Kentucky Derby: Horseshoes (and a Horseshoer's Daughter) Ready to Run for the Roses

Here's the Kentucky Derby news you won't ready anywhere else. And the photos no one else would think to take. But by the time you've read this, you'll have to admit that it makes a good case for ESPN adding a hoof analyst for the Triple Crown. It's not just the shoes and hooves, either, as you'll read. It's the people.

Hoofcare and Lameness will be watching the Kentucky Derby from the comfort of home (darn it) this year but that didn't stop us from deputizing Dan Burke of Farrier Product Distribution in Shelbyville, Kentucky to snap a few backstretch photos for the blog this week.

Dan was at Churchill Downs to peek over the shoulders of the horseshoers and see if his Kerckhaert race plates were being nailed (or glued) on the stakes horses. It sounds like his trip to Louisville was not in vain; Plum Pretty (shod by Tom Doolan) and St Johns River (shod by Sonny Broaddus) finished 1-2 in the Kentucky Oaks today, wearing the European plates imported by FPD. By Dan's count, at least 9 of the 20 starters in the Derby will be wearing his shoes.

Mark Dewey was working on the hind end of Mucho Macho Man. You may remember that this horse, who is one of the people's favorites, pulled a shoe leaving the starting gate in his last race at The Fair Grounds in New Orleans. He ran the race on three shoes, swapped leads an awful lot, and still finished third. The gate crew returned the lost shoe, but trainer Kathy Ritvo opted for the glue-ons for Kentucky. (Dan Burke/FPD photo/ © Hoofcare Publishing)

Mark Dewey checks the fit of a Kerckhaert shoe on Mucho Macho Man's right hind. The New York Times says this horse is THE story of the Derby. Did you know he was born technically dead? I have never seen a medical explanation of what his problem was, but all his biographical materials remind us that his life is missing its first ten minutes. He only needs about two minutes to win the Kentucky Derby. Secretariat still holds the record for the fastest Derby at 1:59 2/5.  (Dan Burke/FPD photo/ © Hoofcare Publishing)

Last year's big winner in the Kentucky Derby was New York's Ray Amato.  Does this sound familiar? Trainer Todd Pletcher seemed headed for a Kentucky Derby win with the speedy Eskendereya. Pletcher had tried and failed to win the Derby with dozens of top colts. His horseshoer Ray Amato had been trying for half a century. He thought he had a winner when he shod Sham in 1973. In spite of scratching Eskendereya when he was injured right before last year's race, Todd and Ray ended up with their first Derby winner when Super Saver captured the win. Don't count them out of this year's race, either: Uncle Mo may be out, but Stay Thirsty is still in the race to keep hope alive for a Pletcher-Amato repeat. (Dan Burke/FPD photo/ © Hoofcare Publishing)

An intimate look at the horse with the name most fun to say: Arkansas Derby winner Archarcharch. These hands should belong to Teddy Fires, brother of the horse's trainer, Jinks Fires. This will be Jinks' first starter in the Derby, although he has been training horses at Churchill Downs since 1961. According to the Blood-Horse, there are three shoers in the Fires extended family, including Justin Court, who is the son of the horse's jockey, John Court, who is riding Archarcharch. And it's his first-ever Derby mount. And Jinks is his father-in-law. (Got that?) (Dan Burke/FPD photo/ © Hoofcare Publishing)

No go. Isabel Escobar holds Uncle Mo while he gets a bath on the mats during the week. The two-year-old champion was scratched Friday morning after a week of speculation. He kept galloping but was reported to be ill with a GI tract problem. I'll keep drinking Vitamin Water; the company was started by the colt's owner, Mike Repole.  (Jessica Chapel of Kentucky Confidential and Raceday360 photo / © Hoofcare Publishing)

Uncle Mo's reinforced right hind foot didn't even enter into the conversation of his scratch from the Derby; hoof repair is pretty commonplace these days. An artificial hoof wall has been constructed from the quarters to the heels on this hind foot and the shoe is nailed into the PMMA adhesive, which is structurally similar to hoof wall and will hold nails. (Jessica Chapel of Kentucky Confidential and Raceday360 photo / © Hoofcare Publishing)

Jockey Rosie Napravnik is the daughter of New Jersey horseshoer Charles Napravnik. She'll ride Pants on Fire, who is not trained by the Fires family. Rosie thrilled the world today when she rode St Johns River to a roaring second-place finish to almost catch Plum Pretty at the wire of the $1 Millions Kentucky Oaks. Maybe that was just a warmup for Saturday. Watch for Rosie on the television broadcast of the Derby. (Read all about her career, including being this year's leading rider at The Fair Grounds, on kentucky.com) (Kentucky.com photo)

Although we don't have any photos of him, partly because he just got here, I wouldn't mind if Ireland's Master of Hounds won, either; his hooves are under the watchful eye of Dr. Scott Morrison of Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital's Podiatry Clinic and were probably most recently under the hammer of Rood and Riddle farrier Rodney King. Dr. Morrison also worked on three of the Derby starters as foals and yearlings. That gives him 20 percent of the race. 

There are people who think that the world of Hoofcare and Lameness is on the fringe of the horse world, that's it a niche. A specialty. A quirky aspect of the game. If ever there was a group of people more at the heart of the Kentucky Derby than the hands-on-the-horses people you've just met in this article, I'd be surprised.

Just try racing without them. The horses wouldn't get far and the backstretch would be a much less interesting place.

So we'd like Stay Thirsty to win for Ray and Mucho Macho Man to win for Kathy and Mark and to show off his glue-on shoes and ArchArchArch to win for everyone in the Fires family and Pants on Fire to win for Rosie Napravnik and her horseshoeing dad. And Master of Hounds for everyone in all of Ireland and the great people at Rood and Riddle. And those are just the horses I've heard about so far; there are plenty more horses in the race, and each one of them has someone (or more than one) watching out for its feet.

Look for Uncle Mo in the Preakness, maybe, or check him out this summer in Saratoga.

We'll have a whole new web of connections by the time we get there. The Derby is only one race; these people are out there making things happen every day.

Thanks to Dan Burke and Jessica Chapel for their great photos from Churchill Downs. Please respect their loan of these photos.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. 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.  
 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Why Is That Guy Following Prince William and Kate Middleton Carrying a Big Shiny Ax? Because He's the Farrier, That's Why!

A farrier with the British Army Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment will escort Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton, tomorrow in the procession through London as part of the Royal Wedding. This photo was taken during the Queen's Birthday Procession a few years ago. Image by Very Amateurish on Flickr.

Here's a farrier escorting the Queen to the Opening of Parliament. I have always been told that the farriers wore black plumes in their helmets to set them apart from everyone else in the regiment. On CNN yesterday they showed a rehearsal and a troop trotted by with one black-plumed rider, and he was at the rear, so I assume he was the farrier. My television is so small I couldn't see if he was carrying an ax. The word "farrier" seems to be stamped into this ax. Photo by u_sperling, who identified this as the Blues and Royals unit.

The Ax Itself. The ax end is for chopping off the feet of dead horses after battles; each horse's hooves were--and still are--stamped with inventory control numbers. The farrier collected the labeled hooves and made a report. The other end is for dispatching any horses found to be suffering. I wonder how many people in London tomorrow will wonder why there's an ax in the parade? The lettering on this particular ax stands for, I believe, Royal Horse Guards and it can be seen amidst lots and lots of information about the Household Cavalry on a dedicated informational web site.

Here's the Household Cavalry rehearsing for the wedding. There are four horsemen separate at the rear. And one has a black plume in his helmet. Photo by Lynne Draper courtesy of The British Monarchy.

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Isabell Werth's Satchmo Follows in Totilas' Heart-Bar Hoofprints at FEI World Cup Finals

Satchmo's left front shoe worn at the 2008 Olympics when he and Isabell Werth helped win the team gold medal in dressage for Germany. (provided by Satchmo's farrier, Franz Helmke)

As the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Finals begin in Leipzig, Germany today, the smooth surface of the arena has a special imprint. It's a heart.

Perhaps many horses at the Finals today are shod with heart bar shoes, but this set of hoofprints is especially newsworthy. One of the world's leading champions and one of the favorites to win the World Cup title will be wearing heart-bar shoes on his hind feet as he goes for the title.

A hand-forged heart bar / egg bar shoe with a leather rim pad, also called a "full support" shoe. Photo from the Michael Wildenstein library of images.

In the dressage world, when a horse changes his shoes, people like me pay attention. Earlier this spring it was WEG triple gold medalist Totilas. Now he is joined by another German horse, the 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding Satchmo, ridden by the legendary world champion and Olympic gold medalist Isabell Werth.

Satchmo and Isabell won the World Cup in 2008.

Whoever said that the world wouldn't be interested in the minutiae of equestrian appointments didn't count on the public interest in this age of micro-analyzing sport horses and their every move.

Isabell Werth and Satchmo in World Cup competition earlier this year. Kit Houghton photo for FEI.

News of Satchmo's shoe switch came from Franz Helmke, farrier to both Totilas and Satchmo. Mr. Helmke is an advocate of using the shoes and didn't hesitate to send Satchmo to Leipzig with bar shoes on.

Will heart-bar shoes make a difference to the mighty Satchmo? The horse won two gold medals at the 2006 World Equestrian Games in Aachen, Germany. Werth shocked many people in 2010 when she loaded her #2 ride, Warum Nicht FRH, on the plane for America at the last minute, instead of Satchmo, to compete in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Now she prefers Satchmo again. Werth finished the World Cup 2010-2011 qualifiers in third place and will surely be a favorite with Germans in the audience.

On the opening page of her web site, Isabell Werth greeted her fans with this message: "I was spoilt for choice which horse I should ride in the Final. In the end I decided to compete Satchie. He is in a great shape and so he will be my partner in the arena. Cross your fingers!!"

And your heart bars.

Mr. Helmke's spotless anvil looks immaculate. When I commented on how spotless and unscarred it was, he joked that it was 20 years old.  "All of my implements are in excellent shape," he said. (Franz Helmke photo)

The original reason to contact the obliging Mr. Helmke was to discuss Totilas, who was suffering from a hoof abscess at the time. He now assures me that the abscess is resolved.

"Totilas is in absolute best shape," he wrote in an email this week.

For an extensive explanation of how and why a sport horse might be sent into competition wearing heart bar shoes, please read the Hoof Blog's article about Totilas and his heart bar shoes  published in April 2011.

Totilas had been scheduled to debut in competition next weekend with his new rider, Matthias Rath, but the abscess medication withdrawal time and days missed from trained worked against the pair.

 © Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. 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.  

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Totilas and Matthias Rath Cancel Competition Debut; Hoof Abscess Resolved

Team Totilas: Owner Paul Schockemohle, Totilas, and rider Matthias Rath as they appeared on German television in early February when Rath rode Totilas in a demonstration at a stallion exhibition

Almost two weeks ago, the Hoof Blog reported that world champion dressage gold medalist Totilas is now wearing heart-bar shoes. At that time, he was unable to perform for a press conference because of a hoof abscess.

Today, rider Matthias Rath announced that the horse's planned return to competition next weekend at the "Dressage and Dreams" show in Hagen, Germany has been cancelled.

Here is Matthias Rath's statement today:

"We very much regret not being able to compete in Hagen, but the health and welfare of our horses is always the top priority. We had a great feeling before the injury and the preparations and joint development were going much better than expected, which is why we had made firm plans for our early competition debut in May and we were really looking forward to it."

(English version supplied by Matthias Rath)

According to the team, the abscess has healed completely. Rath and Totilas trained over Easter but the veterinary treatment required brings into question the withdrawal/detection times that need to be observed before a competition when a horse has been treated for a medical condition.

 © Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. 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.  

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Badminton Best Shod Horse Prize 2011: Jim Hayter Wins Second Award for Event Horse Farriery

While the big news from the 2011 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in England may be that veteran Olympic gold medalist Mark Todd of New Zealand has put a 31-year spread on his victories there, Hoof Blog readers want to know who won the prestigious Best Shod Horse Award.

Horses and (Golf) Courses: Lawn boots are a hoofnote in golf history

I just had to share this video. Can someone explain it to me? I love Nike, love their commercials, love their stores, love their branding. Yet I don't get this commercial.

But then, I'm not in the market to buy Nike golf balls, either.

Years ago I lived a few furlongs from a place called The International--just "The International". It was a golf course in Bolton, Massachusetts and a very exclusive place. Once--once!--my horses got loose and galloped over a green.

That late-night caper did not go unnoticed. Each divot looked like a crater in the morning light. In fact, the scene looked almost exactly like the closing shot of Nike's commercial.

I found out later that when my horses tore up The International, they were merely carrying on a Boston tradition.

Here's an old lawn boot. Back in the days before there were self-propelled, rubber-tired mowers, these boots were worn by horses while mowing golf courses and other lawn-like surfaces where a horse's hoofprints would be undesirable. This one requires the horse to be shoeless. This is an illustration from Farquhars Garden Annual in 1922. You could buy a set of four for $12.50.

Golf, of course, is a Scottish game. It was brought to America by some Bostonians who decided to hit a ball around at a gentleman's racing and polo retreat called The Country Club in the lush suburb of Brookline. (That's right, just "The Country Club".) Golf became so popular so quickly that they kept extending the course and cutting down trees to make more greens.

What's an endangered horse lover to do? The equestrian members of the club revolted one night in 1899 and galloped their horses across the greens in protest.

Let's just say the horses weren't wearing lawn boots.

So the next time you go to a golf course, or when Easter dinner conversation lags this Sunday, you can explain that the first country club was actually a racetrack and polo field. When it added golf, its fame spread; the name "country club" came to be associated with golf, but at those early clubs the most popular pursuits would have been horse sports and shooting. 

Golf was an upstart, but it certainly did catch on.

Boston's The Country Club is still operating, and even hosted the 33rd Ryder Cup. The club ran its last horse race in 1935, and the final sections of the racetrack were finally sodded over in 1969. 

The horses may be gone but the legends live on. 

I bet sometimes, on a hot summer night, you might even hear some galloping hooves. As long as they are not the hooves of my horses.


Thanks to the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, the Public Library of the Town of Brookline, Nike Golf, and The Antique Horse blog for assistance with this story.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing. Please, no use without permission. 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).  

 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.