The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine recently announced that it is in the process of acquiring both Middlefork Forge, a farrier practice formerly located in Collison, Illinois, and the Midwest Horseshoeing School, located in Divernon, Illinois.

“Advanced therapeutic shoeing will complement the exceptional medical and surgical lameness services already available to equine patients at the college’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital,” said Scott Austin, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, who heads the Equine Medicine and Surgery Section at the hospital.

“In addition, the Midwest Horseshoeing School, which shoes thousands of well horses each year, will provide fourth-year veterinary students with opportunities to deliver routine horse health care, when requested by horse owners,” he said. “Performing wellness examinations gives students valuable experience to complement their involvement with providing specialized care for our hospital’s ill and injured equine patients.”

Four Farriers Join College Staff

The farrier practice will begin shoeing horses as part of the College of Veterinary Medicine on Feb. 17. Its name will be changed to Middlefork Forge at Illinois. Farrier services will be offered at the college’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana on Fridays, and they will see horses primarily at farms/stables throughout west-central Indiana and east-central Illinois on other days