Horseshoer Curtis Burns, inventor of the Burns Polyflex shoe, confirmed tonight that Curlin has been wearing a custom-designed square-toe Polyflex shoe since early last summer when the colt arrived in Saratoga, where Burns lives.
"We had so much rain in Saratoga early in the summer," Curtis said. "Steve Asmussen was looking for a way to protect his feet, so his blacksmith, Dave Hinton, changed to our shoes. And he was training so well, they just decided to race in them. And he won. So he still has them on."
Burns said that Curlin was re-shod at Santa Anita this week with the shoes, which are clear polyurethane with a steel wear plate and interior metal frame-wire for stability.
The only difference between the Polyflex shoes that Curlin wears and those that several other Breeders Cup horses will wear is that trainer Steve Asmussen convinced Burns to custom-make square setback toes for the front shoes of the big chestnut colt.
The shoes were so successful that, as of this week, Burns now offers both the full toe and square toe models for his customer.
Curlin remains the traditionalist in his hind feet, however: our friend Ed Kinney, president of Thoro'Bred Racing Plate Company, Inc. of Anaheim, California reports that Hinton confirmed that Curlin will wear Thoro'Bred wide web aluminum racing plates behind.
Other horses wearing the Burns Polyflex shoes will be (at the time of this writing) Big Booster in the Turf Marathon, Miraculous Miss in Friday's Sprint, and Student Council, and some other horses trained by Asmussen.
Burns said that his shoes have been worn by several of Todd Pletcher's horses in the past. Because many farriers now feel comfortable applying the shoes, Burns no longer applies them himself and said he's not sure who's wearing them.
Curtis likes Midnight Lute, the 2007 Breeders Cup Sprint champion trained by Bob Baffert, to come back from a quarter crack. According to press reports, he will run in a bar shoe.
Food for thought: in the old, old days, glue was made from horses' hooves. Now we put glue ON their hooves.
A horse trains over the hilly Pro-Ride covered training track at Lindsay Park Training Center in Australia. (Photo at www.prorideracing.com)
(NOTE TO EMAIL-SUBSCRIBER READERS: This blog post contains two video clips. To watch the videos, you will need to click here and read this post on the blog's web site.)
“Training on dirt, you know exactly where you are going into a race. Synthetics? They all seem to train well over it but they don’t all run well. So, it’s a question mark.” (Trainer Todd Pletcher earlier today)
"Sure, I guess it is good publicity if a horse wearing my shoes wins the Breeders Cup but right now I don't care if my horses win or lose. I just want them to all come home safely. None of us wants to see an injury in the Breeders Cup, or any race, but on Saturday, well, I can't wait until it's over. And they're all home safe and sound." (Horseshoe manufacturer)
If you haven't been following the Breeders Cup, here's the nutshell version (Readers: if you are already up to speed on the Breeders Cup, please skip past this recap): America's biggest race series has expanded to two days this year, culminating in the Breeders Cup Classic, where 2007 Horse of the Year and all-time leading money earner Curlin will face off against the best American horses left standing and some of the best horses that Ireland and England have to offer.
Interest in the Classic was toned down several notches with the defection of Big Brown a few weeks ago, when a training mis-step ripped his heel and sent him to the Breeders Shed instead of the Breeders Cup.
The x factor in the Breeders Cup is that while the championship has been hosted at Santa Anita Racecourse outside Los Angeles, California in the past, this is the first time that it will be raced on an artificial surface. Santa Anita agreed to host the 2008 races years ago and installed an artificial surface last year, but had to rip it up and installed a different one in September of this year. The dark-colored Pro-Ride surface from Australia has not been raced on by most of the horses.
To make matters more interesting, most of the European horses have never raced on anything but grass. (And some Euro runners are entered in the turf races.) Classic entries HenrytheNavigator and Duke of Marmalade are running on a non-grass surface for the first time. The Euro excuse for poor performance over dirt in the past when running in the USA is that the horses hate having dirt kicked in their faces. And Pro Ride claims little to no kickback.
As Todd Pletcher says, horses all seem to train well over artificial tracks but they sometimes run differently than they would on dirt.
This video clip will give you an idea of how the hoof hits the surface; you can also see how dark the material is:
Colonel John and Tiago are two horses in the Classic who have won on an artificial surface; Japan's undefeated Casino Drive shipped in a month ago and ran in an allowance race in order to see how the undefeated colt did on the new track. (He won.)
According to the Pro-Ride web site, the new surface "has minimal kickback, provides greater hoof support and is the most consistent surface available." And, most interesting of all, it does not require watering.
The company estimates that the hoof penetrates 20 mm into the surface. Comments from farriers include that the surface does stick inside the foot, especially along the frog, and that some horses appear to be shedding the back parts of their frogs.
Horses need to adjust to a surface for exactly those kinds of reasons. Many Thoroughbreds have intentionally-thinned soles to create a cupping effect, but if the cup fills with track surface, it can make the horse sore until the horse gets used to it and the sole hardens. If a horse's sole fills with dirt or his frog is sore, he may adjust his stride to land more toe first, or heel first, as need be to avoid pain.
Trainers watch for this type of change in action and will pack the feet or poultice them or work with the horseshoer to adjust or change the shoes. Some horses in California now train over the artificial surfaces without shoes while trainers try to figure out what the best foot solution is for an individual horses.
Trainer Bobby Frankel is quoted in the New York Daily News yesterday as one who is having troubles with his horses' feet. He blames it on the heat: "When it's 90 degrees out, the (synthetic) track surface heats up to 160 degrees."
And many horses just take the changes in stride!
Here's a video clip, courtesy of Horse Racing TV, of Curlin in a public work last week at Santa Anita. I know this is pretty boring, but watch behind him as he gallops. There is very little, if any, displacement. Also notice how deeply (or not) his feet penetrate the surface.
John Sherreffs, trainer of Tiago, said on September 25: "I've looked at the course a couple of times, but the one thing I like about any racetrack is the ability of the horse to get a hold of it and get a little rotation of the foot into the track. Some of the synthetic tracks, they just stop the foot from going into the track at all so that...they don't slide. So, there's a little jarring and, personally, I don't like that for racehorses. I prefer that they get a little hold." (NTRA quote)
Other factors affecting the championship are that the temperature continues to be in the 90s, which is very hot for the Europeans, and which may affect the track, which is not supposed to need watering...but watering has been done during this hot spell. There are also wildfires in the hills around Arcadia, which could affect air quality on some level.
Trainer D. Wayne Lucas is one who avoids racing his horses on the artificial tracks. His quote: "I'm on all dirt tracks. I gear our program to that."
Four horses have broken down since the Oak Tree meet opened on September 20th, according to the Daily Racing Form.
Hoofprints in a Pro-Ride racing surface show distinct impressions; the manufacturer claims that the hoof sinks 20 mm into the surface. General observations about artificial surfaces are that the hoof slides less. (Pro-Ride photo)
Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online or received via a daily email through an automated delivery service. This post was originally published on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at www.hoofcare.blogspot.com.
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Those were the days: Ada Gates Patton dragged her stalljack, tool box, apron, and a horse from the Metropolitan Opera's production of Aida onto the stage of Late Night with David Letterman. Once she buckled her apron onto Letterman, they got to work nailing a shoe on the saint of a horse. This weekend, Ada will teach women to use her new hoof measuring ruler to keep records of changes in their horses' hooves.
Whe Women and Horses Expo premieres this weekend (October 24th through 26th) at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Missouri with three days of great equestrian entertainment, education and exhibitions, there will be one woman in the crowd who will be proud to be wearing an apron.
At an event like this, you'd expect demonstrations and clinics by respected horse trainers such as Julie Goodnight, Sue de Laurentis, Cheryl Childs and Donna Maye West. Entertainment from someone like Templeton Thompson, the Texas-born singer/songwriter would be a real bonus. The Women and Horses Expo will deliver three days of equestrienne-oriented programs and attractions!
But wait, there's more! Ada Gates will put her apron to good use and share information about horseshoeing and trimming with the audience.
Ada Gates Patton was the first woman in the United States and Canada to be licensed to shoe Thoroughbred race horses on the track. She shod horses for Monty Roberts at Hollywood Park and at Monty's Flag Is Up Farms during the late 70's and through the 80's. Ada has received advanced training in the Join Up methods and is currently being filmed for a DVD with Monty Roberts on hoofcare for his education series.
Ada should be quite at ease on stage; she has had more publicity than any other American farrier because of her burst through California's anvil ceiling back in the 1970s. She's been on the Today Show and old-time tv shows like "What's My Line" and "I've Got a Secret", not to mention a hilarious stint on 1980s late night television when she taught David Letterman to nail on a shoe.
Ada owns Harry Patton Horseshoeing Supplies in Monrovia, California and works on educational projects with Monty Roberts. Harry Patton was Ada's late husband, and a well-known racetrack horseshoer in California.
With Sedalia only half-a-day's drive from some of the biggest cities in the eight states bordering Missouri (and only about 375 miles from Dallas, Texas, for example!) and a region containing one of the largest horse populations in the country, the Expo is a great choice for a short weekend trip for all horsewomen in the eight state area, and a super source for holiday season shopping, with vendors offering everything for horse and rider as well as horse lovers of all ages!
(If you read this Hoof Blog by email, you will have to click through to the actual blog to watch these two video clips. Hint: It's worth it.)
Let's face it, farrier competitions are a tough subject in the world of videos. The lighting is usually poor, there's smoke in the air, the forge blowers howl, cameramen inevitably focus on the horses' faces instead of their hooves, and the farriers you want to shoot always have their backs to you. Get in the way and someone will surely trip over your cord and fall into the fire.
Leave it to the Irish to put some humor into the serious "sport" of farrier competitions. Farrier Supplies Ireland is trying to get the "Green Anvil" competition circuit established, and they somehow teamed up with visual anthropologist Lia Philcox from London, who must have quickly figured out that the participants all had a sense of humor and made that the theme of the video.
One reason I like this video is because there is almost no narration, which means our friends in Japan, the Ukraine, Iran, Chile and Slovenia (among many other countries who read this blog) can have a good laugh even if they don't speak English.
Here's Part One (click on the screen to play):
And here's Part Two (click to play):
Thank you, Lia, for unlocking the video so we can show it here. And thanks, Farrier Supplies Ireland, and thanks to all the fearless Farriators! You're all winners because you have made a lot of people around the world laugh! And cheer!
To subscribe to Hoofcare and LamenessJournal, please visit our main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found.
Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.
Move over, Easy Rider. Here comes Easy Shoer! (Loic Entwistle photos)
These photos are posted as provided by our friend Loic Entwistle of Germany. We had trouble with translation on the phone last week, so I am posting these as is, since they speak for themselves. You can click or double-click on the photos to see them in full size.
I am not sure that Loic is the designer of this shoeing rig, but I suspect he is. He won the "best rig" contest against an amazing array of tricked-out Mercedes and Range Rover vehicles at the 2006 Luwex Hufsymposium with his amazing custom-built truck.
My guess is that he couldn't beat himself, so he came back the next time with this rig.
Just a hunch.
Even if you don't speak German, I recommend that you visit Loic's site. Hoofcare will be featuring some of his lovely (and often humorous) hoof photography over the next few months. Since his photos are so clear and you already know how to speak "hoof", you may find that you can teach yourself a bit of German at his site!
This has long been one of my favorite farrier's web sites. Loic has a lot to share...but his photos always bring up lots of questions! He has subscribed to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal since 1994, but I didn't get to meet him until 2006.
Click here to go to Loic's site. But be prepared to stay a while. I know you will enjoy his photography and his sense of humor, no matter what language you speak.
Note:The 2008 Luwex Symposium opens October 23rd in Krueth, which is sort of the German equivalent of the Kentucky Horse Park. Loic is one of more than a dozen speakers from probably as many countries. His topic will be "Compensation of ground impact force with computer-aided measurement in mismatching feet." This conference is translated into Spanish, English, French, Italian and German. Dr. Scott Morrison will be the lone USA speaker this time.
In 2009, Hoofcare and Lameness may organize a group trip for Americans (and any other nationalities) to travel to Kreuth for this conference. It is probably the most adrenalinized farrier conference in the world. Three days at this conference is truly an immersion into European farriery. And a whole lot of fun! The hotel is right on the showgrounds, so you can't get too lost. Luwex offers a package including hotel and conference fees so we would only be arranging transportation. It might be a great way for Americans to experience European farriery, all in one place. They are always so disappointed that American farriers don't attend.
Here's Loic's real award-winning shoeing truck design. With him (yellow jacket) is Italian veterinarian Lorenzo d'Arpe. This photo was taken at the Luwex Hufsymposium in 2006. (Fran Jurga photo) Click here to read about Loic's truck.
Trainer Steve Asmussen paid close attention to how Steve Norman was trimming his filly Pocahontas during Derby Week at Churchill Downs in 2004. (Thanks to Dan Burke of FPD for this photo.)
This press release was issued today and is printed below verbatim, so that I don't possibly misquote the fine print of what is and is not allowed. I know that this verbiage is still a little confusing, but eventually the what-is-legal-and-what-is-not parameters will sort themselves. The bold terms are mine, to help keep the main points straight.
Brief explanation of terms: Toe grabs refer to traction cleats in the toe bend of the shoe (front of foot). Currently shoes are sold with toe grabs of different heights. Turndowns refer to mechanically bending the heels of the shoe in the back part of the foot. Shoes are sold with flat heels. Turndowns usually refers to a steeper alternation of the heel and a "bend" is a minor turndown.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Oct. 14, 2008) - Churchill Downs Incorporated has implemented a new horseshoe policy at its four racetracks that bans the use of toe grabs greater than two millimeters. The new policy is effective immediately.
The policy, which will apply to all horses racing and training at Churchill Downs, Arlington Park, Calder Race Course and Fair Grounds Race Course, states:
"Front horse shoes which have toe grabs greater than two millimeters shall be prohibited from racing or training on all racing surfaces at all Churchill Downs Incorporated racetracks. This includes but is not limited to the following: toe grabs, bends, jar calks, stickers and any other traction device worn on the front shoes of Thoroughbred horses.
"Any hind shoe with a turndown of more than one-quarter inch will not be allowed on the dirt courses.
"Hind shoes with calks, stickers, blocks, raised toes or turndowns will not be allowed on the turf courses. This includes quarter horse shoes or any shoe with a toe grab of more than one-quarter inch."
"Our change in policy is another positive step toward improving the welfare and safety of our equine and human athletes, and it's consistent with the recommendations of The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Safety Committee, TOBA's Thoroughbred Action Committee and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to address safety in horse racing," said Donnie Richardson, senior vice president of racing for Churchill Downs Incorporated.
Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online or received via a daily email through an automated delivery service.
To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness, please visit our main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found.
