Thursday, May 10, 2012

Rock Star Riders: Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos on NBC's Rock Center


Maybe this has nothing to do with hoofcare or lameness, but it has everything to do with the business we're in, the people we work with or for, and the horses in our care.

International readers may not know who Boyd Martin and Neville Bardos are (yet) but I hope everyone in the hoof world will take a few minutes to watch this video and get to know them.

Not since Zenyatta was on 60 Minutes before the 2011 Breeders Cup have we had this depth of publicity about a single horse.

A few things are missing from this video: the other people in the background of this (hopefully) London-bound duo.

The local "vet hospital" where Neville Bardos was treated after the fire was none other than New Bolton Center's George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Boyd was very lucky to have a place like that so nearby.

The hyperbaeric oxygen chamber shown in the video would have been at Fair Hill Equine Therapy Center at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

Neville's vet is mentioned several times in the video. That would probably have been Kevin Keane DVM, who is an event rider himself, and/or Dr. Mary Griffin of Griffin Equine; both were mentioned by Boyd after the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event this year.

Lindsey Taylor is Boyd Martin's groom. She won the US Eventing Association's 2011 Christine E. Stafford Groom of the Year Award and was the first recipient of the Professional Riders Organization Liz Cochrane Memorial Groom’s Award. She was nominated by her employer, Boyd Martin, who had this to say about her:

“I believe the events that led up to, during and after the Memorial Day barn fire separate Lindsey from the rest of the list of candidates. This lady was able to deal with the tragedy of the loss of the horses that died, also rehabilitating the injured ones that survived, whilst working out of a number of barns, and was still able to fulfill her energy of the competition horses that were unaffected, all at the same time without complaint, negativity or fuss, which impressed me more than anything."

Last but far from least, Neville's farrier is sport-horse specialist Doug Neilson CJF of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. Doug has been shoeing for Boyd (and Neville) for the past four or five years, he said today. He also gave a resounding endorsement to this NBC segment on his client. Doug's farrier business featured in the Philadelphia Enquirer a few years ago. 

Boyd and Neville are off to New Jersey this week for the Jersey Fresh 3-star event. 
Is your reference library missing this important new book? 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.  
Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
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.

Monday, May 07, 2012

Kentucky Derby: Jim Jimenez Shod Winner I'll Have Another

2 0 1 2   K E N T U C K Y  D E R B Y  W I N N E R
I'll Have Another is shod by Santa Anita horseshoer Jim Jimenez


Congratulations to horseshoer Jim Jimenez and the entire I'll Have Another crew. Dan Burke of FPD took this photo of Jim with the horse at Churchill Downs after the race. I'll Have Another ships to Baltimore's Pimlico Racetrack today to prepare for the next leg of the Triple Crown, which hasn't been won since 1978.

I'll Have Another won the 2012 Kentucky Derby wearing Kerckhaert aluminum race plates. He was escorted to the gate by his esteemed stable "pony", champion (retired) racehorse Lava Man.

Until the final furlong of the Derby, the stable pony was getting more press than the Derby winner. Now they're sharing the spotlight--along with, if Hoofcare and Lameness has anything say about it, the horseshoer and the shoes.







Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
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.

Sunday, May 06, 2012

Scott Simpson Memorial Service Planned

 J.  S C O T T  S I M P S O N   1933-2012

A memorial service or gathering in memory of Scott Simpson is being planned for Saturday, May 26th, at 2:00 p.m., at the beautifully-restored Ellen Theatre in Bozeman, Montana.

Scott Simpson was a very special horseshoer, educator, entertainer, horseman, author and many other things, including a father. He died on March 1, 2012 after finishing a round of golf at his winter home in Arizona.

Scott taught the horseshoeing program at Montana State University in Bozeman for many years and still lived in Montana in the summer.

The Ellen is a 100-year-old historic landmark located at 17 West Main Street in Bozeman. It looks like the kind of place where Scott would have been right at home, and fits perfectly for an "event" like this.

The family will host a reception following the service. Anyone who has questions is welcome to contact Scott's daughter Howie.

Read the Hoofcare + Lameness rambling but heartfelt tribute to Scott Simpson.

P1030225
The Ellen Theatre will be open on May 26, 2012 for Scott Simpson's memorial service.

Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
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.

Saturday, May 05, 2012

Kentucky Derby 2012: Famous (and Fast) Thoroughbred Feet from Churchill Downs


That's a long apron! I think horseshoer Steve Norman, who is quite tall, wears such a long one because he often has shorts on underneath! This could be an historic photo; Steve is shoeing Winstar Farms' undefeated Gemologist for trainer Todd Pletcher.

 

The biggest day of the year is here. What's going on behind the scenes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky? The Hoof Blog has assembled a gallery of images for you that you probably won't see anywhere else. Thanks to Dan Burke of Farrier Product Distribution for his shots of horses being shod this morning. Place your bets, sip your julip and take an intimate look at a few hooves!

Dan stopped by the track kitchen and pointed out to me that the kitchen has been insured good luck always: a lone horseshoe hangs over the counter. Yes, the heels point upward because whoever nailed it there believes that they are holding the luck in that way.

Back in the shedrow, Churchill Downs horseshoer Todd Boston lays a new Kerckhaert raceplate on a hoof of Prospective, trained by Mark Casse.

Churchill Downs

Details, details: Churchill Downs knows the power of details.

Kentucky Derby!

Where are you celebrating the Derby today?

Churchill Downs

A vet's station wagon left open while he or she was working on the backside at Churchill. Tabitha Kaylee Hawk photo.

Stormy skies interrupted yesterday's races. The horses were cleared from the track when lightning threatened.

Steve Norman and his assistant work their way around El Padrino for Todd Pletcher. This horse has been below the radar the past few weeks.

2011-05-07_17-46-40

Which horse's name will go up on the paddock sign next?





© 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.  
Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
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.

Kentucky Oaks: Famous Fillies' Foot Fashions at Louisville's Churchill Downs


 For old times' sake: The Louisville Courier-Journal asked horseshoer Steve Norman 
what he thought about toe grabs a few years ago. This is what they heard.

It's Derby Week!  But before Churchill Downs rolls out the red-rose carpet for the Kentucky Derby, the track hosts the very special Oaks Day, an impressive card of stakes races topped by the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.

The country's top three-year-old fillies lined up for yesterday's race but first they had to be shod. Luckily, Dan Burke of Farrier Product Distribution (FPD) in nearby Shelbyville, Kentucky took some photos of some of the filles having their hooves done.


Horseshoer Todd Boston is right at home at Churchill Downs. Here he is shoeing Believe You Can, the winner of the Grade One Kentucky Oaks. Small world: The filly was ridden by Rosie Napravnik, daughter of the New Jersey horseshoer. It was Rosie's first Grade One victory. She finished a fast-closing second in the race last year.


Todd Boston worked on a hind foot of Summer Applause, who finished fourth in the Kentucky Oaks. Todd is nailing on Kerckhaert raceplates, which are distributed to US sales outlets by FPD.

Say hello to Sacristy, trained by Wayne Catalano;  she was a late entry and finished seventh in the Oaks. This is what her feet looked like before she was re-shod for the race on Thursday by Pat Broadus.

The Hoof Blog sends a big thank you to Dan Burke, who just might have some more photos of the colts later today. In the meantime, visit Dan's blog on the FPD web site to see a video of Todd Boston shoeing a hind foot on Summer Applause.

Visit Dan Burke's blog for Farrier Product Distribution


© 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.  
Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
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.

Friday, May 04, 2012

Derby Day: Thoroughbreds Start Running Toward the Roses From the Day They Are Born--If They Can, That Is

The foals in this video from Juan Carlos Blazquez, farrier at the University of Madrid 
in Spain, may not be American Thoroughbreds but that hardly matters. "JC" is
someone who obviously enjoys the challenge of helping foals in need--and the reward 
they give him when they respond to treatment.

It happens every year: thousands of Thoroughbred colts and fillies hit the straw bedding of foaling stalls in breeding farm barns across the United States. An estimated 25,000 to 30,000 future racehorse foals are bred each year, according to Jockey Club statistics.

This year, 21 of them made it to the Kentucky Derby.

Today, when the Kentucky Derby comes on tv, think about the foals eligible to race in 2015. They're on the ground now, although some just barely are.

And some are on the ground, literally, because they can't get up. Maybe they can barely stand to nurse. Their spindly little legs give way beneath them like rubber stilts. They walk on the fronts of their fetlocks, or the backs of their pasterns are on the ground. Their hind legs might cross when they try to walk forward. They stand bow-legged. Or even cross-legged.

SHF-2004-311
At most farms, foals go through periodic evaluations by the farrier. Their legs change as their bodies develop and change--for better or worse--can be rapid. (Richard Clay photo)
Phones ring in equine clinics and farrier shops around the country. "Can you come out and take a look?" There will be x-rays, there will be examinations. Decisions will be made based on dollar signs and question marks that will hang in the air.

Some will be sentenced to an early and perhaps merciful death, in spite of their expensive breeding.

The fate of others will be left to the "wait and see" approach.

Some will respond naturally--and positively--to the forces of weightbearing and increasing maturity. A tendon will almost overnight go from lax to taut, while its opposing tendon will go from taut to lax. The foal is soon not only standing, he's walking and jumping around just like the rest of them.

For others, especially those whose problems are in the bony column and joints rather than in the tendons, there will be weeks of splints on, splints off, braces on, braces off. For some, surgical intervention will be needed; for others, the prescription is for special shoes, glue-on levers, massages.

SHF-2009-612
Some foals respond naturally, by themselves to the forces of weightbearing and simultaneous growth. (Richard Clay photo)

More x-rays. More evaluations. As with the tendons, sometimes the legs will start to straighten as the chest develops and the weight changes the pressure of gravity on the tiny hoof at the bottom of the column. Maybe he doesn't toe in so badly after all.

For others, the newborn foal looks fine and a problem in the limb will only become obvious after a week or two. Or a kick in the pasture creates a pain reaction that in turn leads to a club foot.

Heads will be scratched. Tears might be shed.

SHF-2009-512
Foals may only need to wear splints or bandages briefly. (Richard Clay photo)
Maybe while we're all watching the Derby, the potential winner of the 2015 Derby will be trying out a new set of glue-on baby shoes that re-direct its weight down the leg where the foot should have been. An extension will stabilize the tiny hoof and it won't buckle anymore. Maybe it will never buckle again.

It is possible: each year we hear about colts running in the Derby against the odds. Colts so crooked they never made it to the sales. Colts who grew up in a vet clinic. Colts who defied the odds. And each year that goes by, the body of knowledge of foal deformities expands. New products come on the market. This might work...

People try new things. People try old things. They look in the historical books by breeders and vets and farriers and re-try methods that have been forgotten or ruled out of date. Everyone knows Assault had a club foot. And Big Brown won the Derby with a wall separation. Mine That Bird toed out as a yearling. Swaps had a chronic hoof infection. Sir Barton, the first winner of the Triple Crown, was as famous for sore feet and lost shoes as his racing ability.

SHF-2009-515
Removing the bandages is a suspenseful moment. Did the plan succeed? (Richard Clay photo)
The horses running in the 2012 Derby weren't all born with perfect legs and feet. They don't all land flat, some of them wear bandages because they need to protect their front legs from hooves that don't land exactly where they should. The old timers used colorful terms like cross-fire, scalp, paddle, dish, forge, interfere, over-reach, brush, wing, rope walk,  step on themselves--all descriptive terms to put a word on a horse's not-quite-straight path through life.

SHF-2009-519
Splints and bandages and shoes are worthless without people who know how to use them--people who also know and care about a foal. (Richard Clay photo)
Against all the odds, some of those foals grow up to be racehorses. Some grow up to be extremely fast racehorses. Sure, they're always pulling shoes and whacking themselves. And there's a good chance their careers won't be as long as the straight, strong and truly conformed Thoroughbreds they race against.

Two years from now, their first foals may be on the ground.

SHF-2009-595
Foals soon catch up when the bandages come off. (Richard Clay photo)
Sometimes it gets really crowded in the winner's circle after the Kentucky Derby but there are always a few people in a horse's past who deserve to be there, but never are.

Single Rose

You know who you are. Your work and care put these colts on the road to the Derby, whether they were--or are--crooked or straight. They're running for the roses today because they can, thanks to you.

If the crowd only knew, 100,000 or so Derby hats would be rightfully tipped to you.

SHF-2009-520Note: Richard Clay's beautiful photos were taken in Virginia on May 5, 2009. That's right: three years ago today. Is that little black colt running in the Derby? He could be. If so, it's because the people you see in these photos gave him extra attention and care and concern. Thank you, Richard, for documenting that foal and his people.

About Juan Carlos Blazquez: In his notes to this video, he remarked that he had donated his services to one of the foals. He said that he hoped that someone somewhere might see this video, realize how many lives of horses have been wasted, and be moved to work for the betterment of future horses; if knowledge can be shared, he will be satisfied. I think he speaks for all of us.


© 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.  
Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
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.