Polydactyl Jackpot: Seven-hooved Foal Born in Belgium

In Nordic mythology, the famous Sleipner was the eight-legged horse ridden by arch-hero Odin. Alexander the Great's Bucephalus was allegedly a polydactyl as well, and Julius Caesar is said to have preferred to ride a horse with extra hooves.

Hold on to your hoof picks, the owner of this foal might need to borrow them.

A mare at a petting zoo in Belgium has given birth to a foal with seven hooves. Three of the foal's limbs are equipped with what are called supernumerary digits.

A year ago, the Hoof Blog splurged on a collection of bits and pieces from around the web about these unusual quintaped horses. We even found a Shire draft horse named "Norfolk Spider" with six hooves.

That particular post has gone on to become one of the "top 10" posts on the Hoof Blog of the last four years. Everyone seems to be curious about multi-digit horses. (See link to that article and photos below.)

It is unclear what will become of the foal in Belgium, partly because the information available is not in English and I'm hesitant to translate it with any certainty. It does sound like the vet school at the University of Ghent in Belgium is interested in obtaining the limbs, but it doesn't say that they are interested in the foal that is attached to them.

Click here to see two of the seven hooves of the foal in Belgium. That photo is protected by copyright. Hopefully more photos will be available, and I will be able to post them here.

Will the foal live or die? This is the kind of thing that people used to pay money to see on the midway at the fairs in Vermont.

It brings to mind one of my favorite poems by one of my favorite poets:

The Two-Headed Calf

Tomorrow when the farm boys find this
freak of nature, they will wrap his body
in newspaper and carry him to the museum.

But tonight he is alive and in the north
field with his mother. It is a perfect
summer evening: the moon rising over
the orchard, the wind in the grass.
And as he stares into the sky, there
are twice as many stars as usual.

"The Two-Headed Calf" by Laura Gilpin was featured on the Hoof Blog back in August 2009 after I heard Garrison Keillor read it on NPR's Writer's Almanac.

Good luck to the seven-hooved foal in Belgium. May he gallop his field with confidence some starry night soon.

TO LEARN MORE:

Click here to read  Polydactyl Horses (and People): Why Are Some Horses Born with an Extra Hoof?


Thanks:  Painting of Sleipnir by Ahula Tinga. Carving of Odin riding Sleipner is at the Oslo City Hall in Norway; photo by Jaime Silva.

© 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 info@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.

Calgary Stampede: AAPF Member Farriers Will Receive CE Credit for Competing or Spectating at 2012 World Championship Blacksmiths' Competition

The following text was received today in the form of an announcement from the American Association of Professional Farriers and is re-published as received: 

In recognition of the American Association of Professional Farriers (AAPF) commitment to the farrier industry, the Calgary Stampede’s World Championship Blacksmiths’ Competition (WCBC) has named the AAPF as the permanent sponsor for the WCBC Horseshoeing Championship Trophy. 

This prestigious annual award goes to the individual showing the ultimate skill in the art and science of farriery, demonstrated during the competition against the best in the world in their chosen profession. 

Continuing Education Credit 

In addition, the WCBC has recognized the continuing education platform of the AAPF, where farriers attending the WCBC as a registered competitor or spectator will receive AAPF Continuing Education Credits. 

“The Calgary Stampede WCBC organizing committee recognizes the AAPF as being a positive driving force in the farrier industry and is looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship promoting the highest standards of hoof care in the world,” said Eric Swanby, chairman of the WCBC.

Jeff Ridley, AAPF President

“This recognition by the Calgary Stampede is a testimonial to the goals and objectives of our new association. We look forward to enhancing our relationship with the Calgary Stampede, its organizers and competitors. Further, this mutually beneficial alliance is indicative of the cooperation we plan to establish with other equine associations,” said Jeff Ridley, APF, CJF, TE, president, American Association of Professional Farriers. 

The 2012 Calgary Stampede’s World Championship Blacksmiths’ Competition will be held July 4 – 8 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

 

© 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.

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.  

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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

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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.

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.

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

Where are you celebrating the Derby today?

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.

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

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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.