Mustad Hoofcare Acquires the Simonds International Farrier Products Division; Transaction Strengthens Line of Hoofcare Farrier Tools

(received via press release on 18 December 2006)

Mustad Hoofcare announced today that they have acquired the Farrier Product Division of Simonds International.

Mustad is a one hundred seventy-four year old company that sells under the Mustad umbrella of branded hoofcare products, manufactured globally, and distributed worldwide.

Simonds International, a company with a similar longevity also founded in 1832, has manufactured quality Rasps among other products at its plant in Newcomerstown, Ohio.

According to Hans Mustad, “The Simonds Rasps fit very well strategically with our hoofcare product portfolio. We are excited about this opportunity to expand our hoofcare product offering to our customers. This acquisition will allow us to provide our customers with another high quality, valued product line from Mustad.”

Simonds Farrier Rasps will be seamlessly integrated into Mustad’s manufacturing and global distribution operations.

“We would like to thank Mr. Carlos Lara for his outstanding dedication, hard work and leadership in bringing this acquisition to completion”, remarked Clarin Mustad. “We are proud to continue the legacy of Simonds in the Farrier industry and are thankful for Mr. Lara’s efforts and cooperation of the Simonds employees that have made this possible.”

Inquiries regarding this announcement should be directed to Mr. Carlos Xifra, Mustad Hoofcare Center, Inc. by calling, 1-866-668-7MHC (7642).

Sincerely,

Hans & Clarin

Hans & Clarin Mustad

Tis the season...

Thanks to everyone who is organized enough, and especially thoughtful enough, to have their holiday cards in the mail--and include me on their lists. I love receiving them and thought I would post a few of my favorites.

This is Oklahoma farrier and horseshoeing museum owner Lee Liles on his mule. The disguise didn't fool me for a minute.

The Buzz on Barbaro: Morrison To Visit on Tuesday, Move May Be Soon

According to a report posted today on the Thoroughbred Times web site, Hoofcare & Lameness consulting editor Scott Morrison DVM of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky will be examining Barbaro's left hind foot, which was surgically debrided following his problems with support limb laminitis this summer. The report sets the appointment for Tuesday, December 19.

Click here for Thoroughbred Times story

Dr. Morrison is the founder and head of the Podiatry Clinic at Rood and Riddle; his unit is the largest such clinic in the world. The clinic currently employs four foot-specialist veterinarians and four lameness-specialist farriers, as well as a staff of technicians and administrative support staff. Morrison is a specialist in laminitis and founder and consults on cases all over the world.

Barbaro is still a patient at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square but is expected to be moved to another facility this winter, according to interviews with owner Gretchen Jackson and with his attending veterinarian Kathy Anderson DVM of Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland. The horse has been at New Bolton Center since shattering his right hind leg during the running of the Preakness Stakes at nearby Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland in May 2006.

Photo credit: Haydn Price/www.hoofcare.com

Chris Pollitt Named Honorary Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Farriers in London Ceremony

Australian veterinarian and laminitis researcher Chris Pollitt was honored by the Worshipful Company of Farriers (WCF; "The Company") last week in an honorary luncheon in London. The Company bestowed an honorary fellowship, stating,

(begin quote)
The Honorary Fellowship is the highest honor awarded by the Worshipful Company of Farriers and such an award is only made to exceptional people who have made an exceptional longstanding contribution to the art, craft or science of farriery.

It is even more exceptional for this award to be given to somebody from the other side of the world.

Professor Chris Pollitt is one such exceptional person.
.....

With countless publications to his name, no one has done more to advance the scientific understanding of the intricacies of the horse's foot than Professor Pollitt.

(end quote)

Chris is now entitled to use the letters (Hon)FWCF after his name.

Photo: Dr. Pollitt with HRH Princess Anne, a former master of the Worshipful Company of Farriers and a devoted student of horse science.

Farrier Paul Brewer Has Died in Kentucky

Long-time Kentucky farrier Paul Brewer died in a fall from a ladder on December 13, according to reports received here. The Lexington, Kentucky resident played a pivotal role in the growth of the American Farrier's Association in the 1980s and was for many years, the association's "IT" expert, as well as treasurer. Paul wrote programs for the AFA's membership and competition scoring, and taught many farriers how useful a computer could be in their businesses. He planned and orchestrated the 1988 American Farrier's Association convention in Lexington, which is still remembered as one of the best-attended and most successful AFA conventions in history.

I have known Paul as long as I have been in the farrier industry (and that is a long time). He was extremely dedicated to the AFA, and had a thriving business, known as The Bluegrass Forge, before retiring. His family's farm bordered the Kentucky Horse Park on Iron Works Pike in Lexington, and I have many fond memories of visiting his family and their horses.

Paul was an invisible stalwart of every AFA convention for at least ten years. He was always behind the scenes, always worked long hours, and never asked for recognition. I was with him one fateful night when an error was discovered in the scoring of the competition, resulting in the naming of incorrect people to the American Farriers Team, and he vowed to create a computerized scoring program for the AFA, which he did.

Paul was a champion of moving the association from its headquarters in New Mexico to the new office suite at the Kentucky Horse Park and fought diligently for the move, which was one of the most bitter political episodes in the AFA's history. He was also very involved in the Bluegrass Horseshoers Association.

If you are a member of the AFA or if you enjoy the privileges of being a farrier in the 21st century, you have people like Paul Brewer to thank.

"Another important piece of AFA history gone," sighed acting AFA executive director Mike Nolan today. Paul had been Mike's farrier for many years.

I agree.

The AFA's death notie for Paul is available at http://www.americanfarriers.org.

To leave a message in a memorial guest book dedicated to Paul via the Lexington Herald-Leader's web site, please click on this link: Paul Brewer's Memorial Guest Book

(Last edited 12/17/06)

Study Targets Gene in Bone Loss Similar to Pedal Osteitis, Navicular Degeneration Equine Lameness Conditions

A CT scan of the equine distal limb reveals the bony architecture. Image courtesy of Alex zur Linden, DVM, DACVR, Assistant Professor of Radiology at Ontario Veterinary College.

By now, most Hoof Blog readers know the mechanism behind degenerative bone loss that is so clearly illustrated by foot conditions like pedal osteitis and navicular degeneration. Tildren is the current great hope for treatment of those conditions, although only now it has only been studied in navicular disease and bone spavin. Still, there's hope!

Enter a new hope this week, thanks to a study from the University of Pennsylvania, as mentioned in the journal Nature Medicine. Senior author Yongwon Choi, PhD, professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues report their findings.

To quote from their press release:

"The basic principles behind bone metabolism are largely understood, hence a handful of drugs treating osteoporosis are available. Most drugs inhibit osteoclasts, which cause bone decay. But there is also at least one that stimulates osteoblasts, enhancing bone formation. A combined treatment will not only prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis, but also make the quality of bone even better.

"Our discovery proves that inhibiting osteoclasts while simultaneously stimulating new bone formation can be done.

"Bone health is maintained by the balanced activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The study shows that the inactivation of gene Atp6v0d2 in mice results in dramatically increased bone mass due to defective osteoclasts as well as enhanced bone formation.

"These findings may provide some clarity into the regulation of bone metabolism and show that targeting the function of a single gene could possibly inhibit bone decay while stimulating bone formation."

(end quote)

Before you start lining up all those lame horses, please realize that it may be a while before this gene therapy becomes a reality and trickles down to equine medicine. Then again, the equine model may be a good one for experimentation. Let's hope!