As part of its commitment to continuing education programs for farriers, Delta Mustad Hoofcare Center once again sponsored a “Day with a Clinician” door prize for attendees at the 2013 International Hoof-Care Summit. This year’s winner was David Goedde, from Belleville, Ill.

This was the fourth year that Delta Mustad has been a part of the program. As the clinician, I’ve developed an approach in which I suggest that winners think about their clients’ horses, particularly those they may not be completely satisfied with. Maybe the farrier feels he’s missing something, or thinks something just doesn’t look right about the shape of its hooves or the way they grow. Perhaps the farrier isn’t sure how to answer an owner’s questions, or there is a nagging issue that he or she would just like to get looked at by another pair of experienced eyes.

Goedde had three cases: A 6-year-old Thoroughbred stud named Ameriheart with a recurring white line problem, a retired Thoroughbred named Sammy with limb deviations up front and quarter cracks behind and Cowboy, a horse with badly arthritic knees and bone-on-bone contact shown in radiographs.

Goedde and his helper and backup Dave Sodam, picked me up at my hotel. Goedde’s mentor, Mitch Rawlings, a certified journeyman farrier, met us for breakfast at a local Cracker Barrel. We all got acquainted and headed out to the first stop.

High-Low Issues

We got to the farm and met up with Ameriheart, the 6-year-old Thoroughbred stallion and his custodian and jockey…