Video U: Watch the UMaine Conference "The Science Behind the FEI White Paper on Equine Arena Surfaces"

On December 7, 2014, a very special seminar took place at the University of Maine at Orono's Witter Farm. You'll wish you had been there. The conference was titled, "For Veterinarians and Farriers - The Science Behind the FEI White Paper on Equine Arena Surfaces."

But maybe it's not too late: we can bring the conference to you.




Videos of the presentations that took place during the

Laminitis Research: Feed Company SPILLERS Will Sponsor Two PhD Programs in 2015

Hoofcare Publishing is encouraging donations to laminitis research this holiday season. Right on cue, this press release arrived today with news of new support for program research in Great Britain. Thanks for Spillers for their continued support of laminitis research.
The British horse feed company SPILLERS®, as part of the WALTHAM® International Laminitis and Obesity Research Consortia, is

Comeback Award: Flexible Repeatedly Jumped the Obstacles of Obscure Lameness Setbacks

The 18-year-old show jumper Flexible has made a name for himself in the show ring--and in the vet clinic. Flexible has been named the first recipient of a new award, the Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation Comeback Award. In tribute to him, Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky has donated $10,000 to the foundation for equine research. Flexible will receive his award Friday at the

Biomechanics and Uses of Wide Toe, Egg Bar and Heart Bar Horseshoes: Research by Dr. Jenny Hagen via Werkman's E-Lecture Series

Werkman Horseshoes in The Netherlands has launched a video lecture series with German veterinarian and hoof researcher Jenny Hagen. This is a still from one of the videos, to show you the rich visual content.



You'll need 58 minutes. Lock the door. Turn off your phone. Draw the shades. Your assignment is to watch these videos, part of the new E-Lectures video series from Werkman Horseshoes in

Ghost of WEGs Past: Jumper Presley Boy Euthanized Two Years After Colic-Related Laminitis

If a skilled novelist like Tami Hoag set out to pen an international suspense thriller about a jumper, I doubt a more compelling story could be imagined than the sad-but-true tale of Presley Boy. The timing, the cultures, and even the horse's name, suggesting the legendary but tragic American rock star, all fit together. 

And there's our old friend laminitis, right in the middle of it

Grass's (Missing) Link to Laminitis: Hormonal Imbalance Sets the Stage for Disease

For years, laminitis has been characterized as a disease of the horse's foot. Treatment has centered on relieving pain to the foot and facilitating healthy new growth. But just as important is understanding what caused the laminitis to occur and treating laminitis as a disease of the entire horse, not just the feet. (HC Biovision photo of a laminitis-ravaged horse foot by Dr. Christoph von

Recent Publications: New Research on Hoofcare and Lameness

Did your New Year's Resolutions include a pledge to keep up with new research and developments in the research side of things? That could be a full time job. It could also be pretty costly, unless you have access to a library with the right journal subscriptions.




Given the availability of the journals on the web now, and the fact that articles are published on the web months before

Laminitis Conference: Poster Session Deadline Is Approaching

The Future Forward poster session at the International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot (November 1-3, 2013 in West Palm Beach, Florida) is open to attendees, factulty and exhibitors. Visit the conference web site for much more information about all facets of this event; an application for the poster session is due by October 23, and the poster may be brought to the

Research Report: Dr James Belknap Summarizes Developments in Understanding Laminitis Funded by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation

The following report by Dr Belknap summarizes the sequence of his latest research on laminitis through funding supplied by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and is reprinted with the Foundation's permission.



Dr. James Belknap of The Ohio State University

The funding by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation (GJCRF) and the NTRA (Barbaro Fund) of our last two projects on the

British Laminitis Research: Tracking Normal Horses Who Later Develop Pasture Laminitis Vs Those Who Don't

Typical feet of a pony with pasture laminitis. Could laminitis be prevented by identifying likely-to-founder ponies early in their lives? A British research project aims to track normal ponies who, later in life, do and don't develop pasture-associated laminitis. (Nicola Menzies-Gow photo)


Dr Nicola Menzies-Gow of the Royal Veterinary College has been awarded a grant of £42,000 (approximately

Call for Abstracts: 7th International Colloquium on Working Equids

World Horse Welfare is now calling for abstracts from the world’s academic, research and scientific community as well as from working equid welfare practitioners for presentation at the 7th International Colloquium on Working Equids to be held at the Royal Holloway, University of London from July 1-3 2014.


The Colloquium is an essential event for the international audience of working equine

How We Learn: Bracy Clark's Intricate "Model Hoof"

How can we know where we're going if we don't know where we have been?


The founding fathers of hoof theory have gone. Gone with them are their forges, their laboratories, their drawings, their journals. We are left with some books, some papers and isolated museum artifacts that don't quite add up to all we'd like, yet taken alone are treasures.

That's the case with the hoof model

Were Ancient Horses' Fetlocks Less Susceptible to Breakdown Injury?

  
As Saturday's 2013 Grand National approaches, the possibility of some news from the University of Liverpool's vet school has been high. Each year, injured racehorses find expert care at the nearby vet hospital, and the vet school is proud of its long association with the race and its role in helping prevent and

Laminitis Research: BEVA's Equine Veterinary Journal Grants Free Public Access to New Findings

Temporary open access to a group of laminitis research papers is available to students, professionals and horse owners.

This doesn't happen every day.

The Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) has announced that it is giving the public open (free) access to a collection of important new research papers on equine laminitis.

Normally, non-subscriber access to these articles would be as much as US$40

Equine Locomotion Research: Qualisys Mocap System Captures Dressage, Jumping, Trotting, Icelandic Gaits...and Your Imagination

Today we go across the ocean and behind the scenes. The location is Stromsholm, Sweden, home of Professor Lars Roepstorff,.DVM, PhD and his amazing research into how horses move.

Whether you want to know how a horse moves or how the surface beneath the horse affects his gait, speed, or traction, this is one of the places in the world that could help you figure it out.

At the recent

Research Update: Hoof Wall Separation Syndrome in Connemara Ponies

A slide show of affected hooves from around the world; these hooves are all on Connemara ponies, although it is not known if this particular type of wall separation is limited to that breed.


Few hoof problems have been as compelling as the relatively-recent one known around the hoof world as "Connemara hoof wall separation syndrome". Owners of the affected horses would prefer that it be

Saddle Research Trust Rides the Crest of an Equestrian Science Wave

What's the most interesting equine research organization that's not on your radar (yet)? Meet the Saddle Research Trust.



The Saddle Research Trust (SRT) was founded in 2009 to promote the welfare of the ridden horse and to raise awareness of the widely underestimated issues surrounding saddles, equine backs and performance. They've hosted conferences, supported research and initiated an

Two shakes of a dog's tail: Gyro locomotion of animal skin

What if scientists took the same tools they use to analyze how horses walk, trot, canter and gallop and turned it to how they use their bodies?

Forget the legs and hooves (or paws).



Most mammals have a quantity of loose skin that they can move. That looseness gives the skin a locomotion all its own and now scientists are measuring it and trying to understand how and why animals are able to

Laminitis Trust's Eustace Welcomes Owner-Sourced Research Donation from Feed Company Spillers

Robert Eustace, founder of the Laminitis Trust, receives a cheque from Rachel Austin of SPILLERS®


The British feed company Spillers® has donated GB£12,000 (approximately US$20,000) to the Laminitis Trust, to help fund important research on the devastating condition of laminitis in horses.

The funds were raised as the result of a special campaign run by Spillers®, which involved the feed

Laminitis Research Highlights Grayson Jockey Club Foundation's Research Lists for 2012

The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today that the charitable organization will fund 16 projects in 2012, totaling $845,646. The research includes the launch of eight new projects, continuation of eight projects entering their second year, and the Storm Cat Career Development Award.

Of special interest is the announcement that a project on laminitis has received the