Shoeless Thoroughbred Wins at Keeneland; Track Lists Barefoot Entries as Trainers Experiment with Polytrack Surface Effects on Hoof Slide

The racing surface known as "Polytrack" is one of several artificial surfaces that have been installed at racetracks in North America to improve safety and help cope with bad weather. But it also changes the way the hoof interacts with the surface. The characteristic slide that horses experience on dirt can be "sticky" for some horses. Experimenting with and without shoes during training and racing has led some trainers to try some unorthodox combinations of shoes--or no shoes at all.

Update: A second "no shoes" designated horse won a race at Keeneland on Sunday, bringing the total of winners to two in three days. Updated information has been added at the end of this article.

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.

How We Learn: Bracy Clark's Intricate "Model Hoof"

How can we know where we're going if we don't know where we have been?

The Laminitis Revolution Begins Wednesday; Register for Webinar

A much-anticipated webinar on endocrine laminitis is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10, at 8 pm London time, which is probably about 3 pm New York time.

Were Ancient Horses' Fetlocks Less Susceptible to Breakdown Injury?

  

As Saturday's 2013 Grand National approaches, the possibility of some news from the University of Liverpool's vet school has been high. Each year, injured racehorses find expert care at the nearby vet hospital, and the vet school is proud of its long association with the race and its role in helping prevent and treat injuries in racehorses.

Equine Obesity Research: Breeds Respond Differently to Changes in Diet and Exercise

Does it take a university research study to prove that horses need exercise and diets?

If spring weight gain isn't on horse owners' minds right now, it will be soon. Many horses now come through the winter in robust condition, thanks to modern feeds, warm barns, snuggly blankets and owners who don't ride often in winter...if ever.

One Day Left!

On the Case: Thorn-y Hoof Problems at Towcester Equine Clinic

Andrew Hayes BVetMed MRCVS of Towcester Vets Equine Centre in England made this video and writes some details:

The horse featured was a three year old that had been suffering form a fluctuating forelimb lameness for several days. The blood supply to the affected foot was increased (increased heat and bounding digital pulse). 

Happy Easter from The Hoof Blog

Click for more information on how to submit speaker abstracts and posters
for the 2013 conference, to be held November 1-3 in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Watch It: Ram Trucks Promotional Video Features Texas Farrier Shawn Nanny, Who Still Likes His Old Truck

If you were in the business of selling trucks, wouldn't a farrier be your ideal customer?

The answer would be an unequivocal "yes"--assuming your truck can fill the farrier's needs...and the farrier wants a new truck.

Save November 1-3, 2013 for the International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot

What: International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot

When: November 1 to 3, 2013

Where: Marriott Convention Center  

 1001 Okeechobee Boulevard • West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 USA

For more information about the Laminitis Conference go to: 

http://laminitisconference.com

On the Case: California Wrap, British Style, for White Line Disease

One of the best things about the Hoof Blog is hearing from people  inspired to share how they would use different materials or methods to achieve the same thing.

Laminitis Research: Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation Announces 2013 Support for New and Continuing Laminitis, Lameness Detection Projects

Farriery: More Than Meets the Eye to Duckett's Blindfolded Shoemaking

“Gotcha!” Farrier David Duckett FWCF used the worst horseshoe he ever made to prove his point: there's much more to forgework than meets the eye. Or was it: "the eyes have it"? His exploits launched a great tale that will be passed through the farrier world and probably cause many a farrier to burn a forearm. In this photo, he's balancing a coffin bone on the end of a pen at "Duckett's Dot". Photo used with permission of FORGE Magazine and Gill Harris (thanks!).

Wild Horse Research Through the Lens of Dr. Chris Pollitt: Brumbies in the Channel Country

Equine Lameness Education: Sue Dyson Will Be Milne State-of-the-Art Lecturer for 2013 AAEP Convention

Via AAEP News Room

World-renowned equine orthopaedics expert Dr. Sue Dyson will deliver the Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture during the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ 2013 Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, December 7 – 11.

Her lecture, “Equine Lameness: Clinical Judgment Meets Advanced Diagnostic Imaging”, will focus on three key areas: the recognition of lameness; new knowledge about the limitations of diagnostic analgesia; and the value of MRI in diagnosing foot-related lameness.

Sue Dyson at work at England's Animal Health Trust Centre for Equine Studies

British Farrier Diplomates in Inaugural Pledge to Uphold Profession and Equine Welfare Standards

Graduate farriers in Great Britain recited the inaugural pledge to their profession.

On February 28, the Worshipful Company of Farriers and the Farriers Registration Council, held a ceremony in the Long Room of the Honourable Artillery Company, London. That day,  44 new farriers – including two women – were admitted to the Farriers Register of qualified farriers allowed to shoe horses in Great Britain.

French Sterile Maggot Debridement Study Finds 93% Efficacy for Equine Wounds

The French study is illustrated with this photo of maggots at work on a wound.

A press release from the Equine Veterinary Journal arrived at The Hoof Blog this week. It heralds a French study that documented the successful use of sterile maggot debridement therapy in treating wounds in horses.