California Fire Update: The News Keeps Coming

Ramona, California is just one of the towns affected by the raging fires in southern California. The database of Hoofcare & Lameness Magazine shows that there are 13 farriers and 3 equine practitioners who live in that one usually horse-happy town; we have 34 subscribers that I can identify as living in urban San Diego. One-quarter of our subscribers live in the state of California.

The American Farrier's Association has an update on their web site with news from a few of their members who live in the area.

National Geographic has a nice slide show of human evacuees and their animals. The photo in this post is part of that show.

Tonight I spoke with Mark Silverman DVM of San Dieguito Equine Practice; he described the scene at Del Mar racetrack as "amazing" both in terms of the volunteer spirit and the outpouring of support and supplies available to the horses encamped there--and their owners. He was treating a few minor injuries and respiratory problems but said the horses were in good shape, overall. A week from now, Dr Silverman will be in West Palm Beach, Florida to speak at the Fourth International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot.

Conference Announcement and Call for Abstracts: CESMAS 2008 Will Focus on Poor Performance in Sport Horses

This just in from our enthusiastic friend in Europe; CESMAS is a fantastic meeting and, as usually, will have a unique flair. I highly recommend these meetings (and their proceedings books; each conference has a theme and the book is a treasure). Directors for the course include Hoofcare and Lameness consulting editors Hilary Clayton, Jean-Marie Denoix, and Sue Dyson.

Exclamation points in the conference announcement provided by the ever-enthusiastic Arno:

Dear friends, dear colleagues!

Besides writing hello this message suits the purpose of drawing your attention to the next CESMAS – Conference on Equine Sports Medicine and Science – that will take place on July 10 - 12, 2008 with seminars on July 9 and practical courses on July 13 in Utrecht, Netherlands! This time we will visit the home of Marianne Sloet Baroness van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan!

The focus of the keynote lectures is the poorly performing sport horse, and even more focused: “Diagnosis and treatment of the poorly performing sport horse – within 14 days of an important competition”.

We have rented a theatre in downtown Utrecht for your comfort and enjoyment. Most keynote lectures will be presented by two speakers called “actors” in a straight forward manner aiming at involving you as much as possible.

Keynote lectures already scheduled are:
• What do we know on Poor Performance of Sport Horses? Tatiana Art,
Belgium
• Could it have a cardiovascular cause? If yes: What can be done?
Gunther van Loon and Lesley Young, Belgium and UK
• Could it have a digestive cause? If yes: What can be done? Andy
Durham and Nathaniel White, UK and USA
• What to look at in the metabolism? Erik Birks, USA
• Could it have a respiratory cause? If yes: What can be done? Geoff
Lane and Marianne Sloet, UK and Netherlands
• Could it have a neurological cause? If yes: What can be done? Lutz
Goering and Barrie Grant, both USA
• Monitoring orthopaedic health in competition horses. Philippe Benoit
and Sue Dyson, France and UK
• Could it be the hoof? If yes: What can be done? Tracy Turner and a
partner not committed yet, USA
• Could it be the muscle? If yes: What can be done? José Luis López
Rivero and a partner not committed yet.

And more to come!! Thus you see, the instructors are very good and will have enough time to show all their expertise in sort of theatre plays!!

The final programme will be announced in March 2008 and mailed late March to early April 2008 to you! Please check www.cesmas.info to keep updated! And please pass on the information to others that may be interested too!

Information on Utrecht can be found under: www.utrechtstad.com, www.12utrecht.nl, www.utrechthotelservice.nl, www.utrechttoerisme.nl

The nearest airport is Schiphol, Amsterdam: www.schiphol.nl (30 to 45 minutes to Utrecht depending on the train schedule).

Those of you that may be interested in discussing your work at the meeting can submit all work on subjects related to the athletic horse until January 15, 2008 (announcement of rejection and acceptance by February 15, 2008) complying with these guidelines:
• Acceptance is based on the completeness and practical relevance of the work.
• Accepted work may be published in the book “Diagnosis and treatment of the poorly performing sport horse – CESMAS 2008” (available during the conference).
• Each abstract will be reviewed by several independent referees. Prior to review, the names of authors and affiliations are removed to ensure unbiased review.
• Work will be accepted based on abstract score and availability of time slots in the programme.
• Abstract format: Up to 1,500 words. Font Times, 12 point, 1.5 line spacing should be used throughout.The first line should list the authors; the second line their
affiliations. In the third line it should state whether the work is intended for poster or oral presentation. In the fourth line it should state whether the work may be published in the proceedings book of the conference.An abstract should have the following sections: Take home message (what is the essence of the work described), Introduction, Material and Methods, Results and Conclusions. Send by e-mail to: arnolindner@t-online.de

We look forward to receive your work!

Wish you health and fun!

Arno

Arno Lindner
Heinrich-Röttgen-Str. 20, D-52428 Jülich, Germany; Fon: 0049 2461 340 430 ; Fax 0049 2461 340 484 ; e-mail: contact@agpferd.de; Website: www.cesmas.info

Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital Will Sponsor 2010 World Equestrian Games in Kentucky; Will Serve as Official Event Hospital

LEXINGTON, Ky— Lexington's Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital will be the Official Equine Hospital and Veterinary Partner for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, as announced today by the World Games 2010 Foundation, Inc.

“We are well prepared as a hospital to meet the variety of veterinary services that these World Championship horses may need leading up to and during the 2010 Games,” said Dr. Bill Rood, Hospital Director.

Rood & Riddle is a full-service equine hospital. Spread over several acres, the hospital was established in 1986 as a referral center for horses requiring specialized medical and surgical care. Today Rood & Riddle is known and respected throughout the world for its innovative and highly skilled treatment of horses. The hospital facility offers a full range of services including surgery, internal medicine, advanced diagnostic imaging, a focused Podiatry Center and a specialized Reproductive Center.

The practice also provides ambulatory services (on-site care) for breeding farms, sport horse facilities, horse shows and events, with a variety of services, including emergency and preventative care, general reproduction, lameness, radiography, podiatry, and internal medicine.

“Our reputation stems from our unwavering commitment to quality, both in the care of horses and in our relationship with clients and community,” said Dr. Tom Riddle. “We measure our success by our clients’ success—and to work with the highest level of equine athletes as they come to compete in Lexington, Kentucky, is a landmark achievement in the history of our veterinary practice.”

“While we certainly hope that no horse will need emergency services during the Games, it is only fitting that an equine hospital with such an outstanding reputation—and a nearby location—is able to sign on as our veterinary partner," said World Games 2010 Foundation CEO Jack Kelly.

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, to be held at the Kentucky Horse Park September 25 to October 10, 2010, are the world championships of the eight equestrian disciplines recognized by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), and are held every four years. The Games have never before been held outside of Europe; nor have all eight disciplines ever previously been held together at a single site. It is anticipated that more than 600,000 spectators will attend the 16-day competition.

Biomechanics Lab at Royal Vet College Offers Program for British Farriers

Course title: Horse biomechanics: what is in it for farriers?

When : Wednesday 12 December 2007

Course fee: £41.70 + VAT (£49.00) (approximately $100US)

This afternoon session is aimed at farriers who would like to know what is going on in equine biomechanics research and how this could be useful for their daily work.

An introductory session in the lecture theatre will give an overview horse related biomechanics research. This will be followed by practical demonstrations in the Structure and Motion Lab.

Tutors:
Chris Pardoe, Farrier, The Royal Veterinary College
Renate Weller, DVM MRCVS, Lecturer in Radiology, The Royal Veterinary College

Biomimetics Update: Would tree frogs stick to horse hooves?

Biomimetics is in the news again. The word that is kind of fun to say means "taking design ideas from nature" or mimicking things that we see work well in the natural world.

The latest hotspot in the product design world is the foot of high-climbing tree frogs, or geckos and other lizards that seems to defy gravity. If you've ever spent a lazy siesta in Mexico watching the lizards scale sun-scorched walls, you too may have marveled, "how the heck can they do that?"

A scientist named Jon Barnes at the University of Glasgow in Scotland has made a career out of studying tiny tree frogs and how they move about. Tree frogs and cricket toes contain microscopic channel patterns that prevent cracking. If an adhesive could avoid cracking, it would be reuseable.

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology have cracked the code and a new generation of adhesives called "Geckel Glue" will be announced in tomorrow's issue of the journal Science. The glue is made of gecko hairs and mussel protein fibers.

Researchers found they could increase the adhesive strength by partially filling the microchannels with fluid. The surface tension of the liquid creates a capillary effect—the ability of one substance to draw another toward it like a sponge soaking up water.

Geckos have hair? Apparently, yes, there are microscopic, spatula-tipped hairs on gecko feet. And you don't have to convince me that mussels have something special going on; no matter how hard the waves crash on the rocks around here, the mussels never budge.

And best of all, mussels cling even when submerged, and the new Geckel glue is supposed to excel in moist environments.

A new design of tire tread that biomimics tree frog feet is also in development. Maybe some plastic shoe designer is reading this...tree frog toe pads might come in handy when a horse has to climb a trail like in the Tevis Cup endurance ride in California.

Maybe Geckel Glue will even hold a shoe on...or at least put the cup holder in my car back together...but can anyone tell me the biomimetic origin of "Gorilla" Glue?

Photo links to National Geographic article on gecko and mussel adhesion.

600 Clydesdales Trample Wisconsin College Town

Not trample, exactly, but they are sure to give it a good stomp with those Scotch bottom shoes.

Yesterday was the start of the World Clydesdale Show at the Alliant Center in Madison, Wisconsin. This is the first time the show has been held in the USA. I was quite taken with this photo of one of the Budweiser Clydesdales from Thursday's Capitol Times.

Sadly, the show has already been scarred by the tragic deaths of four members of a showing family who had camped in a horse trailer to be near their horses and died of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by an unventilated space heater.