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H
& L Online News A collection of informal news from
Hoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of Equine Foot
Science I recently was faxed an interesting press release from Nutramax, manufacturers of Cosequin. They have just completed research showing evidence of therapeutic effects of Cosequin for navicular disease. (Cosequin is the leading chondroitin sulfate/glucosamine combined product.) This is BIG news for the farrier world. These flex products are very expensive and I've been surprised that farriers didn't start selling "flex" products in addition to Farriers Formula long ago. Let me know if you want a copy of the research report from Cosequin. Does anyone have any comments or input (pro or con) about "flex" products given to horses with lower leg/foot lamenesses? I'd love to hear about it. Note: this is not a nutritional supplement like a biotin/methionine product; it is a joint-flexion supplement. The two types of products are very different. The new issue of H&L (#69) is OUT...in the mail...and on its way to you! I hope it will be in your mailbox before your turkey leftovers are history! If you have anything to get into the end-of-the-year issue, you'd better call me right away, as it will be completed in December. The entire issue is related to "The Natural Hoof" with articles by and about wild horse feet, Duckett's Dot, hoof anatomy, hoof trimming with power tools -- and much, much more. Some of the authors are Dr Chris Johnston from Sweden, Dr. Jenni Ahmat from Australia, Dr. Chris Pollitt from Australia, Dr. Bob Bowker from Michigan State University, David Duckett, Mary Wanless...and quite possibly YOU! Many of you received the questionnaire we sent out about "four point trimming" -- and we included your comments in this issue. If you don't already subscribe, send an e-mail and we'll set up a subscription for you! New Jersey farrier and H&L consulting editor Bruce Daniels tells me that he is nearing completion of the second volume of his farrier's memoirs; he has been asked to be the dinner speaker at this year's American Farrier's Association Convention in Rochester, NY (February 24-28) and will be telling some of the stories from the new book, which I don't think will hurt sales too much! Bruce is on his way to Hawaii and Australia on Wednesday; he'll do a seminar for Classic Horseshoes in New South Wales on December 14. Classic distributes St Croix shoes in Australia. Bruce is also giving an educational seminar at the AFA convention on Standardbred shoeing and how he uses his skills learned in that field while shoeing sport horses. Speaking of St. Croix horseshoes, Clint and Jane Carlson from St Croix were in Egypt when the Luxor tourist massacre went on, but according to Elissa from St. Croix's office, they were (and are) safe and sound. They were headed to an equine products trade show in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and stopped off in Egypt to be tourists. Lousy timing! In January, Clint and Jayne will be headed overseas again, this time to France, where they will be official sponsors of the WHOA! (Women Horseshoers of America) team in an international farrier contest there sponsored by Michel Vaillant Farrier Supplies. ****Holiday Special**** (yes, this is an ad) If you are not currently a subscriber to Hoofcare & Lameness, the Journal of Equine Foot Science, you can subscribe NOW (deadline: December 31, 1997) and receive five issues for the cost of the usual four. We will send you the new issue (#69) plus the special issue we published just on laminitis. You can also order GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS of five issues for the cost of four. Call, fax, or email your orders soon! Cost in USA is $50; Canada $55US; anywhere else $70US. Big news from the UK today: Parliament banned foxhunting--and all hunting with "dogs". I have the full text of the Associated Press article; if you'd like to read it, let me know. ****New Book to Read***(yes, another ad) "For the Good of the Horse" by Mary Wanless covers all aspects of horse care from the viewpoint of welfare of the horse. Included are in-depth sections on farriery's advances and dentistry. This is one of the most intelligent treatises I've read in a long time. She covers "the natural hoof", Tony Gonzales's work, long toe/low heel predisposition....and lots more. Parts of this book will be serialized in Hoofcare & Lameness in upcoming issues. Cost is $26 plus $4 postage. We will also be selling "Proceedings of the Hoof Project" from Texas A&M University, complete with spectacular color illustrations, both in book form and on CD-ROM after the American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention. Contact H&L for details; cost is approximately $30 for either format plus $4 postage. I'm not sure congratulations are in order, but a tip of the hat to British farrier Brendan Murray, who was one of the four uniformed guards who marched alongside the casket of Princess Diana as it made its way to Westminster Abbey for her funeral in September. According to tradition, the farrier must be present, in the event of a shoeing mishap on one of the horses pulling the gun carriage and casket. Check your back issues of H&L to see the axe he carries. Brendan's duties weren't done when the funeral was over; he then had to rush to the Open European Eventing Championships at Burghley, where he was team farrier for Britain, where he worked with British team veterinarian Andy Bathe and equine physiotherapist Amanda Sutton. A recent press release from the American Association of Equine Practitioners tallies the results of a Purina Equine Education Series survey of horse owners on the relative professionalism exhibited by different individuals, with a perfect score being 100%: veterinarians ranked the highest at 88%, physicians 79.5%, horse trainers 66%, farriers 62.6%. Attorneys and journalists ranked far below farriers. When the same survey asked to rank professionals by ethics, farriers rated higher than trainers, with veterinarians again at the top rank. Did you hear the news that California farrier (and H&L consulting editor) Alice Johnson will be judge (with Scotland's Jim Ferrrie) at the world championship farrier contests at the Calgary Stampede next year? Congratulations, Alice! And did anyone see the gallium nitrate proponent (he theorizes a link between navicular disease and trace aluminum minerals in horse's diet) on NBC news on November 3rd? I leave December 3 for the US Dressage Federation Convention...it's in New Orleans and I have a big booth combined with America On Line, plus Karen Pautz, who does both the USDF web site and the AFA's AND "www.hoofcare.com" (and the AAEP and other horse organization sites). The "dressage queens" love to give H&L as a Christmas gift to their farriers and vets, plus quite a few of them subscribe, too. H&L consulting editor Hilary Clayton from Michigan State University and Colorado State's Ted Stashak are speaking. If I missed asking any of you, I am seeking info on winter shoeing, especially photos. Please e-mail any good stories or tips to me, especially your preferences of hard-surfacing materials (and why). And we need photos! Deadline for receipt would be December 12, 1998. It seems like winter came too early this year! Another subject needing input: your comments, please, on the use, overuse, or misuse of "sports medicine boots" on both lame and sound horses. Are horses apt to grow dependent on them? Is neoprene too hot for use over the tendons during strenuous work? Or do the obvious benefits outweigh the drawbacks? Do you think riders and trainers know how to use them correctly and for how long? Be sure to read my article in the Horse each month..."Step by Step" covers a lot of ground, so to speak! The articles (along with back issues of this newsletter) are also available on the Hoofcare web site (www.hoofcare.com), with a direct link to "The Horse Interactive"--check it out! If you are looking for "Blue Stuff" to treat white line disease, you can contact Professional Equine Products at PEP@phnx.uswest.net. Have you seen the shoes that Capewell is making? So far, no feedback on the hundreds of samples they gave away at the recent "SNEFA" fall clinic and competition here in Massachusetts. They are also making rasps. Other interesting new products are the "Luwex" plastic graduated wedge pads from Germany and the "Crossopol" hoof hardener from Virginia. All of these products are in the new issue of H&L, along with "Sore No More" from Equilite...and lots more! Congratulations to Maryland farrier Henry Heymering, who was recently elected the first president of the Guild of Professional Farriers at their first convention in North Carolina earlier this month. Bucky Hatfield of Tennessee is vice president. The office will be closed from December 3rd to the 12th, when I return from the AAEP convention and, hopefully, a short visit to the rodeo finals in Las Vegas. Another newsletter will be sent out on my return. In the meantime, please visit our website, http://www.hoofcare.com; we have a complete library of articles on hoofcare there for you, plus a book and video shop, and back issues of this newsletter you can download. Please note that if you try to contact H&L by phone or fax, there is a new area code in this part of the state of Massachusetts. H&L's phone and fax numbers are now prefixed by the area code "978" instead of "508". All the best to all of you! Fran Jurga, Publisher About H&L Publishing.... Hoofcare & Lameness, The Journal of Equine Foot Science, is a professional journal of technical information related to the prevention and therapy of performance-related injuries, conformational challenges, and diseases of the foot that affect the world's horses. H&L is read by veterinarians, farriers, therapists, and owners/trainers/riders around the world and is the leading resource for the dissemination of new research, technologies, and ideas about the soundness of horses. H&L is published four times in each subscription period and is sold by subscription only. Cost is $50 in US, $55 in Canada and Mexico, $70 elsewhere in US dollars. The magazine is printed on high quality paper with high graphic design and printing standards; the format is highly visual. The magazine has won many awards for graphic design and journalistic excellence. H&L's print edition is supplemented by a reference book resource center, events listings, newsletters and press releases posted on the Internet's World Wide Web at http://www.hoofcare.com. © 1997
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