Recent News for Hoof Care and Balance
Article
What is a Healthy Hoof? (Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium)
May 01, 2007
Ask 10 people what a healthy hoof should look like, and you'll likely get 10 variations of an answer. ... Read More
Article
Healing Hooves With Self-Adjusting Palmar Angles (Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium)
May 01, 2007
When they are compromised due to disease processes such as laminitis, or poor internal hoof balance that leads to poor blood flow and overstressing of internal structures, putting the feet in comfortable alignment and applying massage helps them heal... Read More
Article
Correcting Crushed Heels (Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium)
May 01, 2007
Working to correct low heels when they begin to develop is far more successful than waiting until the horse has had no heel for a long time. Low-heeled conformation is not healthy and can compromise soundness in the short or long term.... Read More
Article
The Quest to Conquer Laminitis
May 01, 2007
"Owners and trainers worldwide have the feeling that every veterinarian and every farrier have years of experience and vast knowledge about laminitis and podiatry (foot care). Unfortunately, this is not the case," said Ric Redden, DVM, founder of... Read More
Article
Acute and Chronic Laminitis: An Equine Podiatrist's Perspective
April 21, 2007
Acute and chronic laminitis is a frustrating and often disheartening condition to manage. Having had the opportunity to observe, treat and shoe laminitic horses for over 30 years, I have a unique prospective into this disease. The biggest... Read More
Article
Equine Podiatry: Underrun Heels and Egg Bar Shoes
April 14, 2007
One veterinarian describes the causes of and a traditional treatment method for underrun heels.... Read More
Article
Putting Science Into Farriery: Lameness Evaluation
April 09, 2007
When a group of people are standing at the barn watching a "lame" horse move, many of you will say he's lame in different legs. How do you know who's right? If it makes you feel any better, picking out the source of lameness isn't always easy fo... Read More
Article
Feet First: Farriery Topics from the 2006 AAEP Convention
April 01, 2007
The annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, held in San Antonio, Texas, in early December 2006, had three sessions devoted to foot care that were open to farriers. Following are synopses of some of those presentations... Read More
Article
Function of the Palmar Foot
March 24, 2007
Several lameness problems can exist in the rear (palmar) half of a horse's foot; most bear the very general title of "heel pain." The real problem is that without very careful diagnosis, lameness in this general area might be attributed to the... Read More
Article
Upright Foals
March 01, 2007
Some foals sharing the same sire are all walking on their tiptoes and are very upright. Is this genetic?... Read More
Article
Correcting Shelly Feet
March 01, 2007
Shelly, crumbly feet can be a challenge for horses and their owners. The feet break down too readily if the horse is barefoot, and they are unable to hold nails if he's shod. In this article we'll look at several causes and potential treatments for... Read More
Article
Supporting Limb Laminitis: Learning How to Save Horses Such As Barbaro
February 03, 2007
Barbaro's death might lead one to think that despite the best veterinary care available, horses with severe leg injuries and/or laminitis are unrecoverable and should be immediately destroyed. But one equine veterinarian says that couldn't be further... Read More
Article
Farrier Hygiene
February 01, 2007
To prevent white line disease from spreading, should I purchase my own farrier tools for the farrier to use?... Read More
Article
Building Better Hooves
February 01, 2007
At some point, probably all of us have used some type of product to improve our horses' feet. And many of us haven't seen the results we wanted, so perhaps we tried another. And another. Despite our best efforts, some of us despair of ever having... Read More
Article
Readers Vote: Top Hoof Issues
January 28, 2007
A poll of readers showed laminitis, navicular disease, and barefoot vs. shod were their top issues involving horse feet. When horse owners wer... Read More
Article
New Students Filling Farrier Shortage
November 20, 2006
Allen Ryunda is striking while the iron is hot. He wanted to save money by shoeing his own horses -- and in the process of learning how, he hit upon an ancient career still in demand. "The guy I'm doing my apprenticeship with said he doesn'... Read More
Article
Misplaced Nail
September 01, 2006
I noticed my farrier put two nails in too high. She won't put weight on it. How long until it heals?... Read More
Article
Canada's Vet Definition Dilemmas
August 15, 2006
The Supreme Court of British Columbia's recent injunction prohibiting a farrier from practicing equine dentistry is the latest episode in an ongoing conflict between the veterinary associations of Canada's three westernmost provinces, animal owners, ... Read More
Article
Club Foot (Book Excerpt)
August 02, 2006
Acquired flexural deformity of the coffin joint is often referred to as "club foot." The foot's appearance can vary from dished with the heel raised to a boxy shape with the hoof wall nearly perpendicular to the ground.... Read More
Article
Daily Hoof Washing?
August 01, 2006
I have heard horses should get their feet washed every day, and that this is called the natural moisturizing cycle for hooves. In the horses you have observed in the wild, do they wet their feet every day? If so, please explain how they do... Read More
Article
AAEP Invites Farriers to Attend 2006 Convention
June 29, 2006
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) is inviting farriers to attend their 52nd Annual Convention to be held in San Antonio, Texas on December 3-6, 2006. This year's program will consist of multiple sessions... Read More
Article
Barbaro on Friday: His Condition is Excellent
May 26, 2006
Five days after undergoing surgery, Barbaro was in excellent condition, according to a report from the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center. "He looks good, everything is fine... Read More
Article
Hoof Structure and Foot Facts (Book Excerpt)
May 17, 2006
The old saying, "No hoof, no horse" is very true, especially as it pertains to the horse's working ability and soundness. The horse is an athlete; we use him for a variety of athletic purposes -- racing, jumping, chasing cattle, pulling carts.... Read More
Article
The 18th Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium Returns in 2007
May 12, 2006
The 18th Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium will return to Louisville, Ky., in 2007 with a full slate of international speakers sharing information on the diagnosis and treatment of laminitis and other diseases involving the equine foot. The Symposiu... Read More
Article
Hoof Cracks: Causes and Repair
May 01, 2006
While many hoof cracks are minor, repairing one should be considered when the horse is lame, the crack is infected, or the damage is extensive enough that lameness is likely to result. Your horse's feet are some of the most important structures ... Read More
