March 2019

American Farriers Journal is the “hands-on” magazine for professional farriers, equine veterinarians and horse care product and service buyers.

Subscribe Now

Table Of Contents

Table Of Contents

Frankly Speaking: 3 Tips for Regaining Your Confidence

By Jeremy McGovern posted on March 15, 2019 | Posted in Education

After reading Mike Brookfield’s essay, “He Was My Best Teacher,” on Page 94, I’ve been thinking about the subject of confidence. For Brookfield, a lameness case with a Quarter Horse tested his confidence. He writes about how this particular case made him question a lot of what he thought he knew about hoof care.
Read More

Briefings: March 2019

March 15, 2019 | Posted in Education, Diseases, Lamenesses, Nutrition

The University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has successfully used positron emission tomography (PET) on a standing horse. The equine PET software has been pioneered at UC Davis, beginning in 2015. However, the horses being previously imaged had to be put under anesthetic in order to capture the image. Now, horses can remain standing with only slight sedation.
Read More

What's This? From the Ashes

March 15, 2019 | Posted in Education

Archaeologists with the Archaeological Park of Pompeii unearthed a full cast of a horse that was buried in the ash of Mount Vesuvius, which erupted and decimated Pompeii in 79 A.D.
Read More

Book Review

The Hoof of the Horse

By Dr. Simon Curtis

By Bob Smith posted on March 16, 2019 | Posted in Anatomy

Following his previous works, Simon Curtis set out to write a book about the horse’s hoof, based on science. Not the horse’s foot and its internal structures, but a book on just the hoof capsule. In that endeavor Dr. Curtis was eminently successful in “The Hoof of the Horse.”

Read More

Understanding Hoof Shape

This is an extract from Chapter 3 of The Hoof of the Horse by Simon Curtis

By Simon Curtis posted on March 16, 2019 | Posted in Anatomy

Horse’s hooves vary greatly in shape and this is influenced by a number of factors including age, breed, wear, farriery and plastic hoof deformation. Plastic deformation is the semi-permanent change in shape caused by compression and bending of the horn.
Read More

Reader Commentary: March 2019

March 16, 2019

I’m writing to you regarding the article “A Non-Invasive Option for Correcting Foals’ Limbs,” which featured in the January/February 2019 issue of American Farriers Journal. The conservative, nonsurgical management of angular limb deformities (ALDs) by hoof trimming and/or glue-on extensions is well described in references such as “Adams’ and Stashak’s Lameness in Horses” (chapter 11).
Read More

Preventing and Managing the Most Common Form of Laminitis

Strategies are improving to keep horses more comfortable and limit the progression of the deadly disease

By Katie Navarra posted on March 17, 2019 | Posted in Diseases, Lamenesses

Less than 2 decades ago, it was thought that all laminitis cases were the same regardless of the cause. Research since has proven that there are key differences in the mechanisms that lead to laminitis in different situations and that there are basically three major forms…
Read More

Shoeing For A Living

Building Upon a Strong Foundation

New York farrier Kalam Blessing focuses on improving horses’ lives by improving his skill set

By Jeff Cota posted on March 17, 2019 | Posted in Business Practices, Lamenesses, Safety & Healthcare, Shoeing, Trimming

Since he was a young boy growing up in southern Pennsylvania, Kalam Blessing has had an affinity for horses. What started out as a child’s hope to score a few rides has blossomed into a career to help horses live more comfortably.
Read More

Can a Conformational Deformity be Corrected or Maintained?

The answer lies in whether the conformational problem will return or worsen if regular farrier visits end

By Jacob Butler CJF, AWCF posted on March 17, 2019 | Posted in Shoeing, Therapeutic Shoeing, Trimming

Do we correct or maintain a conformational deformity? Farriers do a little of both, depending on the age of the horse. As part of the correction process, a problem continues and needs to be maintained. Farriers develop the practical skill to manage conformational problems.
Read More

How Ground Surfaces Influence Performance Horses

Research team examines how footing can help and hinder equine athletes

By Jeff Cota posted on March 18, 2019 | Posted in Disciplines & Breeds, Lamenesses

Farriers and equine veterinarians invest a great deal of time and effort into mitigating the injury risks with the equine athletes in their charge. Much of that focus falls on the ground surfaces that these performance horses compete on.

Read More

Successful Summit Educates and Inspires Hundreds of Farriers

The International Hoof-Care Summit drew hundreds of attendees to Cincinnati for education, networking and fellowship

March 18, 2019 | Posted in Education

For the 16th year, the International Hoof-Care Summit brought farriers and equine veterinarians to Cincinnati for 4 days of footcare education. With a theme of “Where Footcare Comes First,” the Summit lived up to its name, with attendees and exhibitors representing 25 countries from Jan 22 to 25, 2019.
Read More

Hoof-Care Professionals Get Ideas to Improve Their Everyday Work

Roundtables provide an opportunity to learn tips and techniques and apply them in their practice

March 18, 2019 | Posted in Anatomy, Business Practices, Lamenesses, Shoeing, Therapeutic Shoeing, Trimming

The 16th annual International Hoof-Care Summit attracted a substantial collection of footcare professionals from vast cultures, ensuring a diversity of experiences, climates and techniques that can help attendees improve their hoof-care practices.
Read More

6 Honored for Lifetime Hoof-Care Accomplishments

Three farriers and three veterinarians were elected to their respective Halls Of Fame at the 2019 International Hoof-Care Summit

By Chelsea Moskow posted on March 19, 2019 | Posted in Education

Six individuals were honored for outstanding careers in footcare during Hall Of Fame induction ceremonies at the 16th annual International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Read More

Step-By-Step System for Using Radiographs to Affect Shoeing

Presented at the 2018 Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners Seminar, Stefan Wehrli shares his protocol for transferring what he sees in X-rays to his shoeing

By Jeremy McGovern posted on March 19, 2019 | Posted in Shoeing

As a farrier, how do you utilize the information delivered from a radiograph? How does the position of the coffin bone guide your decision?
Read More

Steven Beane Wins Summit Mail-In Exercise

Concave challenge tests competitors, while delivering a practical shoe for many practices

By Jeremy McGovern posted on March 20, 2019 | Posted in Forging

For the fifth time at the International Hoof-Care Summit, VICTORY sponsored the Summit Mail-In Forging Exercise. This challenge was free to enter and participants each received a T-shirt for their efforts.
Read More

Use Caution When Using Radiographs for Farriery

Small mistakes can lead to big inaccuracies when capturing images

By Doug Russo posted on March 20, 2019 | Posted in Education, Equipment, Shoeing, Trimming

Digital radiographs have produced dramatic changes in how farriers evaluate and scrutinize our ability to trim horses’ feet. Yet, they are not without their drawbacks.
Read More

How to Deal with Softhearted Clients and Spoiled Horses

Farriers offer advice on how to break bad habits of both owners and horses

By Heather Smith Thomas posted on March 20, 2019 | Posted in Clients, Education, Safety & Healthcare

Farriers are generally prepared to deal with just about any situation they are faced with in terms of the horse’s behavior — determining whether it’s scared, nervous, inexperienced, in pain or spoiled — and having a strategy to successfully handle that horse.
Read More

Shoeing Tips from the Winter 2019 Anvil Brand Clinic

Farrier Hank Chisolm and equine veterinarian and farrier Brian Beasley share tips on shoeing for soundness and using adhesives, respectively

By Jeremy McGovern posted on March 21, 2019 | Posted in Shoeing, Therapeutic Shoeing

Farriers all have differences in how they approach their work. Get a group of farriers together and this is evident down to the most subtle detail. At the mid-February Anvil Brand clinic, two farriers — one also being a veterinarian — presented different perspectives on footcare while working on the same horse.
Read More

Shoeing Principles for Club Feet

For veterinarians and farriers to properly address club feet, early intervention is the key

By Jeremy McGovern posted on March 21, 2019 | Posted in Diseases, Lamenesses

With his work in Kentucky, Craig Lesser finds management of club feet to be a common issue. Practicing out of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., the equine veterinarian and American Farrier’s Association certified farrier approaches these cases from that dual perspective.
Read More

Avoid These 3 Common Insurance Mistakes

Plus, find out when, what and how to insure your farrier practice

By David J. Barron posted on March 21, 2019 | Posted in Business Practices, Education

Are you adequately protecting you and your hoof-care practice? Chances are you’re not. According to the 2019 Farrier Business Practices Report, conducted by American Farriers Journal, the vast majority of full-time farriers (95%) have some type of medical insurance.
Read More

Horseshoeing Museum Finds a New Home

Lee Liles’ Museum of Horseshoeing Tools is moving to the Oklahoma City Stockyards

By Jeff Cota posted on March 22, 2019 | Posted in Education, Equipment

The late Lee Liles dedicated his life to preserving the heritage of farriery with the creation of the National Museum of Horseshoeing Tools and Hall Of Honor.
Read More

Shop Talk: March 2019

March 22, 2019

Controversy Erupts Over Plan to Eliminate Farrier Program After more than 4 decades of training and educating hoof-care students in the Pacific Northwest, Walla Walla Community College is eliminating its Farrier Science Program, and the decision is not sitting well with students, the community and a faculty member.
Read More

Research Journal: March 2019

The information, ideas and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United States Department of Agriculture.

By Albert Kane posted on March 22, 2019 | Posted in Education, Diseases, Lamenesses

Regional Tiludronate for Navicular Syndrome Tiludronate is a bisphosphonate medication used to prevent the loss of bone density by decreasing the activity of osteoclasts, cells that cause bone resorption when active.
Read More

Final Say

Persistence Pays Off In Navicular Case

Farrier struggles with a navicular case, but helps the Quarter Horse thanks to creative thinking, humbleness and owner patience

By Mike Brookfield posted on March 22, 2019 | Posted in Lamenesses, Shoeing

Our most important lessons as farriers often are learned through that one horse. These cases deliver an education that can’t be duplicated in any classroom. For me, that horse was Stretch.
Read More
Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Hoof-Care Professionals Get Ideas to Improve Their Everyday Work

Roundtables provide an opportunity to learn tips and techniques and apply them in their practice

March 18, 2019 | Posted in Anatomy, Business Practices, Lamenesses, Shoeing, Therapeutic Shoeing, Trimming

The 16th annual International Hoof-Care Summit attracted a substantial collection of footcare professionals from vast cultures, ensuring a diversity of experiences, climates and techniques that can help attendees improve their hoof-care practices.
Read More

Can a Conformational Deformity be Corrected or Maintained?

The answer lies in whether the conformational problem will return or worsen if regular farrier visits end

By Jacob Butler CJF, AWCF posted on March 17, 2019 | Posted in Shoeing, Therapeutic Shoeing, Trimming

Do we correct or maintain a conformational deformity? Farriers do a little of both, depending on the age of the horse. As part of the correction process, a problem continues and needs to be maintained. Farriers develop the practical skill to manage conformational problems.
Read More

Shoeing Tips from the Winter 2019 Anvil Brand Clinic

Farrier Hank Chisolm and equine veterinarian and farrier Brian Beasley share tips on shoeing for soundness and using adhesives, respectively

By Jeremy McGovern posted on March 21, 2019 | Posted in Shoeing, Therapeutic Shoeing

Farriers all have differences in how they approach their work. Get a group of farriers together and this is evident down to the most subtle detail. At the mid-February Anvil Brand clinic, two farriers — one also being a veterinarian — presented different perspectives on footcare while working on the same horse.
Read More
Digital Edition

Digital Edition

For Digital Subscribers: Login To Your Digital Flipbook Of The March 2019 Issue

March 15, 2019

Now view magazine-like digital flipbooks on your desktop and tablet. Starting in 2015 issues, included for FREE with your Digital or Premium subscription, view the magazine on your laptop, tablet, and mobile device. You need to be logged in to view.
Read More
Online Extras
Online Extras
Online Extras March 2019

March 15, 2019

Web-exclusive content for this issue includes:

Stopping Laminitis Cold The use of cryotherapy delivers benefits to laminitic patients as our understanding increases.

Where Does the Problem Originate? An extreme case of scoliosis-related hoof issues serves as a reminder to look at the whole horse.

How Reading the Horse Can Make Your Job Easier A horse’s body language can give you an idea of its current state of mind.

Why Equine Bones Break and Tendons Rupture Biomechanics influence the performance and risk of injury in racehorses.

Read More

American Farriers Journal

March 2019

Table Of Contents

Featured Articles

Digital Edition

Online Extras

THIS MONTH'S DIGITAL SPONSORS:

Top Articles

Current Issue

Current Issue

Must Read Free Eguides

Videos

Events