Equine Podiatry

On its back cover, Equine Podiatry promises “a collaborative approach to the care and shoeing of equine feet, making it ideal for both veterinarians and farriers.”

That message is reinforced in the book’s forward, where veterinarian Robert Miller writes:

“At last, here is a book on equine podiatry, needed by the doctor of veterinary medicine and the trained farrier, complementing the skills of both.

“This book will hopefully mark the beginning of a new era — one of increased cooperation, fraternalism and shared knowledge between veterinarian and farrier, thereby benefiting the horse and its owner.”

Miller also notes, “Today, the farrier is increasingly a formally trained professional. Yet the graduates of our very sophisticated veterinary schools are deficient in a knowledge of farriery — so essential to the well-being of the horse.”

Joining Forces

In essence, Equine Podiatry believes that equine veterinarians and farriers need each other, and the book intends to help bridge the gap between them by offering knowledge to be shared and used when vets and shoers meet at a horse’s foot.

Toward that end, Equine Podiatry gathers a group of contributing writers that includes some of the most respected names from the worlds of both equine veterinary medicine and farriery.

Veterinarians offering instruction include Tracy Turner, Ric Redden, Rich Redding, William Moyer, Robert Bowker, Chris Pollitt and Sue Dyson, among others.

Bruce Daniels and Michael Wildenstein, longtime chief of farriery at Cornell University, are among those who provide the horseshoers’ side of the footcare…