Before we get wrapped up in everything new for 2018, now is a good time to take a few minutes to look back at a few items in the footcare world that were the most popular among American Farriers Journal digital platform viewers in the past year.

Acupuncture Does Not Modulate Palmar Heel Pain Many owners of horses with palmar heel pain explore a number of ways to relieve the discomfort, including acupuncture. Research from the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine and published in The Canadian Veterinary Journal finds that acupuncture appears to relieve the pain in some, but not all horses.

Shoeing with wedges is all about redistributing the forces among the force bearing structures of the hoof. This statement by Jeff Thomason, of the University of Guelph, encapsulates the purpose of wedges in farriery.

Navicular syndrome can be one of the most debilitating diseases of the equine limb, and can be equally as complicated for a farrier to manage.

“No foot, no horse.” On this age-old adage, we can all agree. But what, specifically, is wrong in that foot?

IV Tildren for Navicular Syndrome The efficacy of administering the injectable bisphosphonate medication for horses (Tildren) in two different ways was evaluated for the treatment of navicular syndrome. Twelve horses diagnosed with bilateral navicular syndrome were randomly assigned to receive Tildren either systemically by intravenous injection or by using regional limb perfusion, where the drug is “back-flushed” directly into the blood vessels of the lower limb so that it is delivered to the lower limb and hoof in a more direct, concentrated manner.