Articles by Simon Curtis

Understanding Hoof Shape

This is an extract from Chapter 3 of The Hoof of the Horse by Simon Curtis
Horse’s hooves vary greatly in shape and this is influenced by a number of factors including age, breed, wear, farriery and plastic hoof deformation. Plastic deformation is the semi-permanent change in shape caused by compression and bending of the horn.
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What Do Horn Tubules Do?

Although farriers know that horn tubules play an important role in hoof wall structure, this article provides a deeper understanding of it
The equine hoof wall has a complex tubular structure, which extends across the stratum medium. In a healthy hoof, the tubules are straight, parallel to each other and descend at the same angle as the hoof capsule. On the bearing border surface of a trimmed hoof, they can be seen as a pattern of rings. Our human skin is an epidermal structure like the hoof, and yet skin does not have horn tubules within it. This article sets out to answer the simple question of why horn tubules exist within the hoof wall.
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The Effect of Laterality on Shoeing and Trimming

Horses tend to favor one side over the other, which has implications for hoof care and the farrier
Laterality is the term used to describe any animal’s propensity for using one side of the body predominantly and the preference for one limb over the other opposing limb. Put simply, we can call it “one-sidedness.”
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Book Notes

Filling The Area Between Farrier & Vet

Corrective Farriery: A Textbook Of Remedial Horseshoeing

FARRIERS CAN DO the vast majority of their work without consulting a veterinarian. Conversely, equine vets can do a lot of their work without getting together with a horseshoer.


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