AFA Convention: FIA Trade Show Faces

by Fran Jurga | 1 March 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog

Here's a quick tour of most of the booths at last week's AFA/FIA trade show in Chattanooga, Tennessee. These are the faces behind the products that farriers and veterinarians and horse owners use every day--products that help keep horses on their feet and performing their best. These faces also represent many of the companies that support continuing education events around the country and also make Hoofcare and Lameness publishing projects possible through their advertising and sponsorships.

Two things I know for sure: 1) These people don't get thanked often enough and 2) There is no nicer group of people assembled at any trade show, anywhere.

Got Gait? Slo-mo Video Reveals the Peruvian Paso's Termino Gait

Their legs look like eggbeaters and move so fast you can't tell how they do it. But thanks to a little YouTube clip, you can see the famous signature termino gait of the Peruvian Paso breed slowed down. Note that the horse's action is now just below the knee and is not the same as what we would call "winging out" or "paddling" in an ungaited horses. Enjoy--and don't stand too close when one goes by!

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. You only need to ask.

Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).

To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the 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.

Wish You Were Here: Greetings from the American Farrier's Association Convention

The American Farrier's Association's Annual Convention opened this morning here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I am happy to be lost among the hundreds of farriers here--young and old, from near and far--who are enjoying the trade show, lectures, competitions and, most of all, each other.

Dutch researcher Meike van Heel PhD spoke this morning on biomechanics, and tomorrow finds the University of Georgia's Dr. Andy Parks taking the stage with a new lecture on hoof support. California's Gene Armstrong overcame a technical catastrophe in his lecture today titled something like "Who do you work for? You work for the horse!" and an interesting husband-and-wife combo of Judy and Mike Spitzer discussed training and shoeing the show hunter.

When the doors to the big trade show opened this afternoon, you might have wondered, "What recession?" as farriers gobbled up the new products, including the new-look GE tools, a wedge Vibram hoof pad, free samples of Magic Cushion hoof packing, Double L's new vet line of "DeLuxe" hoof knives from Italy, hot-colored plastic Happy Hoofwear shoes from Florida (Crocs for horses?), and beautiful HC Biovision plastinated hoof tissue models at the Hoofcare and Lameness booth. Delta-Mustad erected their version of the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz (you could get lost in there!), FPD brought in antique trucks converted to farrier rigs, TracMe shoes offered thoughtful advice on hoof problems, and Stonewell Bodies displayed priceless William Russell shoe cases on loan from horseshoe museum curator Lee Liles.

Dozens of students from Kentucky Horseshoeing School roam the halls, along with a cadre of young farriers (some competing for international honors) from the Japan Farriers Association. I've met farriers from Sweden, Germany, Italy and Great Britain and seen many old friends.

I'm sure something political is going on somewhere, but most of the people here seem oblivious. It's much more fun to tell jokes, slap backs, shake hands very firmly, recite cowboy poetry, and play their guitars, banjos, and mandolins til midnight, as they did on stage last night in a star-studded all-horseshoer "jam" session of folk, blues and country music.

In between all that, the talk is of horses and hooves and how the heck are you, anyway? As always, most look you right in the eye and offer a hand in friendship.

The hotel and the city don't quite now what has hit them, but I'm sure they are enjoying it too.


© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. You only need to ask.

Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).

To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the 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.

Equine-Specialist CT Scanner Creates a 3-D Hoof in Ninety Seconds

Behold a 3D, computed tomography (CT) image of an equine distal limb recently acquired at University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center by EQUUS One, a portable, battery-operated, equine-dedicated CT scanner. The image shows a defect in the right toe quarter of the third phalanx (P3 or coffin bone) created by a keratoma. (The defect is at about 7 o'clock viewing the image this way.) The horseshoe and nails create two bright stellate foci (a.k.a. "starburst" effects) in the hoof capsule and a bright rim around the distal aspect of the image. Double-click on the photo for a larger view. (PRNewsFoto/Universal Medical Systems, Inc.)

What's new in equine imaging? How about a battery-operated, portable CT scanner, ideal for imaging the hoof?

Midge Leitch VMD, clinician in Radiology at New Bolton Center of the University of Pennsylvania, recently used "Equus One", as the new scanner is called, to perform a scan on an 11-year-old gelding.

Dr. Leitch explained, "This horse had been diagnosed with a keratoma, a benign tumor in his hoof. The CT was utilized to locate the area in the hoof wall through which the surgeons would access the keratoma while causing the least damage to the hoof capsule. In the past, this access point was determined either by measurements made on radiographs or by a location on the hoof wall determined by MRI; the former of these methods was subject to a margin of error and MRI required a longer time under anesthesia."

"Maneuvering large animals into correct positions with a standard CT is not only physically challenging for the veterinary staff, but more importantly requires moving the patient to the operating room following the scan, if surgery is the treatment of choice," she continued. "Now, we can bring the CT to the horse. And, in this particular case, the scan of the hoof took us about 90 seconds. With its unique portability, superior scan and low operating cost, Equus One is an ideal CT solution for any veterinary center."

The Equus One CT scanner is sold by Universal Medical Systems, Inc. of Ohio. In fairness to the product, it will surely be of great service in imaging many regions of the horse's body and limbs, not just the hoof.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. You only need to ask.

Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page).

To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the 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.

USEF Horse Show Hoof Rules Announcement: Roadster Pony Heel Measurement

The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has selected the six competitions that will be required to take heel measurements from the first and fourth place ponies in Roadster and Hackney Roadster Pony Championships. The 2009 competitions include:

* River Ridge Charity - Columbus, OH (April 22-25)
* Midwest Charity - Springfield, IL (June 16-20)
* Lexington Junior League - Lexington, KY (July 6-11)
* Kentucky State Fair - Louisville, KY (August 23-29)
* Southeastern Charity – Conyers, GA (September 16-19)
* UPHA/American Royal - Kansas City, MO (November 17-21)

If you exhibit, own, or train (or, obviously, trim and shoe) Roadster or Hackney Roadster ponies, please read and understand USEF rules HK116.3 and RD112.2 which state:

“All Hackney Roadster and Roadster Ponies must be re-measured and issued new measurement cards prior to competing in licensed competitions for the year 2004 and beyond. In all Hackney Roadster or Roadster Pony championship/stake classes (except Junior divisions) at selected USEF competitions which will be notified in writing by USEF, the first place and fourth place ponies must allow a heel measurement to be taken immediately following the class to verify the heel measurement is at or below what is indicated on the current measurement card; a copy of which must be on file in the show office prior to the pony competing.

The heel measurement will be taken by the competition steward at a location determined by the measuring official and competition management. The heel measurement must be taken from the left bulb of the left front heel, from the skin line on the lower side of the coronary band with the ruler perpendicular to the flat surface. It is the trainer's or driver's decision and responsibility to determine if the pony will be hitched or unhitched for this measurement.

If the heel measurement is higher than the measurement on the pony's USEF measurement card, an overall height measurement must be performed by two measuring officials (See GR502.4) no later than one hour following the end of the session at the designated location. Any entry that exceeds the legal height limit will forfeit winnings in that class.

In the event there are fewer than four ponies in a class, the pony occupying the final placing will be measured. In the event of an emergency and the steward is unavailable to take the heel measurement immediately, competition management must appoint a representative to remain with the pony until the heel measurement can occur.”

Competition managers and stewards of the selected shows will be sent informational packets regarding how to conduct these measurements approximately 60 days prior to their show.

Any questions regarding these USEF rules or the 2009 competitions selected should be directed to Carrie Mortensen, USEF’s Director of Breeds and Western, via email at cmortensen@usef.org or by calling (859) 225-6986.

Thanks to USEF for this update.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. You only need to ask.

Favorite Video: French Police Horse Tours Paris on the Run

A 15-year-old stallion abandoned his post guarding the French President Mr. Sarkozy at the Élysée Palace in Paris today and ran away with the headlines on the evening news. Garibaldi, the highly trained horse, spooked while on duty and dumped his rider. In a flash, the riderless Garibaldi decided he needed to be home in his nice safe stall at the Garde Republique stables, and he headed there, at a gallop. Someone was following with a video camera and captured this amazing footage, including a gallant effort by a long-armed gendarme who tried to climb halfway out of a speeding police car and grab the reins.

It was like a scene from Hopalong Cassidy Meets The Pink Panther.

Thankfully, the horse wasn't hurt, and Paris managed to stop for a few minute to get him gallop by.

Maybe Garibaldi was watching the Super Bowl a few weeks ago and decided to imitate the ad about the lovestruck Budweiser Clydesdale who helps his girlfriend escape from the circus.

For farrier readers: this is one of the police horses shod by the famous traditional military farriers in Paris who use a crew of four or five men to shoe each horse, using the highly rhythmical two striker system. It is a beautiful tradition, but the proof of their work is that this horse stayed on his feet most of the way, and the shoes didn't seem to fall off.

And leave it to the French: Garibaldi is a fine-looking horse. The French are so romantic, they may have a law that only stallions can serve at the President's palace. My compliments to the uniform designers; did you see the knee rolls on those saddles?

Thanks to the British newspaper, The Telegraph, for making this video possible. Click here to read the full article, with more information.

And to learn more about the Garde Republicaine, here's a little behind the scenes clip and a ceremonial guarding of the Presidential touring car as it whizzes elegantly by:

Do you know how some horses are afraid of marching bands in parades? Notice that with this group, the marching band is mounted on the horses.

Click here to watch a great video about the Garde Republicaine, which includes closeups of the band playing on horseback and the magnificent gray drum horses! A visit to their stables is a must for any trip to Paris!

Click here to learn all about anatomy of the horse's foot and lower limb with our 3-D animated CD!

© 2009 Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. No use without permission. You only need to ask. Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the 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.