LAST week I attended a Wekman Horseshoe Clinic with Jonathan Nunn AWFC, hosted by master farrier and Irish farrier team member, James Woods, to learn more about modern farriery and the role horse owners have to play in the care of their horse’s feet.

Over 50 farriers were in attendance to learn from Nunn who has almost 30 years’ farriery experience, he is a Worshipful Company of Farriers judge/Eexaminer and is a competitor on the world stage. Jonathan also works alongside the veterinary specialists at Pool House equine Clinic.

Nunn opened the session by stating that: “A lot has changed in farriery over the last number of years and the rate of change is continuing rapidly. Many more farriers are having to become familiar with reading veterinary diagnostic reports such as MRIs and X-ray. Farriers are now expected to help treat an exact ligament from a veterinary diagnosis - that’s the way farriery is going. This progress has seen many farriers becoming more involved in veterinary research.”

“We need to analyse more deeply what we do, I’m still learning,” Nunn continued. The significant impact training and competition surfaces have on soundness was also discussed. Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has published the world’s most extensive and up-to-date study into the effect of surfaces on the orthopaedic health of sport horses and racehorses. The research paper is titled The Equine Surfaces White Paper (ESWP). This paper states that the horse-hoof-ground interaction is influenced by the structure and material properties of the contacting surface of the foot. This includes the way the hoof is balanced, choice of shoes or no shoes, the type of shoe, the current condition of the shoe, current hoof growth, and the type, number and configuration of screw-in shoe studs or caulks.

As riding and sports horses are expected to compete on a variety of surfaces and under different conditions, these choices are important. They help the horse perform to the best of its ability. Nunn gave an example of concave shoes, which are used for traction, combined with a horse training and competing on sticky, fibre, sand surfaces. He said that: “This is not an ideal combination and horses tend not to go as well.”

It is important for the farrier to see a horse walking before tending to the horses feet and to do this on different surfaces, Nunn commented that: “A horse could be sound on concrete and lame on a surface.”

KEY POINTS FOR OWNERS

  • Four to five weeks is the optimum length of time that should be left between farrier visits, regular visits help maintain hoof balance. Anything over this period of time means that your horse will be working with a possible imbalance, putting undue stress and strain on their body.
  • Horses need time without shoes to allow the foot to expand to its natural shape and wear to its natural length. Blood flow to the hoof will also be increased by putting the frog back in contact with the ground and allowing it to perform its natural traction, shock-absorbing, and circulatory functions. That, in turn, stimulates hoof growth. Horse owners should consider doing this during a time when the horse is having a break from work.
  • Keep your farrier informed and try to be there when he comes to visit your horse. Leisure horses are often the most difficult horses to shoe because they compete in multiple disciplines, update your farrier about what you will be doing with your horse so that your farrier can select appropriate shoes.
  • Hoof Explorer and 3D Horse Anatomy Software are two apps which Nunn suggested for equine enthusiasts and especially for students studying veterinary or farriery.
  • Hoof Explorer is an interactive 3D anatomical model of the equine foot. Developed under the supervision of faculty scientists at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, the detailed model contains over 150 named elements. The Werkman Horseshoe Tool allows users to see how different horseshoes affect the hoof’s anatomical relations and biophysical properties. For more information visit hoofexplorer.com
  • 3D Horse Anatomy Software is designed especially for students, teachers, veterinary clinics and pet shops. This app allows you to view internal systems of the 3D horse either one by one or in any combination of systems.