AFA Offers Free Convention Registration to Australian Farriers Impacted by EI Epidemic

This just in, related to the plight of Australian farriers in Queensland and New South Wales who are impacted by the Equine Influenza epidemic:

"Our heartfelt well wishes go out to the Australian equine community during this trying time. In order to help our fellow farriers and Australian members during this time, the AFA's Board of Directors has voted to waive registration fees for up to twenty Australian farriers choosing to attend the AFA's 2008 Annual Convention in Lexington, KY."

For more information about the American Farrier's Association, call (859) 233-7411, or go to www.NoFootNoHorse.org on the Internet.

Did You Know: A Farrier Bred and Raised the Legendary Racehorse "Refrigerator"

Recent news from the American Quarter Horse Association piqued my interest in a runner named Refrigerator. He was the first Quarter horse to break the $2 million earnings ceiling and his owners recently set up a fund in his memory to raise money for traumatic head injuries in horses. I'm not sure exactly how the gelding died, but apparently it was some sort of an accident.

Trying to find out how he died led me to one of my journalist colleagues. Sally Harrison covers the western performance scene the same way I cover the hoof scene, and I knew she would have the scoop on Refrigerator.

Little did I know what I had stumbled upon! It turns out that this icon of Quarter horse racing was bred and raised by farrier Sonny Vaughn of Oklahoma. He bartered his farrier services for the stud fee. Sally has resurrected some of her archive on Sonny and Refrigerator and created a new Refrigerator post on her excellent blog so that the farrier angle on the new AQHA fund could be known, once and for all.

Barbaro on Broadway? Tongue-in-cheek Web Report Brings Chuckles and Frowns

The never-ending stream of tributes to the world's most famous deceased racehorse has a late entry: news that actor Brad Pitt plans to direct and star in a Broadway musical based on the Kentucky Derby winner's life and death, with music by Elton John.

"I want to do this for all the people whose lives have been touched by this magnificent horse," said Mr. Pitt, "for all the children who go to bed at night snug in their Barbaro pajamas; for all the teenagers with Barbaro ringtones and tattoos; and for all the middle-age women, whether they used to ride English or western, who have turned their homes into Barbaro shrines."

Waaaaiiiitttt a minute.

Test your sense of humor by a read of this blog post by racing writer Phil Maggitti.

Besides, we all know that Brad Pitt is holding out for the Scott Morrison cameo role in the movie.

Host Hotel Sold Out for November's Lamintiis Conference in Palm Beach

If you are planning to attend the Fourth International Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot in Palm Beach in November, please note that it may not be possible for you to stay ath e host hotel, which is the West Palm Beach Marriott.

Additional rooms for conference participants are available at the Crowne Plaza West Palm Beach. The Crowne Plaza has extended the deadline for the discounted room rate until next week.

Please call 561-689-6400 for Crowne Plaza reservations and reference "Laminitis Conference"; shuttle buses will be available to take attendees back and forth to the convention center, so you should not need to rent a car.

Both the Marriott and the Crowne Plaza are close to the airport.

2008 American Farrier's Association Speakers Announced

AFA Convention Chairman Greg Johnson has sent along a list of speakers for the upcoming 2008 AFA Convention in Lexington, Kentucky.

This is a tentative list but should give farriers an idea of the types of presentations available: Chuck Jones, CJF (Farrier Rood & Riddle) “Shoeing the Sport Horse”; Chris Gregory, CJF, FWCF “Strategies for Passing Practical Certification Exams’; Eddie Williams, “Shoeing the Saddlebred”; Mitch Taylor, CJF “High Speed Video of Track Surfaces and Their Relationship to Toe Grabs”; Al Kane PhD, DVM, MPVM “Toe Grabs and the Effect on Race Horses”; Robert Hunt DVM “ Limb Corrections in the Juvenile Horse and the Associated Farriery Techniques”; Richelle Hochstatter, “Pros and Cons of an S Corporation and LLC, When & How”; Allie Hayes CF, “Anatomy Discussion Labs”; Charlie Helton, “ Ornamental Blacksmithing Demonstration”; AFA Certification Hands On; USDA Representative “Infectious Disease & The Relation to Farriers”; Scott Morrison DVM, TBA; Walt Taylor CF, “Professionalism in Farrier Practice”; and Brad Newman DVM, ”Acute Stage Laminitis Therapy”.

Other presentations include Round Table Discussion on Toe Grabs (Mitch Taylor, Al Kane, Steve Norman, & Thoroughbred Trainer to be announced; Buck McColl-Mini Lecture on “Nutrition”; John McNerney CJF Mini Lecture on “Tool Maintenance”; Tom Trosin CF, “How Not to Run a Farrier Business”; Horseman’s Day (Inviting owners, and trainers for Lexington Area).

For more information visit, the American Farrier's Association web site.

Convention dates are February 26 to March 1, 2008; the hosting chapter is the Bluegrass Horseshoers Association.

Today In History

The undefeated 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew defeated 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed in an historic race that pitted two Triple Crown winners against each other. Those were the days!

September 16, 1978:

For the first time in history, two Triple Crown winners met in a race, the Marlboro Cup at Belmont Park. Seattle Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown winner, defeated Affirmed, the 1978 Triple Crown winner, by three lengths.

Whenever I see this photo of Seattle Slew, I'm impressed with his running style. In 1992, his son A.O. Indy would chug down the lane at Belmont Park with that same yeoman-like stride. as the forelegs came down and the hooves disappeared into the track cushion, they seemed to pull the head down too. But I think something much more subtle was going on, and these colts used their necks and heads as either another pulling body part or as a balance aid, like a gyroscope. The colt Lure ran that way too a few years after A.P. Indy and I think I saw a little bit of it in Rags to Riches, who is the daughter of A.P. Indy. How sad that the announcement of her broken ankle would come on the day of her grandfather's great triumph.

(Thanks to the NTRA and to Patrick Kerrigan of the Thoroughbred Bloggers Alliance for reminding me of that amazing race! )