Several notable differences distinguish Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice — Podiatry from other hoof-care books.

First, Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice — Podiatry is actually one in an ongoing series of similarly titled books published three times each year.

The series is produced by W.B. Saunders Company, a division of Elsevier Inc., a large trade publication company serving professionals in a wide range of industries — in this case, equine health.

As the company’s Web site says, the Equine Practice series “offers you the most current information on the treatment of horses, updates on the latest advances and a sound basis for choosing treatment options.”

Each issue focuses on one broad subject within equine practice. Other recent issues focused on geriatric care, endocrinology and gastrointestinal diseases. It is the “Podiatry” in this particular title that makes this issue of interest to hoof-care professionals.

Different Approach

The series approach is worth mentioning because it results in what is essentially a 300-page, hardcover magazine, rather than a “book” as we tend to think of them.

A traditional book starts with the basics in the first chapter and builds to more complicated aspects of hoof care. In Equine Practice — Podiatry, the 13 chapters are written independently by different authors, with each chapter taking a close look at a particular topic. The chapters are unrelated, except that they all deal with hoof care.

This approach also means Equine Practice — Podiatry probably offers information from more hoof-care experts than…