The Olympic Hoof: FEI salutes farriers as crucial to equine performance in Tokyo

Note: This story was provided to Hoofcare Publishing by the media relations service of the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body of equestrian sports, and was not written by Hoofcare Publishing. Some statements from the original article have been omitted.

The Olympic Games are all about the coming together of the best of the best. The human and equine athletes have been meticulously prepared for the occasion. An essential part of that preparation is shoeing. Just as with human athletes, a horse can only perform at its best if the shoes fit perfectly.

The Olympic Hoof: US Eventing Horses Try British Concave Shoes for Tokyo

Two distinct styles of horseshoes dominate the sport of eventing, one based in Britain and one in Europe. There is no middle ground, or wasn't, until the US eventing team prepared to embark for Tokyo.

Part 1 of an article series on international eventing shoes the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Hoofcare wisdom has always held that if you want to tell what country an eventing horse is from, you don't need go looking around the stable for a saddlecloth with a flag. Just pick up its feet. You can at least narrow down the possibilities. But after this Olympics, the world map of horseshoes may need to be redrawn.

The Olympic Hoof: Therapeutic plastic horseshoes helped two US dressage silver medal horses in Tokyo

Horseshoes, like Olympic medals, can be made from different metals. But this week in Tokyo, the world saw that they can also be made of plastic...and help bring home a medal.

For Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics this year, dreams are made of gold, silver, and bronze. But for two horses, those dreams had a plastic lining, although you might not know it unless you happened to see the bottom of their hooves.

The Olympic (Laminitic) Hoof: Dressage horse diagnosed with laminitis before competition begins

A dressage horse representing South Africa has been withdrawn from the Olympics after developing laminitis at the Olympic Equestrian Center outside Tokyo. (Hoofcare.com file photo; this is not the horse described in the article.)

It's been a long road to Tokyo for the world's Olympic equestrian competitors. They've faced Covid lockdowns worldwide, an Equine Herpes Virus outbreak in Europe, Brexit horse transport regulation changes in the United Kingdom, and floods just miles from the quarantine center in Aachen, Germany. 

But for one rider, the challenges are just beginning: Her horse, expected to compete in dressage on Saturday for South Africa, has been diagnosed with laminitis at the equestrian center outside Tokyo.

Renate Weller appointed vet school dean at University of Calgary

Renate Weller, an educator and leader in the equine veterinary field in Europe, will become the new Dean of the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Canada this September.

Well-known veterinary educator and researcher Renate Weller, Dr Med Vet, PhD, MScVetEd, FHEA, NTF, DipACVSMR, MRCVS will accept a new challenge in September when she adds Canada to the countries she has called home. Professor Weller will soon be known as Dean Weller as she assumes leadership of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Calgary (UCFVM) in Alberta, Canada.

Message to Hoof Blog readers and email newsletter subscribers

Hoofcare Publishing will be back at work and publishing from the "real" office in town soon. In the meantime, some changes are coming to improve the delivery of your email newsletter and headline alerts.

Remembering Britain's Prince Philip and the Quick-Thinking Farrier

Prince Philip's brush with danger at the 2013 Royal Windsor Horse Show has almost been forgotten but it could have ended quite differently. A quick-thinking farrier was the hero that day.

The sound of the bagpipes and boatswain's whistles is fading, but the funeral of Great Britain's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, will remained etched in our minds as a tasteful, dignified farewell to an international icon of both monarchy and the horse world.

Prince Philip was, of course, an avid and exuberant competitive carriage driver, as well as polo player and long-time president of Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI), the global governing body of equestrian sport.

What I'll remember, however, is a horse show mishap that could have ended quite differently.

UC Davis Heumphreus equine foot lecture will be a free online event with focus on farriery, surfaces, foot imaging

All Creatures Great and Small: James Herriot Begins Career with a Hoof to the Head

The return of James Herriot's heart-warming "All Creatures Great and Small" stories to American television for the next six Sundays might be just what we need to get through the winter. 

For Auld Lang Syne: New York's forgotten landmarks of hoof history

I have always wanted to organize a tour of New York City for horse and hoof history, but this might be as close as I can come until life gets back to normal.  Consider this a warmup, inspired by the New Year's Eve traditional celebration in Times Square. 

This article will cover midtown landmarks -- or "hoofmarks", as I call them -- around Times Square and Central Park.

Barefoot by the Numbers: Swedish Standardbred trotters are faster without shoes, but risk breaking gait

Researchers at Sweden's University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) at Uppsala have analyzed the performance records of trotting Standardbreds based on varied configurations of fully shod,  front or hind shoes only, or without shoes entirely. 

First US farriers graduate from Royal Veterinary College's Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research

American farrier Grad Dip ELR 2020 graduates and faculty (from left to right): David Werkiser, David Gilliam, Veronica Brewster (RVC Lecturer), Timothy Shannon, Tracy Cooley, David Hallock, Jim Laclaire, Dr Thilo Pfau (RVC Course Director), Craig Bark, Darren Owen, Jude Florio, Pat Reilly and Doug Anderson. (Not pictured: Stephen Teichman)

The Royal Veterinary College has announced the graduation of the first group of American farrier students to compete the Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research (Grad Dip ELR). Launched in 2017, it is the first course of its kind, and offers professional farriers in both the US and the UK the chance to gain the necessary skill-set to produce original research and increase the evidence base behind farriery.

HoofSearch Publishes Online Donkey Hoof Research Guides Published with Free Access for All

HoofSearch, the index of equine foot research, has released an updated resource guide to peer-reviewed articles and theses on donkey hoof science and lameness studies. The index is free and accessible online to anyone interested in monitoring advances in donkey hoof health or improving the soundness-related welfare of working donkeys.

First peer-reviewed journal article from the Royal Veterinary College's Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research explores impact of farriery on horse symmetry

A horse equipped with sensors on the points of its hips and withers was one of several tested by farrier research investigators at the UK's Royal Veterinary College. In this study, data was collected on weight-bearing and propulsion when tungsten-tipped "road" nails were added or removed in different feet. One researcher tested the effects on the front feet while the other tested the hind feet. (Photo courtesy of Peter Day)

A peer-reviewed study conducted at Great Britain's Royal Veterinary College (RVC) examines the effect of farriery interventions--in this case, studded tungsten-tipped "road" nails--and demonstrates their impact on horses’ movement symmetry, including weightbearing and propulsion. 

The article, which will be published in the July 2020 edition of the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science and has been posted online, is the first farrier-authored peer-reviewed article based on a study conducted during the RVC's Graduate Diploma in Equine Locomotor Research (Grad Dip ELR) program. All students in the first UK cohort of the RVC program were professional farriers.

How can horse owners restrict weight gain, prevent laminitis during time of inactivity and extended turnout?

New research from Great Britain shows that a pasture management system known as strip grazing can help prevent weight gain in horses this spring. Horse owners are advised to heed warnings about weight gain and laminitis risk if quarantine conditions are reducing exercise and increasing turnout time for inactive horses.

Supporting limb laminitis: Dr. Scott Morrison's case review of Kentucky Derby winner Country House

Red roses show up twice a year: on Valentine's Day, and on the first Saturday in May, Kentucky Derby Day.

But this year, those two rose-filled days collided. On February 14, the world learned that 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House will not be returning to the races as a four year old, after all. As it turns out, the Derby was his last race.

The Valentine night announcement had a punchline: His owners revealed that the big chestnut son of Lookin at Lucky has been under treatment for supporting limb laminitis by Scott Morrison, DVM, of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, since mid-summer. 

Dr. Morrison kindly agreed to share his insight into the management of this horse's six-month facedown with supporting limb laminitis, a medical complication which, according to laminitis overviews of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, ends in euthanasia for 50 percent or more of horses afflicted. 

So that is where this story begins.

Evidence-based laminitis research audio file summarizes equine digital pulse and hoof wall temperature data

Have a quick listen to the newest RCVS Knowledge summary of EBVM-related laminitis research.

Worshipful Company of Farriers awards Honorary Fellowship to Professor Renate Weller

Professor Renate Weller received an Honorary Fellowship from Steven Wilson, Master of the Worshipful Company of Farriers, in London last week. A native of Germany, the veterinarian wore her traditional Bavarian coat for this special occasion. Photo Credit: Sam Lane Photography. 

Professor Renate Weller, Drvetmed, PhD, MScVetEd, ACVSMR, FHEA, NTF, ECVSMR, MRCVS,  has received Great Britain's Worshipful Company of Farriers' (WCF) Honorary Fellowship in recognition of her “outstanding contribution to the craft of farriery and the welfare of the horse”.

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.

Hoof Trimmer Supply offers specialist products for barefoot hoofcare

This week, we celebrate the specialist retail experience. In this case, we’ll introduce you to Hoof Trimmers Supply, where a full line of products is in stock for professional trimmers and do-it-yourself horse owners who want to keep their barefoot horses’ hooves trimmed and healthy.

Event announcement: Laminitis researcher Chris Pollitt headlines ESP Laminitis and Podiatry Conference October 11-12 in Pennsylvania

You're invited! Laminitis researcher and author Professor Chris Pollitt of Australia will lead a roster of seven well-known farrier and veterinarian speakers to address practical and research developments to treat and prevent laminitis and advance the success of podiatry in the treatment of hoof disease. The two-day conference, organized by Equine Soundness Professionals (ESP), will be held October 11-12, 2019 in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

This conference is limited to 60 attendees and is designed for ESP members and other professional farriers and veterinarians. For further information about this event, remaining sponsorship opportunities or media inquiries, contact Dave Gilliam at (214) 907-3380 or email dave@equisporthoofcare.com. The conference website is www.laminitispodiatryconference.com.

15 Talking Points on Laminitis Prevention from the BEVA Congress: What Horse Owners Need to Know to Prevent Laminitis

At the 2019 British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress earlier this month in Birmingham, England, three speakers emphasized the need to further educate horse owners on the prevention of laminitis and in the dangers of equine obesity. Their lectures have been condensed down to talking points for communicating with owners about changes in horsecare that may help horses avoid the disease.

Laminitis Research: Might inflammation be an underlying cause of insulin dysregulation and equine metabolic syndrome?

DENVER/September 20, 2019 – Inflammation may be a bigger player in insulin dysregulation in horses than is commonly thought. Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at the University of Melbourne are working to determine if low-grade systemic inflammation might be an important underlying cause of insulin dysregulation.

If they are correct, their findings could help change current dietary recommendations for horses at risk of laminitis, a devastating disease linked to high insulin levels associated with insulin dysregulation.

Video abstract on Equine Metabolic Syndrome in Welsh ponies and Morgan horses wins prize at BEVA Congress

Veterinarians have been upgrading their skills at both communicating information about their research and in making their research more accessible to the public. Laminitis prevention is an area that is in critical need of more outreach. Navigating the literature on laminitis research can be confusing and overwhelming.

At last week's British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress in England, the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) gave an award for video interpretation of equine research. The video abstract they presented is remarkable on two counts: The winning author is an American, and the subject is laminitis prevention and education of horse owners.

Vet/author/editor/researcher Tim Mair brings a wide range of expertise to new post as BEVA President

The British Equine Veterinary Association welcomed a new president during the recent BEVA 2019 Congress in Birmingham, England.

Equine Research: BEVA Congress 2019 award goes to Irish paper analyzing progress in equine motion study, including hooves and shoes

Irish researcher Sonja Egan (right) received the BEVA Congress's Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) Open Award for 2019 for her review of more than 500 equine motion analysis papers published since 1978,. The paper includes data on the shortcomings of the past and suggestions for the future, including specifics on hoof and horseshoe research. Presenting the award is 2019 BEVA President Renate Weller.

News from the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress underway in England this week is that a paper in the field of equine motion analysis has received a prestigious award. The winning paper was the result of a "scoping" review of what equine motion research has been accomplishing for the past 40 years, and how productively the field is moving forward.

Among the results from the paper are analysis of the way that hoof movement and shoe effects research has been conducted in the past and suggestions for future modification. Some findings from  the study are outlined for you here.