You have to love the sport of reining, but you also have to admit that it is all sort of a blur when those horses pick up the tempo. During the spin and slide I always wish I could see their legs and hooves. Good luck with that!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Slo-Mo Reining Horse: What They Won't See in Oklahoma City
You have to love the sport of reining, but you also have to admit that it is all sort of a blur when those horses pick up the tempo. During the spin and slide I always wish I could see their legs and hooves. Good luck with that!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Online Veterinary Anatomy Museum Injects High-Tech Media & Movement into the Study of Equine Structure
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| What's your vision of an anatomy museum? Giant paintings on the walls? A sculpture of a hoof? Think again! The foot in this photo is from a 3-D movable program that is one of the showpieces of the new Online Veterinary Anatomy Museum. (Larger image © Hoofcare Publishing) |
An anatomy museum is a wonderful place. But who among us can travel to Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology or to London's Natural History Museum when we feel like studying anatomy?
If we can't go to the museum, can the museum come to us?
Guess what? It already has.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Friends at Work: Meet Andrew Crook, Anatomy Technician at the Royal Veterinary College in Great Britain
Meet Andrew Crook, head of the anatomy service of the Royal Veterinary College in Great Britain. He'll explain more about his job to you in this video, which is designed to introduce new students to the anatomy services of the college.
Have you ever considered the variety of specialty professional positions within the broad category of "hoof-related"--meaning that they are available to someone who is interested in applying (or pursuing eternally) their knowledge of the horse's foot?
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Irish Farrier Radio Documentary: The Sound of History
Have you ever been to Ireland? Just click on the "play" icon and you can go there, for a half-hour or so, at least. But hang on tight--you're going to go back in time.
The year was 1977, and Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE, the national broadcast service in Ireland) is interested in producing a radio documentary about farriers. It's a trade with one foot in the past and one in the future, and they select a representative group spread across the land from the city streets of Dublin to the wild western counties.
It did make it on the air, but then it went into a vault, never to be heard again. Until, of course, the Internet and the Hoof Blog came along. RTE very kindly gave permission for the entire broadcast to be mounted on the blog.
If you don't understand the very beginning, don't worry: it's in Gaelic!
About halfway through, the crew is in Dublin, where they are entertained by the well-known farrier John Boyne, who died of a heart attack two years ago. Boyne was the farrier at the Royal Dublin Show for many years, and shod the horses of the Irish showjumping team at the Army stables in Dublin. Americans might tip their hats to John; he was the farrier who trained Seamus Brady, longtime US Equestrian Team farrier, among many others.
John Boyne shod the champions like Boomerange, but he also shod the street horses in Dublin, and his was the last forge in the city. That's an important fact, since Dublin had a city ordinance that required that any horse working on the city streets had to be shod.
Thanks to this documentary, John Boyne's voice can still be heard.
The interviewer turns away from John at one point and asks questions of his lowly apprentice, Gerry. He's from the north of Ireland, County Tyrone. He represents "the future" of farriery, obviously.
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| Gerard Laverty, AWCF |
Back in 1977, he was handing tools to John Boyne. But one morning in November 2012, he heard his young voice bounce back at him across the years:
"I was back in Dublin, 1977. A first-year apprentice in the shop on Pearce Street, which still is in operation with his son John Jr. I even have a small part on the show.
"John was my boss for three years. He was quite a character. Looked like he’d rob you blind but had a heart of gold. Loved his family, what he did, and the connection to the past.
" He was happiest when he could help to promote an apprentice or give credit to someone just starting their business. He had a wonderful sense of humor and it goes without saying he loved to tell stories. He was an astute businessman and seemed to juggle the work of running a multi-farrier shop with several young apprentices with little fuss.
"He was a consummate horseman with a great understanding of lameness and disease. Yet he balanced that with a commonsense approach to shoeing.
"John was part of a generation of farriers that is fast disappearing. When he trained in the family shop, he was the 'floorman', one of a two-man team, the other being the 'fireman'.
"I remember him telling me when he started his business he'd go to his clients by city bus. As soon as possible, he hired a fireman and built his business from that meager start.
"While I was with John he mentioned Seamus Brady and how Seamus had come back to visit while he was in Dublin with the U.S.Equestrian Team (for the Royal Dublin Show). Other than that he laid no claim to giving Seamus his solid start.
"I guess that is John at his best, always content to stand in the shadow and celebrate success for us all.
"While I was with John he mentioned Seamus Brady and how Seamus had come back to visit while he was in Dublin with the U.S.Equestrian Team (for the Royal Dublin Show). Other than that he laid no claim to giving Seamus his solid start.
"I guess that is John at his best, always content to stand in the shadow and celebrate success for us all.
"John Furlong was a skilled blacksmith who lived just south of Dublin, in Bray. Every time I met him, I wanted to go spend time in the shop with him. Never did.
"I’ve forgotten the name of the other smith from the west of Ireland who made the display of corrective shoes. I think he is the fellow I was originally supposed to train with. He suffered a heart attack so instead I came to Dublin to work in the shop with John.
"John McLauglin is still shoeing in Dublin and his younger brother, I've forgotten his name. I think it was Kevin, has worked for some of the biggest names in the Thoroughbred industry (including Coolmore).
"Hearing 'Boyner', as we all called him, transported me across a continent, an ocean and thirty-five years. Bonnie, my wife, wise woman that she is, says that, after smell, sound is the best sense to recall memories.
"Hearing 'Boyner', as we all called him, transported me across a continent, an ocean and thirty-five years. Bonnie, my wife, wise woman that she is, says that, after smell, sound is the best sense to recall memories.
"I sure felt that this morning. Sometimes to take a trip you really don’t need to leave home."
I'm sure many of the people who listen to this documentary have never been to Ireland. But maybe now their ears have.
To learn more:
Visit for the RTE page about this documentary.
Home page for RTE's archive of documentaries on all subjects.
If you like what you read on The Hoof Blog, please sign up for the email service at the top right of the page; this insures that you will be sent an email on days when the blog has new articles.
© 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.
I'm sure many of the people who listen to this documentary have never been to Ireland. But maybe now their ears have.
To learn more:
Visit for the RTE page about this documentary.
Home page for RTE's archive of documentaries on all subjects.
--written by Fran Jurga
If you like what you read on The Hoof Blog, please sign up for the email service at the top right of the page; this insures that you will be sent an email on days when the blog has new articles.
© 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.
Sore No More? AVMA, AAEP Call for Congress to Pass Proposed Amendment to the Horse Protection Act and End "Soring" of Tennessee Walking Horse
.jpg "Tennessee Walking Horse Soring")
Today the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) issued a joint statement of support for the "Amendments to the Horse Protection Act", as outlined in H.R. 6388 currently in review in the US House of Representatives.
A press release issued on November 20 combined statements from the AVMA and AAEP.
“Soring is an unconscionable abuse of horses that is used to produce a high-stepping gait—the “Big Lick”—and gain an unfair competitive advantage in the show ring," said Dr. Doug Aspros, AVMA President. For decades we’ve watched irresponsible individuals become more creative about finding ways to sore horses and circumvent the inspection process, and have lost faith in an industry that seems unwilling and/or unable to police itself.
"The AVMA and AAEP are committed to strengthening the USDA’s ability to enforce the Horse Protection Act and ending this abuse for good. We strongly encourage everyone who cares about the welfare of horses to contact their member of Congress and urge them to pass H.R. 6388,” .
Specifically, H.R. 6388 would make the following changes to the existing Horse Protection Act:
- Makes the actual act of soring, or directing another person to cause a horse to become sore, illegal;
- Requires the USDA (rather than the industry) to license, train, assign and oversee inspectors enforcing the Horse Protection Act;
- Prohibits the use of action devices (e.g., boot, collar, chain, roller, or other device that encircles or is placed upon the lower extremity of the leg of a horse) on any limb of Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle horses, or Racking horses at horse shows, exhibitions, sales or auctions and bans weighted shoes, pads, wedges, hoof bands, or other devices that are not used for protective or therapeutic purposes;
- Increases civil and criminal penalties for violations, and creates a penalty structure that requires horses to be disqualified for increasing periods of time based on the number of violations; and
- Allows for permanent disqualification from the show ring after three or more violations.
For more information on the AVMA and AAEP’s efforts to stop this egregious abuse of horses, visit our Soring Resource Page. Materials include a video, factsheet, backgrounder, reporting procedures, AAEP’s white paper, and the AVMA’s and AAEP’s official position on the issue.
To learn more:
The amendment bill was introduced to Congress on September 13, 2012. Read The Hoof Blog's coverage of the press conference to stiffen enforcement of the Horse Protection Act by banning action devices and padded 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.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Penn Vet Names Hankenson to Fill the Dean W. Richardson Professorship in Equine Disease Research Position; Laminitis To Be a Priority
Received via press release:
The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is pleased to announce that following an international search for a uniquely qualified candidate, Kurt D. Hankenson, DVM, MS, PhD has been appointed as the first incumbent of the Dean W. Richardson Professorship in Equine Disease Research.
The Dean W. Richardson Professorship was established by Mr. and Mrs. M. Roy Jackson, following the hospitalization of their Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro, at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center. Their desire to contribute to the treatment and elimination of laminitis was the catalyst for their gift to endow the professorship.
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson commented, “We are very pleased that this position has been filled and are confident that under Dr. Hankenson’s leadership significant steps forward will be made in the study of laminitis and other equine musculoskeletal diseases. We have faith in Penn Veterinary Medicine’s ability to do the kind of in-depth work that will bring about positive results.”
Dr. Hankenson did his undergraduate work at the University of Illinois, where he earned his BS in 1990, and then he earned his veterinary degree at University of Illinois’ College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992. Following his time as an equine clinician, he returned to academia and completed a Master of Science degree at Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. He received a Ph.D. from the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine in 2001.
Dr. Hankenson’s career has included an impressive range of clinical and academic positions at both human and veterinary healthcare institutions, and currently holds a faculty position at Penn Vet and at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine.
“I’d like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Jackson for supporting the research mission of Penn Vet by providing this Professorship. I am thrilled to be entering a new phase of my research and teaching career at New Bolton Center, and to be expanding my research program to focus on equine musculoskeletal diseases, particularly laminitis,” said Dr. Hankenson.
He continued: “I will capitalize on my background as an equine practitioner and basic scientist, and will utilize established relationships with scientists and veterinarians in the Philadelphia region and around the world to develop new diagnostics and treatments to prevent disease, and to expedite regeneration and return to normal function. The Richardson Chair is a unique and unparalleled opportunity for New Bolton Center, Penn Vet, and the equine industry. It will permit me to develop and sustain a research program focused on equine health.”
Surgeon Dr. Dean W. Richardson and his team cared for Barbaro for nine months, from May 2006 until January 2007. Dr. Richardson noted, “We are very excited to attract a scientist of this caliber to this position. In today's research environment, it will be an enormous advantage to have someone like Dr. Hankenson, who has a proven record of both research funding and productivity. He has a wide range of connections both here at Penn and throughout the scientific community. Dr. Hankenson's roots are in the horse world and he is sure to make major contributions to equine research.”
Joan C. Hendricks, VMD, PhD, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine, said that she is especially pleased at Dr. Hankenson’s appointment.
“This is another example of Penn Vet’s ability to attract and retain the very best and brightest in the field of veterinary medicine,” said Dean Hendricks. “I am thrilled that Dr. Hankenson will be leading this endeavor and am confident that under his leadership, Penn Vet will remain at the forefront of discovery for this debilitating disease.”
The goal of the Dean W. Richardson Professorship is the development of a world-leading research program directly applicable to equine diseases, with particular emphasis on improving the understanding, prevention, and treatment of equine laminitis. A debilitating, painful, and uncompromising condition, laminitis is the second leading killer of horses worldwide and is presently uncurable.
Winner of the 2006 Kentucky Derby and a beloved American icon, Barbaro suffered a catastrophic fracture during the running of the Preakness that year. After undergoing successful surgery at New Bolton Center, he developed severe laminitis, which eventually led to his death. This Professorship serves as a lasting legacy of Barbaro.
(end of press release)
© 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.
The University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet) is pleased to announce that following an international search for a uniquely qualified candidate, Kurt D. Hankenson, DVM, MS, PhD has been appointed as the first incumbent of the Dean W. Richardson Professorship in Equine Disease Research.
The Dean W. Richardson Professorship was established by Mr. and Mrs. M. Roy Jackson, following the hospitalization of their Kentucky Derby winner, Barbaro, at Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center. Their desire to contribute to the treatment and elimination of laminitis was the catalyst for their gift to endow the professorship.Mr. and Mrs. Jackson commented, “We are very pleased that this position has been filled and are confident that under Dr. Hankenson’s leadership significant steps forward will be made in the study of laminitis and other equine musculoskeletal diseases. We have faith in Penn Veterinary Medicine’s ability to do the kind of in-depth work that will bring about positive results.”
Dr. Hankenson did his undergraduate work at the University of Illinois, where he earned his BS in 1990, and then he earned his veterinary degree at University of Illinois’ College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992. Following his time as an equine clinician, he returned to academia and completed a Master of Science degree at Purdue University’s School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997. He received a Ph.D. from the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine in 2001.
“I’d like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Jackson for supporting the research mission of Penn Vet by providing this Professorship. I am thrilled to be entering a new phase of my research and teaching career at New Bolton Center, and to be expanding my research program to focus on equine musculoskeletal diseases, particularly laminitis,” said Dr. Hankenson.
He continued: “I will capitalize on my background as an equine practitioner and basic scientist, and will utilize established relationships with scientists and veterinarians in the Philadelphia region and around the world to develop new diagnostics and treatments to prevent disease, and to expedite regeneration and return to normal function. The Richardson Chair is a unique and unparalleled opportunity for New Bolton Center, Penn Vet, and the equine industry. It will permit me to develop and sustain a research program focused on equine health.”
Surgeon Dr. Dean W. Richardson and his team cared for Barbaro for nine months, from May 2006 until January 2007. Dr. Richardson noted, “We are very excited to attract a scientist of this caliber to this position. In today's research environment, it will be an enormous advantage to have someone like Dr. Hankenson, who has a proven record of both research funding and productivity. He has a wide range of connections both here at Penn and throughout the scientific community. Dr. Hankenson's roots are in the horse world and he is sure to make major contributions to equine research.”
Joan C. Hendricks, VMD, PhD, the Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine, said that she is especially pleased at Dr. Hankenson’s appointment.
“This is another example of Penn Vet’s ability to attract and retain the very best and brightest in the field of veterinary medicine,” said Dean Hendricks. “I am thrilled that Dr. Hankenson will be leading this endeavor and am confident that under his leadership, Penn Vet will remain at the forefront of discovery for this debilitating disease.”
The goal of the Dean W. Richardson Professorship is the development of a world-leading research program directly applicable to equine diseases, with particular emphasis on improving the understanding, prevention, and treatment of equine laminitis. A debilitating, painful, and uncompromising condition, laminitis is the second leading killer of horses worldwide and is presently uncurable.
Winner of the 2006 Kentucky Derby and a beloved American icon, Barbaro suffered a catastrophic fracture during the running of the Preakness that year. After undergoing successful surgery at New Bolton Center, he developed severe laminitis, which eventually led to his death. This Professorship serves as a lasting legacy of Barbaro.
(end of press release)
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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.
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