A careful study of the shape of the bones of the lower equine limb is important in order to have the best possible understanding when trimming and shoeing the horse. Radiography is the most typically used and powerful tool that the equine practitioner has available to assess the conformation of any individual horse.

Watch now as Jake Hall, CJF, Dip WCF, APF, of Virginia Beach, Va., discusses his systematic approach to managing common hoof “abnormalities.”

In this session, Mitch Taylor dissects a cadaver limb hoof capsule from a young horse (a different horse from the distal limb dissection). Taylor will relate the internat structures to the rest of the distal limb.

Different foot types affect the inside of the hoof and distal limb? For this presentation, Mitch Taylor, owner and operator of the Kentucky Horseshoeing School in Richmond, Ky., will bring a variety of equine cadaver feet that represent a wide spectrum of foot types Through dissecting each foot and limb at different stages, he’ll first establish a foundation for the parameters of this review.

Mitch Taylor continues with the dissection, while Dr. Jenny Hagen will relate this complex anatomy to the physiological function of the performance horse. Their combined presentation will further reveal how orthopedic device selection affects the function of the fetlock joint.

The fetlock joint is an incredible part of equine anatomy. Lameness that involves this joint is a common challenge for footcare professionals to address. In this presentation, Mitch Taylor, owner and operator of the Kentucky Horseshoeing School in Richmond, Ky., will survey the anatomy of the fetlock joint and surrounding structures.

Left-right symmetrical distal limb conformation can be an important prerequisite for a successful performance, and it is often believed that asymmetric or uneven feet are important enhancing factors for the development of lameness. On a population level, it has been demonstrated that uneven footed horses are retiring earlier from elite level competition, but the biomechanical consequences are not yet known.

Lameness recognition is an important function of the farrier when looking at a horse in motion. Sometimes the indicators are not so obvious. In this presentation, Royal Veterinary College researcher Dr. Amy Barstow will discuss practices of lameness detection, and then lead an interactive discussion of a variety of cases. Attendees will be given the opportunity to vote on which leg is presenting the lameness by using a wireless voting tool. Barstow will read the results in real-time and reveal the actual problem limb and cause.

In his previous session, Italian farrier Domenico Cellaro shared how he developed his machine to measure the effect of ground reaction forces. In this talk, he’ll show how he was inspired to make this machine, how he built it and the future implications of his work with it.

Curious about forces on the foot in the dynamic state, Italian farrier Dominico Cellaro became inspired to create his own system for measurement. But it isn’t just a machine used as a novelty. Through his research, he’s uncovering interesting findings that help us understand how horseshoes affect the different gaits in relation to ground reaction forces.