Like keeping the pistons of an engine lubricated for smooth, easy movement, the tendon sheaths of a horse function similarly by providing a friction-free environment in which tendons can move.
Since bubble wrapping a horse isn’t an option, owners use boots and wraps to try to avoid lower limb injuries.
There is an adage that is as old as the modern-day horse. It goes something like this: No foot, no horse. My late father, who could pick out a minute leg or foot unsoundness at a glance, used to lecture his young son about the importance of good
The mechanical engineering involved in the structuring of equine joints is both complex and masterful. Not only do healthy joints allow the horse to move freely, but they also help to effectively absorb concussion, especially when the horse is
Back in the 1800s, the world really could have used a better hoof on a better horse. History tells us that breeders tried to comply, by including soundness as a criterion for reproduction. Veterinary medicine complied with
Tendon injuries can be extremely frustrating. The best way to deal with them is to make every effort to prevent them, or if possible, limit the degree of damage that occurs. Certainly some tendon injuries occur acutely without any warning, but
There is a definite correlation between joint angle, hoof flight pattern, and weight bearing. One might even wax a bit poetic and declare that as the joint angles, so flies and lands the hoof. That’s where the poetry ends, however, because if
My weanling’s foot seems a bit boxy. My veterinarian said it sounds like he has a club foot. What does this mean?
Conformation…what does it mean? If you’ve spent any time around horses or horse people, you’ve heard this word or related words used again and again. "Wow, that horse has great conformation!" or "My trainer said not t
Osselets begin with swelling on the front of the fetlock joint, with the possible addition of synovial distensions on the sides of the joint (commonly called windpuffs). It’s painful when the horse flexes the joint, and can cause lameness.
My horse has been diagnosed with a fractured coffin bone. What could have caused it, and what is the prognosis?
Ringbone, a lameness disease of the pastern and coffin joints, is a degenerative disorder that has no cure.
We asked several leading experts for their take on the conformation-performance-soundness issue.
A newborn foal, teetering on spidery legs, has a knock-kneed, awkward charm that can melt hearts.
The American Farrier’s Association Convention held in Lexington, Ky., March 3-6, was planned with the professional farrier in mind. While the lion and the lamb vollied outdoors throughout the four-day event, inside the convention center farriers
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