Diagnosing Caudal Heel Pain Is Simple, Quick And Easy 

With any horse that Ian McKinlay encounters that shows front-end lameness where the feet are questionable, the South Amboy, N.J., farrier immediately performs several simple tests. He evaluates the horse as it walks from a soft surface onto a hard surface. With any sign of discomfort, he’ll pull the shoes to determine the thickness of the hoof wall or the integrity of the wall through the heel area. He finds most foot sore horses have thick walls in the heel area or a stacked up heel. Once the shoes are pulled, McKinlay says diagnosing the problem is obvious 90% of the time. For further confirmation, he applies a frog support and sole relief bandage since horses that wear frog support will normally travel more freely within a couple of hours or days. This generally alleviates all sole pressure, he says.

Help Clients Adjust To Your Work Schedule

When Nancy Loving started her veterinary career, she almost made the mistake of providing after-hour services to clients holding down daytime jobs. “Instead, I’ve found that clients readily agree to rearrange their schedules during regular business hours if it is made clear — firmly and kindly — that routine appointments are only scheduled within regular business hours,” says the equine veterinarian from Boulder, Colo.

When You’re Really Mad, Pounding Steel Isn’t The Answer

In a 1959 study by psychologist R.H. Hornberger, participants were insulted to make them mad and then divided into two equal…