The American Farrier’s Association Convention held in Lexington, Ky., March 3-6, was planned with the professional farrier in mind. While the lion and the lamb vollied outdoors throughout the four-day event, inside the convention center farriers from all over the world escaped the vagaries of the weather and took advantage of the occasion to increase their educational opportunities through a number of lectures, demonstrations, hands-on experiences, observations, and by interacting and communicating with other farriers.

In addition to the educational programs, there was a Media Learning Center, where tapes were made available on a regularly scheduled basis. The topics ranged from conformation and its relationship to lameness, to injuries, problems, and solutions of the athletic horse, to corrective shoeing of horses with navicular and laminitis. Farriers could watch demonstration tapes on a variety of subjects, such as hoof repair and various forging techniques. One tape was devoted to helpful hints for horse owners, while another dealt with teeth and aging.

The convention’s trade show was international in nature, providing a venue for top manufacturers and distributors of farrier supplies and hoof care products.

One of the main underlying themes of the lectures was the symbiotic relationship that exists between farrier and veterinarian. A prime presenter at this year’s convention, Jean-Marie Denoix, DVM, PhD, Professor of Veterinary Anatomy, made the journey from France to share his insight with the assembly. Denoix’ major area of study is the locomotor system of the horse, including anatomy, biomechanics, and lamenesses. He combines this interest with an expertise in imaging techniques. This combination of talents and interests has propelled Denoix to the forefront of international speakers on the topic of equine locomotor problems. His two presentations at the convention, ‘Corrective Shoeing of Hock Injuries’ and ‘Biomechanics and Lesions of the Distal Interphalangeal Joint,’ emphasized the need for farriers and veterinarians to work together