How It's Done: New Zealand Farrier's Global Career Climb

I'll never forget my one and only trip to New Zealand, more than ten years ago. Everyone I met, it seemed. had a global network of friends made during carefree world adventures. It's as if a new generation of the Kiwis swarms out each year to explore the world and make friends. So when you are a visitor in their country, they are extremely welcome and sympathetic to travelers.

An article forwarded to me from the Taranaki Daily News in New Zealand tells the tale of a very focused farrier from New Zealand who set forth to learn his trade from the best in the world, and seems to be succeeding.

Click the link and enjoy the global adventures of Andrew Reader-Smith AWCF:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/print/3912078a6551.html

Rural Scotland Farriers Must Comply with British Law Beginning in March 2007

Mr Ross Finnie, Scottish Minister for Environment and Rural Development has announced that from 30 March 2007 all those practising farriery in Scotland will need to be registered with the Farriers Registration Council (FRC) of Great Britain.

The new requirement ends a previous exemption which allowed unregistered persons to practise farriery in the Highlands and Islands areas of Scotland which comprises of: Highland Region, Western Isles Islands Area, Orkney Islands Area, Shetland Islands Area and all other Scottish Islands (including those in the Firth of Clyde).

Persons failing to register, and who continue to practise farriery anywhere in Scotland, could be fined up to £1,000.

Minister Ross Finnie said: “This measure will ensure that the practise of farriery is uniformly controlled throughout the whole of Scotland. Horses and their owners in the Highlands and Islands will have the same degree of protection as that currently enjoyed by those elsewhere in Scotland.”

The FRC was established under the Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 as the statutory body responsible for the administration of the “Register of Farriers”. The register records the details of all those farriers who have satisfied the prescribed registration conditions.

The Farriers (Registration) Act 1975 was introduced to prevent and avoid suffering by, and cruelty to horses, arising from shoeing by unskilled persons; to promote the shoeing of horses and the training of farriers; to establish the Farriers Registration Council (FRC) to register persons engaged in farriery and to prohibit the shoeing of horses by unqualified persons.

The Act came fully into effect in England and Wales in 1980.

The requirement to be registered came into force in Scotland on 1 November 1981, but specifically excluded rural areas and islands because of fears that there might not be enough farriers eligible for registration to cover these remote areas and carry out all necessary farriery work.

The Acts do not apply in Northern Ireland.

Barbaro Meets Morrison; Photo Shows Feet

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro met Dr. Scott Morrison from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital on Tuesday, December 20. Not much has been publicly said about what Morrison may have recommended, although the owners are now hinting to the press that the horse may be moved to Kentucky as early as next week.

Barbaro may be on the Good Morning , America television show on Thursday December 21, at approximately 7:30 a.m. Presumably you'd be able to watch the segment on the GMA / ABC News web site .

New Bolton Center released a new set of photos of Barbaro today; we are posting a closeup of his feet, since this is all our readers see of a horse anyway, and hopefully a second photo, showing his overall condition. Note: if you double-click on an image, it will open in a new window and you may be able to see a larger version, depending on resolution.

Please note that the horse is wearing a Sigafoos glue-on shoe on his right hind (the leg that was broken) and a Soft Ride hoof boot on the left hind (foundered foot).

Dr. Hilary Clayton Wins Two National Dressage Awards

Hilary Clayton PhD MRCVS, McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, proved once again this year that she was talk the talk and piaffe the piaffe, as she won two US Dressage Federation/Arabian Horse Association first place awards in Fourth Level and Prix St Georges levels.

In both upper level standings, Hilary was riding her talented MSU MAGIC J+//, an Arabian gelding bred by the Michigan State horse breeding program and selected by Hilary for training in dressage based on his movement, rather than his conformation.

Lest you think that Magic is a one-horse wonder, Hilary also won the national championship at First Level with her young horse, MSU FANFARE+/, another campus homebred, who also placed third nationally at Training Level.

Both horses have won national championships in the past few years.

Dr. Clayton competes the horses both at breed shows and at open shows. She keeps the horses at home most of the year and cares for them herself. During the rough Michigan winters, the horses live on campus, where they can be ridden indoors.

Five years ago, Dr. Clayton was seriously injured in a trailer mishap while loading her horses. She has made a remarkable recovery to be able to ride again, let alone ride at the upper levels. I had the pleasure of grooming for her at the Michigan Arabian Horse Show in May...and I'm glad I don't have to compete against her!

By the way, Hilary has kept both these horses sound and competing at the very top of national levels without ever having shod either horse. Her farrier is Kappi Roghan, who applies what they term a "physiological trim" which Hilary has been analyzing in her laboratory with hoof anatomy expert Robert Bowker DVM.

I wonder what she does in her spare time...

By the way, Hilary is one of several generous contributing editors to Hoofcare & Lameness Journal. She is also author of the books, Conditioning Sport Horses, and The Dynamic Horse, both available from http://www.hoofcare.com.

Congratulations, Hilary!

Photos courtesy of Dr. Hilary Clayton.

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.