Gene Test, Research Unravel Severe Skeletal Atavism Limb Deformity in Shetland Ponies

Limbs of a 16-week old Shetland pony with Skeletal Atavism, often described as "bow legs". (Left) caudal view when standing; (center) caudal view when walking and (right) view from the front when standing square.  Complete, or "fused", fibulas and ulnas cause instability in the tarsocrural and antebrachiocarpal joints respectively; the angular limb deformity becomes more severe at the walk. Photo: Ove Wattle

Skeletal Atavism is a genetic defect that can cause skeletal deformities in Shetland ponies. The deformity has now been genetically identified by researchers at Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), in cooperation with colleagues in the USA at Texas A&M University, the University of Kentucky's Gluck Center, and the University of Washington, as well as at the University of Qatar in the Middle East. The discovery means that healthy carriers now can be identified for better breeding decisions with the use of a gene test.

Badminton Farriers Prize 2016: What Was Under the Mare Who Won? (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of a two-part article. Before reading the specifics of how this horse is shod, please read Part 1, posted on May 8th.

Badminton Farrier Prize 2016: Charlie Sands' four-star horseshoeing wins (Part 1)

Resident farrier Bernie Tidmarsh watches a horse at the Badminton House stables, used for the Duke of Beaufort's Hounds and the Badminton Horse Trials. Bernie has a forge at the end of the stable block. He's won the Farriers Prize at the Badminton Horse Trials multiple times. (Fran Jurga photo)

Hint: if you want to win the Farriers Prize at the four-star Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in England, consider having your partner shoe your horse.

Or, alternately, if you're a farrier, consider helping your partner make it all the way around Badminton so your shoes have a chance of being judged the winners on the final day of the event.

Fact: For the past three years, the Farriers Prize has been awarded to a horse shod by the rider's partner.

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Shoeing for the Roses: Kentucky Derby Foot Factors 2016

It's the first Saturday in May. Theories abound about how to pick the winner of the Kentucky Derby, but there's no doubt that the feet come first in the hearts and minds of Hoof Blog readers. With the help of wonderful people in the racing industry, this article is a collection of as much as is known about the hooves of the fast and famous.

Re-visiting the Big-Footed Event Horse at Badminton Horse Trials: Ben Hobday, Mulrys Error, and Paul Conway

A photo posted by Ben Hobday (@benhobday) on Apr 27, 2015 at 10:01am PDT

British farrier Paul Conway preparing a shoe for Ben Hobday's large-footed event horse Mulrys Error before Badminton Horse Trials in 2015.

British Minister Meets with Farriers on Future Registration, Discipline Changes for the Profession

DEFRA Minister George Eustice, MP can't take his eyes off the horseshoe he forged at the anvil with help from Simon Moore, FWCF, during an informal meeting with farriers and industry stakeholders in Cornwall last week. Eustice is working on possible changes to the farrier education and apprenticeship system in Great Britain through Parliamentary reform of the Farriers Registration Act. (Photo via Mr. Eustice)

On Friday, April 29th, George Eustice, a Member of (British) Parliament and Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) visited Bridge Farm in his home district of Cornwall in southwest England.

Mr. Eustice met with local Approved Training Farrier (ATF) Simon Moore, and his apprentice, Josh Ellery, along with a number of other local farriers and farrier industry representatives. His goal: to discuss some of the challenges facing the farriery industry.