Fran Jurga`s Hoof Blog: Up-to-the Minute News from Hoofcare & Lameness Journal

Stem Cell Video: Lava Man Will Be An 8-Year-Old Gelding Racing on a 3-Year-Old's Ankles

2009-12-11T02:54:00.004-05:00

by Fran Jurga | 11 December 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog On Saturday, American horseracing has a chance to welcome back one of its great heroes of recent years, the rags-to-riches California claimer Lava Man. The gelding is coming out of retirement to run in a stakes race and he's probably getting more press for his comeback than he did for winning more than $3 million in purses during his

Ohio State Vets Have a 20/20 Vision: Cure Laminitis by the Year 2020

2009-12-04T12:41:00.001-05:00

4 December 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.comHere's a news story from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine, about the university's participation in the recent 5th International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot. This article is published without editing except for the addition of links to extended information. It can also be read online at

The Farrier's Holiday: Patron Saint of Farriers, Saint Eloi, Honored Today

2009-12-03T12:02:00.000-05:00

by Fran Jurga | 2 December 2009| Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogToday is a feast day in many Catholic countries in Europe, especially France and Belgium. It is the day of St. Eloi, the patron saint of farriers. According to tradition, no farriers shoe horses today. They gather together and have a festive time.I will try to share some of the information I have learned about St Eloi and the holiday, as best

Equine Hoof Vascular Supply Plastination Cast for Equine Education is a 3-D Venogram

2009-12-02T15:30:00.002-05:00

2 December 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.comA plastinated "corrosion cast" of the blood supply in a horse's foot is created from the foot of a cadaver. Plastic is injected into the veins and, after removing the hoof capsule and processing away any non-vascular tissue, what is left is virtually a three-dimensional venogram. Hoofcare and Lameness began offering these for sale on a

Advanced Radiography for Heavy Horse Breeds Leads to Anatomical Disovery

2009-12-02T03:50:00.006-05:00

2 December 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Horse, originally uploaded by Cuff. (Thanks!) I was saving this for April Fool's Day but every time I see it, I just start smiling, so why not spread the fun around?I

Would Horses Prone to Grass Laminitis Suffer Less If Exercised More? A New Study Will Focus on At-Risk Horses

2009-12-01T10:58:00.006-05:00

1 December 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.comThe following announcement was received by press release:Great Britain's Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in collaboration with the Laminitis Consortium, the United Kingdom’s leading laminitis research body, has been awarded a grant of £134,425 (ed.:approximately $223,297US) by the Laminitis Trust, to investigate the effects of exercise on

Video Clip: Thermography Out-Takes from "Recognizing the Horse in Pain" DVD

2009-11-30T17:00:00.001-05:00

by Fran Jurga |30 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogA few weeks ago, we introduced a new DVD on this blog. "Recognizing the Horse in Pain" is an interesting survey of subtle lameness problems in performance horses by Dr Joanna Robson, a veterinarian in the Bay Area of Northern California.In this little clip, you will see a few out-takes from the section on thermography from the video. The

Equine Gait Analysis Has a Secondary Benefit: Upgrading Video Game Quality

2009-11-30T02:35:00.000-05:00

by Fran Jurga | 30 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogSometimes I see people shake their heads after a lecture on the wonders of video-based gait analysis of horses. They just don't get it. And admittedly, the lectures can be boring, although Mark Aikens certainly showed how interesting and practical it can be when he spoke at Cornell University's farrier conference two weeks ago. (More

Thanks

2009-11-26T02:00:00.004-05:00

26 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.comFarrier Family Portrait, Germany, circa 1900.To the Hoof Blog's USA readers:Best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving from the Hoof Blog!I hope that you all have wonderful holidays with your families and friends and horses and dogs. I am most thankful for the opportunity to write for you and act as a conduit for new and old information. Most

Rood and Riddle, AllTech and AAEP Partner to Add Education for Veterinarians and Horse Owners to 2010 World Equestrian Games Experience

2009-11-19T12:40:00.000-05:00

19 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com (received via press release; please note that this event will immediately precede the opening of the Games. For those who may not know, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital is a large referral equine healthcare complex outside Lexington, Kentucky.)Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital’s role as the Official Veterinary Partner of the Games will not be

Equine Obesity Update: Do Horse Owners Comprehend the Dangers?

2009-11-14T22:13:00.001-05:00

14 November 2009 Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com There's no doubt that the horseowning public in the United States and abroad is becoming more aware of the problem of obesity in horses. Just look at the variety of new feed products and supplements designed to help horses lose weight, and you will see just the first wave of a marketing tsunami aimed at assisting horse owners in reducing the

New DVD from Hoofcare Publishing: Recognizing the Horse in Pain

2009-11-12T02:40:00.003-05:00

12 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.comCalifornia sport-horse specialist Joanna Robson DVM examines problems of performance-related discomfort and subtle lameness in English and Western horses in this brand new 75-minute DVD packed with information on the effects of badly-adjusted or ill-fitted tack, lack of attention to saddle fit, poor condition in horses

Clipper Folly: A Sad Chapter in Horse History from World War I

2009-11-11T23:56:00.004-05:00

11 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.com Looking over today's post about World War I and Armistice/Veteran's Day made me remember the post from last spring when I showed the mysterious post card of British farrier Ted Adams in his army uniform astride this nice big horse. Look below to see what he wrote on the back on the photo; it's quite mysterious. Click here to go back and

Historic Gems for Veterans Day

2009-11-11T02:30:00.009-05:00

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, World War I ended. It was November 11, 1918. Here we are almost 100 years later, and the original "Armistice Day" has become "Veterans Day". A lot of people will hardly blink. Looking back to World War I, I found this very interesting poster that I thought I'd share with you. Someone designed a horse-drawn horse ambulance that made a lot of

AQHA: Uniform Medication, Welfare Rules for Western Performance Across Breed and Sport Lines May Be Possible

2009-11-09T19:24:00.004-05:00

9 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.comThe American Quarter Horse Association reported today that western breed and sport industry alliance partners reached a general consensus involving humane treatment and equine welfare during a meeting October 20 and 21 at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum in Amarillo, Texas.Attendees included representatives from the

Breeders Cup Lowlight Video: Quality Road-eo Gate Panic Delays the Classic

2009-11-08T19:58:00.008-05:00

8 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoofblog at Hoofcare.comAll hail the supermare Zenyatta for her amazing, gutsy win of the Breeders Cup Classic yesterday. While her race will be replayed again and again for years to come, if you missed the race on television you didn't see the starting gate mishap that lead to Quality Road being scratched. Here's a YouTube.com clip of that portion of the race from

Patchwork Network: Rip Van Winkle's Engineered Hooves Will Carry Him a Long Way from Tipperary to Breeders Cup on Saturday

2009-11-06T10:16:00.002-05:00

Irish champion Rip Van Winkle may be a bionic horse. He will run in Saturday's Breeder Cup Classic in spite of a history of hoof problems that would have sidelined many. His trip to California from Aidan O'Brien's training center in Ireland is the culmination of a stellar performance record in recent months...and the result of a concentrated focus at managing hoof problems so that the horse can

Conference Will Present "2009 Spot Courage Award" to Molly the Pony's Caregiver Team for Exemplary Awareness and Prevention of Support-Limb Laminitis

2009-11-05T02:09:00.002-05:00

5 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog at Hoofcare.comMolly the Pony will be an honored guest at the Laminitis Conference in Florida this weekend. Her caregiving and medical team will receive the Spot Courage Award for their diligent care of Molly with a goal of preventing laminitis in her "good" front leg. (Pam Kaster photo)There's a saying that goes something like this: "There are two kinds

Do You Speak Farrier? The 2010 New Dictionary of Farrier Terms Will Help!

2009-11-03T12:14:00.010-05:00

3 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog from Hoofcare.comTo order your copy, call 978 281 3222 or email books@hoofcare.comCost is $19 plus $4 postage in USA; $8 elsewhere.This little slide show from author David Millwater gives a preview of the new edition of the outstanding reference, New Dictionary of Farrier Terms. We have always tried to make this book available over the years, but the book

Dressage Hoofcare: Rob Renirie at Global Dressage Forum

2009-11-03T03:49:00.003-05:00

3 November 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogDutch team farrier Rob Renirie at the Athens Olympics (photo courtesy Anky.nl)A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum.The Forum, in this case, would be the Ninth Global Dressage Forum, held last week at the Academy Bartels training center in Hooge Mierde, the Netherlands. And the funny thing was that a farrier was a speaker at this event for the

Here Lies the Farrier...And There Goes Tam O'Shanter

2009-10-31T23:35:00.000-04:00

by Fran Jurga | 31 October 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogLichen covers this fascinating old gravestone in the Alloway kirkyard near Ayr, Scotland. Surely a farrier lies here. Was he the farrier who inspired the lines in the poem: "That every naig was ca'd a shoe on, The smith and thee gat roaring fou on"? (Tam and the smith had a drink for every shoe that was nailed on.) Or did he die earlier so

The Original Jack with His Lantern Was a Blacksmith

2009-10-31T02:47:00.004-04:00

by Fran Jurga | 31 October 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogSo here's the way the story goes...I''ll tell the short version because it's an Irish story and you know how long they can get.There once was an Irish blacksmith named Jack. He was a miserable man, and he spent his nights in the pub trying to make everyone around him miserable, too. One night he made a deal for a last drink with the

She Strolls Through the Horse Fair on Halloween...

2009-10-31T01:04:00.006-04:00

by Fran Jurga | 31 October 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogI've been saving this picture for today. It's from a portfolio of images, mainly farriers, taken at the Smithfield Horse Market in Dublin, Ireland, one of the last urban horse sales in western Europe. The travelers bring horses and ponies and donkeys into the city the first Sunday of each month to sell or trade them. They've been doing it

From Sim to Mo-Cap to Slo-Mo: Have Another Look at the Horse in Motion

2009-10-28T02:16:00.000-04:00

by Fran Jurga | 28 October 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogToday I hurt my eye and it made the world a different place. Depth perception was different, some things don't quite line up, and this computer screen is a little blurry so this post will be a media-rich one. I'll let the videos tell the story.And the story is exactly what I have been experiencing: how do we look at things? You read

A Tribute to Bracy Clark: It's the 200th Anniversary of Natural Hoofcare

2009-10-26T03:03:00.002-04:00

by Fran Jurga | 26 October 2009 | Fran Jurga's Hoof BlogWhat year is it?Patrick Ryan was, according to this slip of paper, a doctor (?) of horseshoeing in Baltimore, Maryland in the late 1800s.You might have to double-click on the image to read the fine print, but across the top of the bill head, Mr Ryan promises "Horses Shod According to the Natural Formation of the Hoof. Satisfaction