Purina Mills nutritionist Randal Raub, PhD, began his lecture at the 2003 Purina Farriers’ Conference with a little-known statistic–horse owners are most likely to discuss their horses’ nutrition with their veterinarians, followed by their farriers. Moreover, farriers notice weight gain or loss in the horses they shoe, since they see them regularly. Weight loss, gain, or feeding changes might affect hoof growth. Because of those factors, farriers can encourage owners to seek professional nutritional advice.

Nearly 200 farriers traveled to the Purina Mills research farm near St. Louis, Mo., Sept. 12-13 for lectures on nutritional aspects related to foot care. Topics included feeding in relation to laminitis as well as state-of-the-art treatments for laminitis and club feet.

Scott Morrison, DVM, a veterinarian who works as a farrier at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., lectured and demonstrated with farrier Bob Pethick of Bedminster, N.J.

Morrison performed a tenotomy on a foundered Arabian and demonstrated techniques for alleviating pressure on club feet. (A tenotomy surgically severs the deep digital flexor tendon, relieving pressure on the foot and enabling a more normal hoof conformation to be created and supported