Central Park Loses a Solid Citizen: Carriage Horse Dies

Juliet, one of the carriage horses at the southern end of Central Park in Manhattan, died early Friday morning in her stall on the third floor of a stable in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. To my surprise, and appreciation, the New York Times has published a combination news story and obituary of one of New York's beloved and controversial (depending on your politics) four-footed citizens. Click here to read the story on NYtimes.com. (But please come back to the HoofBlog.)

In the past, we have written articles about carriage horses slipping on the pavement and, in 2004, about a carriage horse in New York that was electrocuted through its steel horseshoes.

Thanks to the Ritz Carlton for coming to the horse's rescue with what was probably a very expensive rug. There's something tragically poetic about this story.

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Shoes for Thought: Burns Polyflex Synthetic Glue-on Prototypes Put to the Test at Major Racetracks

The new Burns Polyflex shoe is made of polyurethane with a wire core (Fran Jurga © photo)

Have you seen one of these before? Probably not. You're looking at the prototype of a new glue-on shoe made entirely of polyurethane. What makes it different from most plastic shoes is that these are made with a steel core, so the shoe is somewhere shapeable, and it has a steel toe grab. The shoes are made in molds.

This shoe is the brainchild of Florida-to-New-York farrier Curtis Burns. I ran into him at Keeneland back in April, and then again at Saratoga. The shoes are underneath some very good horses--this is the foot of a top stakes-winning filly.

People talk about the eternal quest for a better mousetrap...for me, the quest is for a better horseshoe. And as long as there are farriers out there, they will never stop trying to come up with a better design and a safer way to keep a horse's feet in perpetual motion.

Curtis deserves a big pat on the back, as does his wife Diane, who does a lot of the molding. I think you'll all be hearing a lot more from them, but for now it is one horse at a time.

Will there be a special shoe design needed for the new Polytrack surfaces being installed at the California tracks and Woodbine in Ontario, among others? I'm sure there is one on a drawing board somewhere right now!

New DVD on Underrun Heels Will Be Marketed by Hoofcare Publishing

Client education takes a big step forward this month as we begin marketing the new dvd "Get Your Horse Sound" from California farrier John Suttle. In just 38 minutes, John does a remarkable job of explaining the lever theory of hoof construction/function and how underrun heels compromise a horse's ability to bear weight and lead an athletic life.

Not everyone will agree with John's "materialistic" solutions (Vettec should have bankrolled this dvd, given the heavy use of their adhesive hoof reconstruction materials in the shoeing) but the explanations are clear and the examples are good. I think John has a great career ahead of him in educating owners (as well as vets and farriers) because his low-key approach (he even wears a Mr. Rogers-type cardigan) is sincere and direct. And, he doesn't have anything to sell (except the dvd). It's like a breath of fresh air.

Click here to watch a simple preview.

(You will need the QuickTime viewer to see this film on your computer; you can download the application for Windows or Macintosh platforms for free at http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download.)
To place an order for the dvd, please call, fax or email the Hoofcare office with your name, address, and Visa/MC information. This dvd is made for North American format dvd players; if you are in another hemisphere, you'll need a universal player and even then, it may not work. Cost is $30 per dvd plus $5 post in USA.

All's Quiet on the Barbaro Front: Latest News from University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center

Barbaro is improving slowly and steadily according to veterinarians at Penn’s George D. Widener Hospital . “We are pleased with his progress,” said Dr. Dean Richardson, Chief of Surgery. “He is wearing the cast on his right hind limb well; we continue to monitor it closely, and we expect to change the cast and radiograph the leg within the next seven to 10 days.”

In addition, Barbaro, winner of the 2006 Kentucky Derby, continues to stand comfortably on his laminitic left hind foot. “The left hind foot is progressing well, especially as it grows down from the coronary band,” said Dr. Richardson. “However, we remain cautious, because Barbaro will still need several more months of healing before we’ll know how well the overall hoof structure can be restored.”

--end of official report from New Bolton Center

In an interview in The Thoroughbred Times, Barbaro's trainer Michael Matz said that he was still concerned with the possibility of laminitis in the front feet.

Read a FAQ page on laminitis with Dr. James Orsini of New Bolton Center: www.vet.upenn.edu/newsandevents/news/Laminitis.htm

Autumn Laminitis Warning: Restrict Grazing During Fall Months When Grass Risk is as High as Spring

(The following health alert was received from Spillers Feed/Waltham Trust and is not an original post.)

We all know that spring is a dangerous time for laminitis but it is important to remember that the second flush of grass in autumn can be just as risky. We get numerous calls during the autumn from worried owners wanting to know what they can safely feed laminitis prone ponies and how to manage those that have suffered a further attack.

Laminitis is second only to colic as the most common reason for presenting a horse for veterinary treatment. In a recent study in the UK it was found that over 1 in 10 horses were affected by laminitis with a greater prevalence during times of high grass growth. Work completed in the USA has also found that an overload of lush grass or cereals ("grain") is the cause of laminitis in more than 50% of the cases reported.

Recent research has identified a grass-storage carbohydrate called "fructan" as a possible trigger for laminitis; however, the level of fructan in pasture is difficult to estimate, as it varies because of the type of grass and the climatic conditions. Until further work is done to more accurately assess fructan concentrations in grassland and the exact mechanisms are identified as to how a hindgut disturbance can cause laminitis, the best way of reducing the risk is to follow these simple guidelines:

1. Restrict access to pasture at high risk times (spring and autumn) by strip grazing, grazing ponies with sheep and turning out in a bare paddock. In the case of known laminitics, avoid all grazing;
2. Turn your horse or pony out at night, as this is when the fructan concentrations are likely to be at their lowest;
3. Feed a high fibre, low starch diet. Choose a feed approved by The Laminitis Trust such as SPILLERS HAPPY HOOF® or High Fibre Cubes;
4. Put your pony on a diet to reduce bodyweight if he is overweight, but do not starve him;
5. Don’t feed high cereal (grain) mixes as these can increase the risk of another attack.

To learn more about insulin resistance in horses, visit
http://www.ecmagazine.net/ecSummer06/insulinResistance.htm

American Farrier's Association 2006 Mid-Year Board Meeting Complete

The American Farrier's Association (AFA) held its mid-year board of directors meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico this weekend. Hoofcare & Lameness did not attend but we have received a summary of events from our colleague Nancy Zwicker, editor of Farrier News in Washington State (and an AFA committee chairman). More news was provided by AFA acting executive director Mike Nolan.

According to Nancy, a general membership session was held on Friday night to ask AFA President Dave Ferguson questions about how the conversation was handled (and why) when former executive director Bryan Quinsey left the employment of the AFA.

In business matters, more than 30 proposed by-law changes were presented for vote. The big one, the re-organization of the Board to be representative of the paying membership rather than of individual chapters received more "yay" than "nay" votes, but was three votes short of the majority needed to be enacted. However, the change in the executive board, which adds a president-elect, gives the past president a vote, eliminates the position of secretary, etc. did pass.

The World Championship Blacksmiths' contest management company was approved as a chapter of the AFA.

Greg Burdette of Washington state has replaced Tim Quinn as the Board's representative to the Executive Committee. However, the new makeup of the executive committee does not include a board rep, so they will have to find a workaround for that problem.

A new liability insurance policy for chapter organizations was unveiled and was well-received, according to Nancy.

Watch for more news to be released from the AFA and (no doubt) corrections to this news. Thanks to Nancy Zwicker, who is chair of the membership benefits committee of the AFA, for her phone reports and thanks to Mike Nolan for verifying the facts and setting me straight.

Mike has posted more news at the AFA's site at http://www.americanfarriers.org