If a big part of the farrier’s job is  “to help a horse” go, then Equine Loco­motion should have a prominent place on every farrier’s bookshelf.

Veterinarians Willem Back and Hilary Clayton have put together a precisely documented and well-illustrated look at the mechanics of how horses move, bringing together much of the pioneering research in the field in one hardcover book.

Veterinarians and researchers from  the United States, the Netherlands, Sweden and France have contributed to this highly technical and comprehensive look at just how horses move.

The chapters follow a well-thought-out and organized pattern, beginning  with a look  at the history of research on the topic, then moving on to areas such as  nuerobiology, gait analysis, hereditary effects on locomotion, energetics and modeling.

Valuable Shoeing Info

Of particular interest to farriers will be  Back’s chapter entitled “The Role of the Hoof and Shoeing.” Back packs a lot of information into the 30-some pages that make up this chapter, beginning with a look at humanity’s first attempts at balancing a horse, then moving on to anatomy, mechanics, breakover and flight arc.  He discusses effects of hoof manipulations as well as that of shoe manipulation. The latter includes an extensive look at styles and types of shoes, as well as pads, calks, wedges, clips and other shoe modifications.

Back also breaks down practical applications into lameness and performance categories. The chapter includes numerous charts and diagrams, as well as an extensive list of references that will be of interest to…