As summer gives way to fall, the diets of your clients’ horses change with the seasons. Hoof quality often transitions with it. Once winter arrives in cold climates, protecting the foot becomes increasingly challenging. Horses are often turned out in snow and mud where their hooves absorb moisture. Those with poor hoof quality become a playground for opportunistic bacteria. Improving the nutrition of a horse with compromised horn can play a part in preventing problems heading into the winter months.

American Farriers Journal has been a valuable tool to farriers for over 4 decades. In each issue of the magazine this year is featured an article looking back at a moment during that time frame. As we reflect on this history, I find myself thinking about the history of another, essential farrier tool: the horseshoe.

After a client invests $40,000 on footing for their arena, it’s hard — maybe impossible — to convince them it’s ruining their horse’s feet. Uxbridge, Ontario, farrier Dave Dawson had a client express concern that their horses were frequently tripping and stumbling.

The second confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was in Chicago — about 60 miles southeast of Marengo, Ill., home and headquarters of MVP’s Farrier Service, Inc. Like in many other states, it was around mid-March that the governor issued a disaster proclamation. First schools and dine-in restaurants were closed and restrictions were imposed on large-group gatherings. Eventually, this gave way to a shelter-in-place order.

Study Links Bone Loss to Proximal Sesamoid Bone Fractures in California Racehorses A recent study by Sarah Shaffer, International Equine Veterinarian Hall of Fame member Dr. Susan Stover and colleagues at the J.D. Wheat Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine sought to characterize bone abnormalities that precede proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) fractures and determine if pre-existing abnormalities are associated with these fractures.

Two farriers, Lee Collins and Peter Day, recently co-authored a paper that was published in The Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. The paper, which is titled “The Effect on Tungsten Road Nails on Locomotor Biomechanics in Horses Moving on Tarmac Surface,” examines how road nails impact the horse’s movement symmetry.

Human medicine and athletic stores rely on visual maps to recommend orthotics or sneaker styles based on a person’s gait. Pressure plates measure how an individual distributes their weight as they walk or run and converts that data into a graphic interpretation. That information is used to pair the right support or shoe style for specific gait pattern or abnormality to reduce the risk for injury.