Hoofcare Product Development: For Want of A (Glue-On) Shoe, A Horse Is Scratched

The process of modifying prototypes is complicated when even a small change requires creating a new mold, but that is the reality of designing with plastic. But horseshoe entrepreneurs may spend as much time with lawyers, patent drawings and getting approval from show organizations and track officials as they do around horses. (© Garrett Ford photo) 

The Hoof Blog's ongoing series of occasional "guest bloggers" continues today with a timeline narrative about product development, based on a series of correspondence over the past few weeks from our friend Garrett Ford.

I've watched Garrett Ford build an empire based on the original EasyBoot over the last 25 or so years. His company, EasyCare, now makes 18 different kinds of hoof boots and, perhaps more importantly, sets a standard for continual innovation and product development. I can't keep up with their new products.

Invention is part of being American.

Over the years, EasyCare has probably inspired hundreds of people to try their hands at building a better mousetrap, hoof boot, horseshoe or some piece of tack that will help a trail horse move more comfortably or safely across the landscape.

This summer, Garrett moved his company into new territory: he pursed his desire to race a horse in a product his company could design and manufacture. What started out as a curious R+D project led him to tinker with a lightweight hoof boot until it ceased being called a boot and for all intents and purposes became a glue-on shoe.

The problem: the racing stewards at the track vacillated over whether or not it was legal racing equipment.

There's no question that the decision must be respected, but sharing this story will show everyone what entrepreneurs go through and what some of the upfront costs and time expenditures are in getting a new product to the market.

The tester of Garrett Ford's new shoe was an Arabian racehorse named Clunk. The plan was to pull his aluminum raceplates, glue the new urethane cuff boot/shoes on him, condition him in the hills in the shoes, and then bring him back to the track to train and race in the shoes there. Like many entrepreneurs, Garrett was sure that his new product would be welcomed at the track: it would be simple to use for the farriers, economical for the trainers and beneficial for the horses. (© Garrett Ford photo)

When Garrett told me the saga of his shoe, I smiled because I wasn't surprised. Almost every hoofcare innovator runs into a brick wall of some type sooner or later, when and if the product is to be used on certain types of show horses or at the track.

I've seen some people sail over the brick walls, and I've seen others bang their heads against them time and again. I've also seen wonderful products abandoned, never to see the bright lights of a store shelf, simply because the developers didn't have the resources to jump through the hoops that lay waiting for them on the other side of the brick wall.

Unfortunately, Garrett ran into his brick wall sooner instead of later. Fortunately, he is not building these shoes one at a time in his basement. He's not mortgaging his house to finance an injection mold modification. He has the means and the resolve to keep modifying and keep trying until he really does have his own unique type of all-plastic glue-on boot/shoe.

If you ask me, the brick wall was a blessing. Had Garrett Ford merely whipped up four prototype glue-on shoes, glued them onto a racehorse and proceeded to the owner's enclosure at the track, that might have been the end of it. He might have rested on his easily-earned laurels and retired the racehorse to become an endurance horse, as was his original plan. And he might never have thought about turning his prototype into a truly usable product that could potentially be of value to horses all over the world.

Parts of this post in the Hoofcare and Lameness Hoof Blog were published in a different form in the EasyCare newsletter and/or on the company blog under the title The Horse That Wasn't Allowed To Race. Dual copyright from both companies protects this post.

The prototype “Easyboot Race” is an all-synthetic, one-piece glue-on cuff and shoe. It will remain a prototype until it is approved for use by racing jurisdictions around the world. (© Garrett Ford)

EasyCare hoof boots have been used in almost every horse sport, but have yet to make an impact in racing. Until recently, hoof boots have been much too heavy and bulky to allow a race horse to be competitive. So when the Easyboot Glue-On was developed, Garrett decided to campaign an Arabian racehorse in a modified version of it. And that's where our story begins.

What Could the Glue-On Do for Racing?
Why bother, you ask? Life on the race track presents challenges to the equine hoof. Many racehorses have challenges with brittle walls, quarter cracks, tender feet, lack of support, and contracted heels from continuous shoeing and training stress. When a racehorse rips off a shoe and loses hoof wall, that wall has a difficult time holding nails and, as a result, may miss conditioning and races. Track horses are subjected to pounding workouts and as a result are prone to injury.

For these reasons, and probably many more, the idea of a better shoe for racehorses is fertile ground for any innovative thinkers who spend much time at the racetrack.

Garrett believed that his prototype, which he called the “Easyboot Race” could potentially be the mortar in some of these gaps of the hoofcare needs of a race horse. Some of the objectives the R+D would set out to accomplish would be to design a shoe that would:

• 1. allow the hoof to expand and contract as nature intended;
• 2. provide support and comfort for quarter cracks;
• 3. allow farriers and trainers another tool for problem feet that will not hold nails;
• 4. allow farriers and trainers an option that flexes and absorbs concussion to extend the horse's health and longevity;
• 5. be capable of being trimmed and modified to suit a specific horse, track or surface;
• 6. be less likely to hurt horses, jockeys or spectators if they do come off;
• 7. allow trainers to train the horses harder and on less than perfect surface conditions;
• 8. bring an affordable glue-on solution to the track.

The Easyboot Race plate next to an aluminum racing plate. Garrett: "(Initially) the stewards said there was no difference between the products and the Easyboot Race did not violate the rules. The Easyboot Race could be glued and nailed in this configuration." (© Garrett Ford photo)

In the past, Garrett has tried unsuccessfully to convince racehorse trainers to use hoof boots for flat track training. To set his program in motion, he purchased a racetrack Arabian named Clunk. His plan had four steps: 1) to pull the aluminum racing plates he was wearing when purchased; 2) to improve the trim on his feet; 3) to condition him in the hills and then 4) to take him back to the track and race him in the new Easyboot Race shoes.

Weight of the Prototype

Weights of the aluminum race plates and the modified Easyboot Race shoe were taken after the Race shoes were modified. The average weight of the aluminum plate was 4.5 ounces. There were variances of + .1 ounces and - .1 ounces. These shoes had been worn in one race, on a soft racing surface, and exhibited little to no wear and tear. They were removed within three hours of finishing the race.

The Easyboot Race with sole intact next to a standard aluminum race plate with pad. Garrett: "(Initially) the stewards said there was no difference between the products: the Easyboot Race with sole plate did not violate the rules.  Our Easyboot Race shoe could be glued and nailed in this configuration."  (© Garrett Ford photo)

The average weight of the reconfigured EasyCare Race shoe was 5.5 ounces. After adding the appropriate amount of glue for proper adhesion, the final weight was 6.0 ounces. The variance was + or - .15 ounces.


Preliminary contact
During this process Garrett met with the stewards (race officials) at the racetrack. They discussed the new shoe and the prospect of racing Clunk in the new design on August 7th, 2011. Garrett said that the stewards were initially very receptive to the design and thought it could be beneficial for many reasons; they asked to see Clunk do an official workout the week before the August 7th race.

Official Workout with Shoes On
Clunk's race shoes were applied (glued) Tuesday August 2, 2011, in anticipation of a workout in front of stewards on Wednesday August 3rd. Garrett reported that Clunk did a flawless workout in front of the stewards, track vet and several jockeys; Clunk’s jockey was reported to be very impressed and said the horse felt more confident and stable. The track vet had no objections and saw many benefits that could help track horses.

The stewards, however, subsequently changed their opinion, informing Garrett that Clunk would not be able to race on August 7th if wearing the Easyboot Race Shoes. They were unable to give a reason or cite a rule in support of their decision.

The Easyboot Race plate with sole intact and including the cuff system next to an aluminum racing plate with clips.  Garrett: "(Initially) the stewards said there was no difference between the products: the Easyboot Race with sole intact and including the cuff system was no different than an aluminum racing plate with clips.  Therefore it would not violate the rules.  Our Easyboot Race shoe could be glued and nailed in this configuration.  The cuff system allows for a very large gluing surface and a very secure bond." © Garrett Ford

Rule Violation
On Friday August 5th, Garrett filed a formal appeal and asked the stewards and director for a reason and rule that would not allow Clunk to race in the new EasyCare hoof wear. The director responded with a written response, stating that our new shoe went against rule number 7.608: "7.608 - Bar plates may be used only with the consent of the Division Veterinarian. The commission may limit the height of toe grabs for any breed at a live race meet. Toe grabs with a height greater than the maximum set by the commission, bends, jar caulks, stickers and any other traction device worn on the front hooves of horses while racing or training on all surfaces, are prohibited. The horse shall be scratched and the trainer may be subject to fine for any violation of this rule."

After the decision, Garrett could have simply removed Clunk's Easyboot Race shoes and raced him in aluminum plates but decided instead to scratch him and stick to what he had set out to accomplish. He quickly finished a new mold that was exactly the same shape of the aluminum plate removed from Clunk's hoof after he was purchased.

Although Clunk was not allowed to race on August 7th, he remained entered in the August 21st feature race. Garrett believed that he could modify the Easyboot Race to be an exact copy of an aluminum plate and the stewards could not say it violated the 7.608 rule.

Apple's marketing celebrates invention.

During the mold process Garrett presented photos and drawings to the track’s race director and the racing stewards. He said, “To our disbelief, (he) and the stewards said the new racing plate still violated the 7.608 rule as it was a ‘Traction Device’ and they would not allow Clunk to race in the new design despite the fact it was an exact copy of an aluminum plate.”

On Wednesday August 17th the racing director informed Garrett via e-mail: "Please be aware that we will be unable to provide you with suggested changes to the product to get it to conform to Commission rules. No matter what changes you suggest, it will not change the fact that the device is a traction device prohibited under the Rule 7.608."

Unless EasyCare knows the portions of the shoe that the track officials believe don’t conform to commission rules, the email is correct: he is unable to make changes.

Polyurethane glue-on racing shoes are already out there and being used by some of the best horses and trainers in the sport. Breeders Cup races and major stakes races all over the world on all types of surfaces have been won by horses wearing next-generation glue-on hoofware. Big Brown ran to victory in the 134th Kentucky Derby wearing glued-on Yasha plastic-aluminum hybrid shoes. Shackleford won the 2011 Preakness Stakes wearing glue-on Polyflex shoes. Overdose set a track record on the turf in Germany wearing glue-on Sigafoos shoes.

Scratch
Clunk had been at the track and training in the Easyboot Race shoes since August 8th. Garrett decided to scratch Clunk from the August 21st feature race rather than change his equipment the day before the race.

State Racing Commission Presentation
Next, Garrett made plans to attend a September 13th racing commission meeting. “We have indicated that we would like to be part of the meeting as we would like to do everything possible to hit the ground running for the 2012 race season at this track,” Garrett wrote.

The painting Men of Progress by Christian Schussele, completed in 1862, pictured the individuals who had "altered the course of contemporary civilization". Along with Cyrus McCormack, Elias Howe, Samuel Colt and others is Henry Burden, American horseshoe inventor and manufacturer. Also in this painting: Charles Goodyear, the inventor of vulcanized rubber, who died penniless. The Goodyear Rubber Company was named in his honor, as a consolation, years later. (National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, courtesy of Clifford's Photography)

“The goal of the presentation is to go over the allowed hoof protection, compare to the current Easyboot Race shoe and discuss the ability to race at the track in 2012. If our current shoes does not fit into the current rules I would like to find out what portion of the shoe needs to be changed so it does conform.”

Moving Forward
On September 13th, Garrett reported in after the meeting, “I was told by the commission and the director of the track that regardless if the product complied with the rules (or not) that I would need to go through a process or testing with universities. They were unable to give me a protocol...

“I asked what they wanted to see, how many universities, what kind of studies etc. They had a hard time answering. They are asking me to collect different types of study data to prove our device but can’t document what types of study data they are looking for. All of their commission meetings and rule meetings since 2006 have minutes and I can’t find one mention of them asking another company or inventor to prove a new device used on the track in the same way. They don’t have a formal written process that stipulates the kind of testing a new product needs before being approved.”

"In the months to come, I hope to pull some of the horses with foot issues off the slaughter-bound truck at the track and fit them in the new Easyboot Race shoes. I would like nothing more than to show that a horse heading for a processing plant in Mexico was saved, turned around and could win races again in Easyboot Race shoes.

"We will continue to persevere and believe the track officials will accept the shoe.

"At this point in the process, I am turning to the Hoofcare & Lameness community of top professionals and the benefit of this blog's reach into the global mainstream horse industry to ask for consultation. Do Hoof Blog readers believe the racetrack industry could benefit from more choices in alternative hoof wear and more urethane shoe options? Do you have a horse or know of a horse that would be a candidate for the new Easyboot Race shoe?"

What are your thoughts about the process that inventors and entrepreneurs go through?  Please click on the comment button and leave your thoughts here. If you don't know how to leave a comment, send Fran an email and I will post it for you.

From Drs. Lisa Lancaster and Robert Bowker and the Equine Foot Laboratory at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine: Just click to order yours today!

© 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.

Farrier Travis Burns Promoted at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine

Travis Burns

Farrier Travis Burns recently received a promotion to faculty level at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Travis is now "lecturer and college farrier" at the Blacksburg, Virginia campus.

From the Hoof Prints newsletter of the veterinary college's Equine Field Service: "Travis Burns, hospital farrier, was recently promoted to faculty status in recognition of his important contributions to the college’s clinical, instructional, and outreach programs, particulary in podiatry. It is great to see our faculty and staff rewarded for their efforts."

Travis joined the university in the winter of 2010 and has been helping Professor R. Scott Pleasant, DVM, MS, Diplomate, ACVS create what is shaping up to be an innovative and energized equine podiatry unit at the vet school.

Travis's background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from North Carolina State University, a stint at farrier school, and completion of the unique professional internship program at the Forging Ahead multi-farrier sport horse practice in Round Hill, Virginia. While with Forging Ahead, Travis had exposure to podiatry cases when assisting Paul Goodness in his work as consulting farrier at the Marion du Pont Scott Equine Medical Center, which is affiliated with the university. 

Obviously, Travis liked what he saw; he seized the opportunity to specialize in podiatry. He and Dr. Pleasant will hopefully inspire others to be creative about career specializations and the initiative to develop forward-thinking programs where once none existed.

  MORE about HOOFCARE

© 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).  

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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.

Standing In A Giant's Hoofprints: Bob McCarthy's Anvil Dedication Saturday

There's a saying that gets tossed around a lot in leadership-by-design books. It's often spouted from the stage by commencement speakers. The words, attributed to Sir Issac Newton, appear on the edge of every British two-pound coin. Newton is said to have said, "If I have seen a little further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."

I'm sure you understand precisely what this saying means. We have progressed further than those who came before us, because of their tremendous height--height in humanity, height in perseverance, height in sacrifice or bravery or intelligence or ability. And, in some way, the giants gained their height too by the act of lifting up the next generation, sometimes by not even acknowledging that that is what they were doing, even as they did it.

British two-pound coin

For the most part, these giants exist in people's memories. Each of us knows who the giants are--or were--in our lives. But sometimes we see the ghosts of the giants, or I do.

I remember being at farrier Eddie Watson's funeral in Virginia, at an overflowing funeral home with three chapels--all three filled with the three F's of Mr. Watson's life: friends, family and farriers. At the Hunt Club reception afterwards, there was a tiny lamp; he had forged the beautiful base. It burned brightly, though it was the middle of the afternoon, and the paper shade was a warm color. As people jostled around, that little light kept burning. I think I know why it was there, and why it was turned on.

A tree was planted in Saratoga.

Another time was when the horseshoers at Saratoga lost several members of their fraternity in one year. To commemorate the loss, they set up an anvil and planted a tree as a little memorial garden outside the blacksmith shop behind the Oklahoma Training Track. A lot of people came to the dedication ceremony, all for different reasons, and in memory of different people. We stood and stared at a little sapling tree, and beyond.

I felt that way in 2008, when Cornell's vet school farrier shop was remodeled and then-resident farrier Michael Wildenstein sank into the concrete of the floor shoes made by the instructors who had come before him.  And he made sure that Buster Conklin, the only one still living (at the time), came in to have his photo taken in the new shop with his shoe in the floor.

A giant named Buster Conklin posed with Cornell farrier school students in 2008.

We all have ways of remembering people who've made a difference in our lives, and we carry them around in and with us in different ways. But sometimes people care enough, and are creative enough, to make an extra effort, to call out for a gathering or a photo session or a special place to set up a little lamp, because it's important.

Saturday afternoon will be one of those times. The senior statesman of Massachusetts horseshoers, Mr. Bob McCarthy, died last year. His wonderful blacksmith shop in his little town of Medfield has been torn down. A forge stood in that spot for almost 200 years but now there's a parking lot. But someone cared enough to do something to mark the spot where Bob spent his days--spent his life, in fact.

We all had to start somewhere, even Myron McLane, and he was lucky enough to start with Bob McCarthy. Myron bought Bob's 225-pound Eagle anvil years ago when the shop closed, and now has prepared it as a monument on a special granite base, surrounded with a mosaic of inlaid horseshoes made by farriers who were influenced by Bob, and who cared enough to make a shoe in his memory. There will be a few of Bob's shoes in there as well. The town has approved the monument and the dedication.

Allen Smith and Bob McCarthy, two giants of New England farriery.

Bob's anvil will be dedicated at 12:30 on September 17 on Janes Avenue in Medfield, Massachusetts. Everyone is welcome. Just ask anyone where Bob's blacksmith shop used to be. It's the kind of place that, even though it's gone, is still there in a lot of people's memories, and now an anvil will mark the spot.

It doesn't seem so long ago that a giant stood in that very spot, and behind that very anvil, the one that Bob's father bought in 1931. If Bob stood there on Saturday and looked down, he'd see the beautiful workmanship of the farriers who stand today on his shoulders, farriers who haven't forgotten who helped lift them to where--and who--they are today.

Rood + Riddle Official Vets (and Farriers) for Alltech National Horse Show

The Alltech National Horse Show’s press release was just full of news.

First of all, the parapetetic National Horse Show has moved again. After 100 or so years in the middle of Manhattan and the most glamorous setting imaginable, the show picked up stakes from Madison Square Garden and moved first across the Hudson River to the Meadowlands in New Jersey and then to Florida for a run, then back to New York, but to Syracuse this time, the show’s most recent venue.

Now it’s on to Kentucky, where the great show has found a home at the Kentucky Horse Park's indoor arena and a star-billing date on the fall hunter/jumper competition calendar.

And the show not only found a home in Kentucky--it found a title sponsor. It is one whose name we already know well: Alltech.

When the 128th Alltech National Horse Show opens at the Horse Park on November 2, it will have a new group of farriers backstage. The show has formed an official alliance with the Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, just down the road from the Horse Park. The alliance extends to Rood and Riddle providing the show farriers, the show veterinarians, and even the show equine pharmacy.

"We're planning to make a big effort," said Rood + Riddle's Scott Morrison DVM, head of the hospital's unique podiatry center. "We want to make certain that the competitors at the show are satisfied with their foot care."

A sport horse that regularly comes to Rood + Riddle for shoeing showed off a front foot one day. Striped hoof horn is a challenge for farriers since distortion in the tubules is very obvious. Rodney King didn't object to having photos taken of this horse. (© Hoofcare + Lameness photo, Fran Jurga)

Morrison said that the show is "only" expecting to attract about 360 horses, which he thought his team could easily handle. He said he expects two of the clinic's farriers, Rodney King and Jeff Henderson, will provide the bulk of the show service, and that he would be on call as well.

"We're looking forward to it," Morrison continued. "We'll get it done!"

Hind foot of a dressage horse that was being shod last May at Rood + Riddle's podiatry center. (© Hoofcare + Lameness photo, Fran Jurga)

The first week in November will be a busy time in the state of Kentucky. The fledgling horse show will have to compete this year (and only this year) for the attention of people in the Bluegrass because the Breeders Cup will run on Friday and Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Morrison remarked that one of the podiatry center's biggest consulting clients, Irish horse trainer Aiden O'Brien, will be bringing several horses to Kentucky for the Breeders Cup, and Morrison expects to be on call for any horses that need his help at both the National Horse Show and the Churchill Downs events that weekend.

Another view of the dressage horse. The stalls in the background are holding stalls. Many trainers and owners bring multiple horses and, after hauling long distances, can offload the horses to the holding stalls until all the horses' feet are done and it's time to leave.   (© Hoofcare + Lameness photo, Fran Jurga)

Is this the first time that the official farrier service at a horse show is to be provided by a veterinary hospital? Most likely, it is. But like the location of the horse show, the role of the show professionals is obviously changing as well. It may also be the first time that a group practice has provided all the veterinary services for an event of this magnitude.

The original National Horse Show was first held in 1853 in Springfield, Massachusetts and attracted 500 horses.  (Engraving published in Gleason's Pictorial, 1853). After the current version of "The" National Horse Show began in New York in 1883, the show featured a 14-mile endurance race through Manhattan for military horses; it finished in the show arena.

At Rood + Riddle, both veterinarians and farriers are employed under the same roof in the pursuit of making lame horses sound and keeping sound horses that way, thanks to the podiatry center building. The unassuming building tucked behind the main hospital sometimes resembles a swarming ant hill of humans, trucks, trailers, vans and horses: each professional may have clients booked into the podiatry center for out-patient procedures or trimming and shoeing, and the staff come and go from the center throughout the day. Horse owners haul their horses from any number of states for consultation or for regular periodic treatments and shoeing.

A normal staff of four veterinarians and at least three farriers, plus interns, apprentices, technicians, administrators and helpers make up the staff on a typical day. The vets and farriers may work all or part of the day on the road in service to clients in the Lexington area, or be busy with cases at the podiatry center or with hoof-related concerns of patients in the hospital.

Rood + Riddle's podiatry center offers off-site referral services so several staff members acrue some of the highest numbers of frequent flyer points in the entire horse industry. Other cases are handled by reviewing radiographs, photos and videos via the Internet or Federal Express.

Rood + Riddle operates a satellite podiatry center at The Sanctuary, an equine rehabilitation facility in Ocala, Florida, and the staff regularly attends to clients' horses in the Wellington, Florida area during the winter months. In addition, the vets and farriers all seem to evolve into educators after they join the staff, and are involved as clinicians and lecturers at educational events all over the world.

At the World Equestrian Games, Rood + Riddle created and hosted a mini-museum of farriery tools and shoes.  Visitors could pull out the glass drawers to see shoes on display. (© Hoofcare + Lameness photo, Fran Jurga)

Most people connect Rood + Riddle with the Thoroughbred racing and breeding world of Lexington, but the clinic obviously has a burgeoning sport horse practice embedded behind its racehorse reputation and address.

"Rood + Riddle is extremely pleased to serve as the Official Veterinarians and Farriers for the upcoming Alltech National Horse Show,” Dr. Tom Riddle, co-founder of the hospital, said in the press release. “Rood & Riddle’s participation in both the World Equestrian Games and the National Horse Show underscores our practice's commitment to the sport horse."

Rood + Riddle was a sponsor of last year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, held at the Kentucky Horse Park, and the clinic served as the official veterinary hospital for that event, with staff vets serving at the Horse Park. At WEG, farrier services were provided by the American Farrier's Association.

At the World Equestrian Games last year, large monitors suspended on two walls showed video footage of podiatry work at Rood + Riddle. This monitor was displaying quarter crack repair. (© Hoofcare + Lameness photo, Fran Jurga)

About the show: While historically the National Horse Show included Nations Cup international show jumping, gaited horses, fine driving and even classes for fire and police horses, the Kentucky version of the show will be an indoor AA-rated hunter, jumper and equitation over fences extravaganza. The show, as always, will host the finals of the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals in equitation.

NOTE: Hoofcare + Lameness would like to compile a list of farriers who have served in the capacity of official farrier to The National Horse Show. If you can help with this list or have old programs with information, please email Fran Jurga. As it turns out, farriers have played a big role, historically, in the show, and this seems like a good time to research more history.

© 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.

Urban Search and Rescue Dogs: Barefoot or Booted, They Did Their Job and Lived to See Their Story Told

Watch me first.

The search and rescue dogs of 911 have been well-studied; not surprisingly, their feet were a central focus point of statistics, and some discussion has emerged on whether rescue dogs in urban settings are better off shod in booties or barefoot. I hope you'll enjoy this detour into the world of dog paws.

While many human rescuers are showing respiratory health problems a decade later, their canine colleagues have had minimal setbacks, according to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine 9/11 Medical Surveillance study.

With nearly $500,000 of financial support from the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (CHF), the study monitored the long-term health impacts on 95 search-and-rescue dogs deployed to the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Staten Island landfills. Researchers also compared their health to a control group of non-deployed search-and-rescue dogs.

“The most striking thing is that many of the humans that responded have developed reactive airway diseases, such as asthma, sinusitis or other chronic infections in their nasal sinuses. The dogs on the other hand have fared extremely well,” explained Dr. Cynthia Otto, DVM, PhD, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine associate professor of critical care who was the principal investigator. “They’re not developing any problems with their lungs or sinuses. That is a real surprise.”

One of the surprising bits of news from Ground Zero was that the dogs had optional access to protective boots to prevent them from cutting their paws on sharp debris. Dog boot technology and sales exploded after the publicity about the dog boots used at Ground Zero. FEMA News Agency photo.

In her report, Otto mention Kaiser, now a 12-year-old German shepherd, who was one of only four dogs in the study that required stitches while working at Ground Zero.“On our second day there, Kaiser sliced a pad on the pile,” said Tony Zintsmaster, Kaiser’s trainer and a charter member of Indiana Task Force One. “Once he was stitched up and felt better, Kaiser went back to work. He was quite amazing. He was able to adapt to the situation and showed great agility. He seemed happiest when he was on the pile working.”

Zintsmaster, along with other handlers who participated in the study, submitted annual X-rays, blood samples and surveys on his dog's health and behavior to researchers.

Unlike horse hooves, dog paws are covered with vulnerable, soft pad tissue that adapts by forming callus...or not. Stefsanatomy photo.

The University of Pennsylvania/American Kennel Club study also found that the average lifespan of deployed dogs was 12.5 years, while non-deployed search-and-rescue dogs lived an average 11.8 years. Today, at least 13 deployed search-and-rescue dogs that were part of the 911 study are still alive.

Cut and sore paws are one of the most common types of first aid given to dogs. (Natalie Greco photo)

During the winter months in Boston, several dogs are routinely reported to have been electrocuted while walking on city streets. Winter snow, ice, and salt used to treat streets and sidewalks can contribute to wires shorting out. Humans might not feel shocks through grates, but horses and dogs will--to the point of being killed. Dog boots sound like a good idea for city dogs.

Dog boots come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They even come with anti-odor silver-coated anti-bacterial sole inserts, toe caps, and heel re-inforcers. There are summer shoes and winter shoes. There are even boots for dogs that swim a lot, or dogs that paw the sides of swimming pools. Dog leg protector, shoulder braces and support boots are available as well for working and athletic dogs.

We always hear about the teams in the Iditarod race in Alaska wearing boots. According to the activist web site, www.helpsleddogs.org, Iditarod Trail Committee rules require a musher to have "eight booties for each dog in the sled or in use" at all times. However, there are no standards regarding the materials of which the booties are made, nor do the rules require mushers to actually put the booties on the dogs.

When do the mushers decide it is time for a dog dogs to wear them, and when do they go barefoot? And do they clip the dogs' nails or let them grow for better traction? How long is too long? Is there an ideal length?

While most of us may think of dog booties for search and rescue work over rubble, such as an earthquake scene, the main market for dog boots seems to be sport dogs, such as this Iditarod team charging across Alaska in 2018. (File photo, courtesy of Wikimedia)

According to Patricia Ashley, DVM, the rate of a dog's pad callus growth is a critical element in dog paw problems. "In some cases, the pads accumulate too much callus or the callus forms unevenly," she writes. "Heavily callused pads lose their flexibility and the ability to absorb shock." Obesity is a common cause of uneven callus formation on dog paw pads.

Splay-toed, webbed feet of a sled dog at Denali National Park in Alaska. Photo by Jessica Spengle

According to Melanie Donofro, DVM, an experienced sled dog race veterinarian who writes on the web site for the 1000-mile Yukon Quest sleddog race, paws are the first thing attended by race vets. "At every mandatory checkpoint, the veterinarians spend considerable time checking each toe and joint for any soreness; toenails for damage that may need to be addressed; pads on the soles of the feet for any blisters; areas where the booties may have rubbed under the dewclaw and caused soreness; and finally, the webbing between the feet for swelling, redness, or cracks that can occur on a wet trail."

Dr. Donofro observed that when the dogs arrive at a checkpoint, they start to chew on the velcro of their booties to get them off, possibly because the upper parts of the boots seem foreign to them, but the bottom-protection of the boots must be therapeutic to sore, tender feet.

There are urban search and rescue dogs and there are rural search and rescue dogs. And then there are the highly-specialized avalanche rescue dogs. I hope I never need any of them, but I'm glad they're out there. Stefs Anatomy photo.

When it comes to urban search-and-rescue dogs, the genetics are usually far removed from sled dogs. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that most of the certified canines are Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Border Collies and Golden Retrievers.

But, FEMA says, few of its search dogs actually wear boots when working on a rubble pile. Despite the hazards of sharp metal and broken glass, the dogs often need to perform what is called a "soft walk" where they splay their paws for maximum traction. Collars and booties can sometimes add to the risk of searching in tight or obstructed spaces.

While researching this article, a helpful resource was the paper Deployment morbidity among search-and-rescue dogs used after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by Slensky, Drobatz, Downend and Otto, published by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 2004.

Sixty-five percent of the dogs deployed suffered injury or some type of medical problem during deployment, according to a survey of the dogs' handlers after the search was suspended; 35 percent of the dogs had an abrasion injury requiring treatment, 70 percent of which were on the foot pads. Four of nine dogs that wore foot protection had cuts and abrasions.

The survey noted that no dogs deployed to the Pentagon wore foot protection.

From the paper: "Most of the cuts and abrasions were on the feet or footpads of the dogs, and there was a higher incidence (although not significant) of wounds in those dogs that did not have foot protection, indicating that foot protection may be beneficial in reducing the incidence of injuries. Concerns voiced by handlers and FEMA regarding this issue are similar to those reported at the Oklahoma City bombing disaster site. Perhaps a type of foot protection can be developed that will combine needed traction and workability with desirable safety."

Writing in The Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, Cynthia Otto DVM of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine  and co-authors noted that the concrete dust at the World Trade Center was very abrasive, and packed between the dogs' toes. Dust and mud was periodically cleaned from the paws and it was necessary to dry the dogs' paws before they could go back to work.

Otto noted that initially, the dogs did not wear any foot protection. She explained that the dogs train on piles of rubble and that they need traction. She felt that, overall, the incidence of injury to the dogs was low.

And that's not quite the end of the story. Look for the book Retrieved by Dutch dog photographer Charlotte Dumas, who crisscrossed the USA to find and photograph the surviving dogs who worked search and rescue during the days after 911. 

We started out to talk about paws and booties, but like everything about 911, it's about much more than that.

Urban non-working dogs probably wear more boots than any other type of dogs.  A practical reason in cold-climate cities is the possibility of electrocution on sidewalk grates during winter months. But probably most apartment-dwelling owners just want to keep their dogs' feet dry (and their rugs clean). (Norma Thomas photo)

And like everything that seems to be covered under the banner of Hoofcare and Lameness, this is another example to show us that there are parallels in other species, or in other sports and industries, to what is going on in horse hoofcare. Maybe there are lessons to be learned from the dog handlers' choice of whether or not to put boots on their dogs. To be sure, they wanted to do what was best for their dogs, and they took into consideration how the dogs had trained to do the job they were asked to do.

In those days after 911, no one knew where s/he or the dogs would be ten years later. They were uncertain times and it's not likely that anyone had much of an agenda in the decisions they made to keep their dogs as safe as possible.

Ten years later,  dog owners and trainers are still asking the same questions that many horse owners and trainers are asking. How do I decide what is the best footcare program for my horse? How do you balance out the animal's need traction, support, protection, and weight? What are the signs in an animal that it is best suited for a specific form of footcare?

Answers don't come easily, but for those days after 911, what mattered was how you framed the question, and what you had at stake. In the end, they put the boots on when and if the dogs needed them, and those dogs were glad to have them so they could stay on the job.

And what a job they did.

To Learn More:
Honoring the Dogs of 9/11: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association  interview with Dr. Otto from UPenn, Dr Gillette from Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Kaiser's owner.

PennVet Working Dog Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

Canine Detection Research Institute at Auburn University

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Cornell Vet School Honors Steve Kraus With Permanent Appointment as Resident Farrier and Lecturer

Steve Kraus has officially been named to the permanent position of head farrier and lecturer in the faculty of Large Animal Surgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the College of Veterinary Medicine, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

According to Cornell, as head farrier Kraus is responsible for teaching and recruiting farrier students. His position also supports patient needs within the equine and farm animal hospitals. His typical duties include basic horseshoeing, corrective hoof trimming/shoeing, therapeutic methods, splint fabrication and other relevant needs.

Cornell's farrier education program currently offers three 16-week courses in basic farrier education each year, which Steve instructs. One of the changes Steve has made in the farrier course is giving students access to a large number of polo, equitation and school horses at Cornell's Oxley Equestrian Center.

Steve Kraus (Cornell University photo)

Caring for the hooves of the university's equestrian center horses will greatly increase the "hands on" experience of the students during their time at Cornell and give them exposure to real world shoeing situations in a working stable.  Kraus has been the farrier at the 60-horse facility for many years.

"There has always been a lack of practice horses for the farrier students," Kraus said on Friday. "Now they will collectively do approximately 120 shoeings during their stay. I take the students over there three afternoons a week."

Steve graduated from Cornell in 1970, and has been shoeing horses for the university since 1968. He is deeply involved in the sport of polo, and not only does he play the sport, he trains ponies, referees and coaches, for both the outdoor and indoor programs at Cornell.

Steve's expertise in the farrier world goes far beyond his well-established business in the Ithaca area. He has been a technical consultant and product advisor to Mustad for more than 30 years and his influence can be seen in nails, shoes and tools used by farriers all over the world as well as hoofcare products used by horse owners and trainers.

Among his other duties, Steve is currently busy planning the Cornell Farrier Conference, which will be held November 12-13, 2011 at the vet college. The program will include a special tribute to the late Cornell vet school farrier Buster Conklin who died early this summer.

Steve succeeds Michael Wildenstein, who retired from the position last summer. Steve had a temporary appointment until July when he was officially hired to the permanent position at the vet school.

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