USDA Invites Tennessee Walking Horse Owners, Trainers to Horseshoeing Clinic Aimed to Improve Horse Protection Act Compliance

This public announcement is provided by the US Department of Agriculture.

On February 3, 2018, USDA Animal Care and the S.H.O.W. horse industry organization will hold a shoeing clinic for trainers, exhibitors and owners who participate in events regulated under the Horse Protection Act to help these individuals better understand and follow the federal regulations.

The Copper Horseshoe Revival: Why modern farriery's quest for healthier hooves passes through a forgotten footnote from industrial history

      This story was sponsored by Stromsholm Farriers Supplies, UK.

Copper: Why is the warm, soft red metal suddenly showing up on horses’ hooves? First it was copper sulphate compounds added to hoof packing and even hoof wall adhesive. For years, pads have been fixed to shoes with copper rivets. During the past few years, farriers have experimented with new copper-shielded nails to improve hoof wall health. Copper-alloy horseshoes have been patented in Germany and South America.

Copper is suddenly part of the conversation.

It sounds like something new, but long ago copper was spelled out in a critical footnote in farrier materials history as well as in industrial safety. Copper is still the same metal but the newest uses of it are rewriting the script, putting the metal to use for reasons never dreamed of in the past. Here, we'll look at the past and present of copper in the hoofcare world, and leave it to all of you to decide whether it has a future or not.

Laminitis researcher investigates horse owners’ knowledge of disease and how it affects horse care decisions

A new laminitis research study, supported by the equine feed manufacturer SPILLERS®, in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in England, aims to shed light on British horse owners’ understanding of laminitis and whether or how that knowledge may influence horse management practices in Great Britain.

Farrier "Teams" Will Be On Site for FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018

Edited from press release

The American and International Associations of Professional Farriers (AAPF/IAPF) have announced an agreement to provide emergency farrier services for the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 (WEG) at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina in September.

Researchers: Tennessee Walking Horse Shoeing and Chains Caused No Pain, Stress or Inflammation in University of Tennessee Study

When efforts to increase Horse Protection Act restrictions on how Tennessee Walking horses are shod failed at the end of 2016, the shows went on, under the pre-existing rules, throughout 2017. Walking horse inspections by USDA and industry groups continued, but there were few new headlines. But the year ended with announcement of new research results on hoof pad stacks and pastern chains, conducted at the University of Tennessee Knoxville's College of Veterinary Medicine. The paper will be in the January 2018 edition of the American Journal of Veterinary Research, published by the American Veterinary Medical Association.  The horse in this photo wears pad stacks and chains on its front feet, as currently allowed under the Horse Protection Act, and is not one of the horses in the study. (Marty Barr photo)

Eight veterinarians and animal science researchers at the University of Tennessee Knoxville have collaborated on a study testing the effects of hoof pad stacks and chains on a group of Tennessee Walking horses. In what would literally be the closing hours of the 2017 calendar year, the American Journal of Veterinary Research (AJVR) posted the new research paper online.

The Queen Honors Doug Bradbury, FWCF with MBE for Services to Farriery

Master farrier Doug Bradbury, FWCF has been shoeing horses and helping his fellow farriers in Derbyshire, England for more than 60 years. Even the Queen has noticed; today she announced that Doug, who learned to shoe underground in a coal mine, would be granted the title of Member of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of his services to farriery. (Bradbury family photo)

Master farrier Doug Bradbury, FWCF of Clay Cross, Chesterfield, in Derbyshire, England has been recognized by The Queen as a Member of the British Empire (MBE) “for services to the farrier profession and the community in the East Midlands” . The recognition is awarded for an outstanding achievement or service that has had a long-term, significant impact to an individual who stands out as an example to others.