, called Surpass, contains a 1 percent concentration of diclofenac sodium. The cream is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for direct application to sore joints in horses.
The study tested pain relief and disease modifying potential of the product on 24 horses with a similar level of osteoarthritis at the start of the treatment period. One-third of the horses were treated with Surpass, one-third were given oral phenylbutasone "bute," a drug known to treat osteoarthritis, and one-third were untreated.
The horses were given regular treadmill exercise five days a week for the course of the study. All horses were evaluated with regular lameness examinations, X-rays, MRIs, synovial fluid and serum tests to monitor their progress during of the 10 week study.
The study showed that both Surpass and the drug known to treat osteoarthritis decreased lameness. More significantly, the study showed that only Surpass had positive effects on the joint. MRIs of the horses in the Surpass group showed decreased bone sclerosis, decreased cartilage erosion and increased levels of a key component of cartilage. All of these results indicate an improvement in the condition.
Surpass is the first drug of in its classification, which is a drug classification that includes aspirin and other pain-fighting medications, to demonstrate dual action with both symptom modifying and a disease modifying properties.
Surpass is approved in the United States as a prescription product for the control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in horses.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Equine Practitioners in Orlando, Florida. in December of 2007.
FORT COLLINS - Colorado State University Equine Orthopaedic Research Center scientists have discovered that a topical cream may be the first cream available to both treat osteoarthritis and relieve pain.
The first scientifically controlled study in horses testing the benefit of a topical diclofenac liposomal cream on equine osteoarthritis, sponsored by IDEXX Pharmaceuticals Inc, was headed up by Dr. David Frisbie, a clinical sciences professor with expertise in joint disease, and a team of researchers at the Equine Orthopaedic Research Center. The center is part of the university's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
"These findings offer opportunities for a new approach to treating this debilitating disease that affects both humans and horses," said Frisbie. "Finding a drug that treats the pain in addition to the disease allows us to provide better comfort to equine athletes with osteoarthritis while helping them improve."
The topical cream, called Surpass, contains a 1 percent concentration of diclofenac sodium. The cream is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for direct application to sore joints in horses.
The study tested pain relief and disease modifying potential of the product on 24 horses with a similar level of osteoarthritis at the start of the treatment period. One-third of the horses were treated with Surpass, one-third were given oral phenylbutasone "bute," a drug known to treat osteoarthritis, and one-third were untreated.
The horses were given regular treadmill exercise five days a week for the course of the study. All horses were evaluated with regular lameness examinations, X-rays, MRIs, synovial fluid and serum tests to monitor their progress during of the 10 week study.
The study showed that both Surpass and the drug known to treat osteoarthritis decreased lameness. More significantly, the study showed that only Surpass had positive effects on the joint. MRIs of the horses in the Surpass group showed decreased bone sclerosis, decreased cartilage erosion and increased levels of a key component of cartilage. All of these results indicate an improvement in the condition.
Surpass is the first drug of in its classification, which is a drug classification that includes aspirin and other pain-fighting medications, to demonstrate dual action with both symptom modifying and a disease modifying properties.
Surpass is approved in the United States as a prescription product for the control of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in horses.
The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Equine Practitioners in Orlando, Florida. in December of 2007.
Horses and Humans Rock On: MBT Shoes
You are looking at the profile of the must-have human shoe around the Boston area these days.
Does it remind you of anything?
These MBT "physiological" shoes from Switzerland are a high-tech hoofwear dream: no less than five layers of sole activate unused muscles and simulate the blissful barefoot state. They don't use the horseshoe terms "rocker toe" and "air wedge heel" in human shoe-speak but the tech behind these shoes is intriguing and oddly familiar.
Has anyone out there tried them yet?
Does it remind you of anything?
These MBT "physiological" shoes from Switzerland are a high-tech hoofwear dream: no less than five layers of sole activate unused muscles and simulate the blissful barefoot state. They don't use the horseshoe terms "rocker toe" and "air wedge heel" in human shoe-speak but the tech behind these shoes is intriguing and oddly familiar.
Has anyone out there tried them yet?
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