When experienced farriers check the wear on horseshoes they’ve just removed from a horse, it isn’t just to see whether they can reset them. They’re also looking for valuable information. Four veteran farriers took time to share some of what they’ve gleaned from studying the wear patterns on horseshoes over their careers.
Understanding how quarter cracks occur is critical to managing the injury, not to mention keeping the horse going.
Wellington, Fla., farrier Curtis Burns classifies quarter cracks into three categories — concussion, rotational and blunt trauma.
The structures of the equine foot have the unique ability to adapt, change shape and restore. There are multiple benefits in shod vs. barefoot or in allowing the horse to be without shoes for a given time period to improve the palmar section of the foot.
As the public comment period for the proposed amendments to the Horse Protection Act came to an end last week, nearly 200 influential people banded together to urge action from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The United States Navy adopted the KISS principle — “Keep It Simple, Stupid” — in 1960 to reinforce that most systems work best if they are kept simple, rather than complicated.
“And though she be but little, she is fierce.” Helena famously described Hermia this way in A Midsummer’s Night Dream. In fact, since William Shakespeare’s words first were uttered on stage in the late 1500s, it’s been used countless times to describe people and things. When Placerville, Calif., farrier Marijke Ellert opens up her rig, the quote is there for all to see, emblazoned on the back wall. The word “FIERCE” is prominent by appearing in all capital letters.
Managing a horse with mismatched feet can be a challenge for both the veterinarian and farrier. At last winter’s American Association of Equine Practitioners’ convention, a session undertook both the veterinarian and farrier’s role in these cases.
Researchers Document Rare Navicular Bone Condition
A rare malformation of the navicular bone that often results in chronic lameness is congenital rather than related to wear or injury, a new study that was published in BMC Veterinary Research suggests.
A number of horse industry organizations are working together to draft formal comments regarding the amendments to the Horse Protection Act that have been proposed by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
In this episode, Mark Ellis, a Wisconsin farrier who learned the ropes with Renchin, recalls Red’s relationships with area veterinarians, his legacy and the second career as American Farriers Journal’s technical editor.
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Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
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