Here’s a book to help farriers who want to move beyond knowledge of the foot to a more complete understanding of horse anatomy, function and health.

The title and subtitle say it well: All Horse Systems Go — The Horse Owner’s Full-Color Veterinary Care and Conditioning Resource for Modern Performance, Sport and Pleasure Horses.

The book’s 632 pages cover the total health of the horse, including the to-be-expected chapters on bones, joints, tendons and ligaments, muscles and skin, as well as the cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and reproductive systems.

The 18 chapters go even further, with offerings such as “Preventive and Mental Horse Health,” “The Neurologic System in Health and Disease” and “The Eyes: A Horse’s View of the World.”

Farriers will be pleased to know that the hooves and their importance are given their due.

The Critical Hoof

Chapter 3, “The Hoof,” begins with the familiar words, “There is probably no truer adage than ‘No hoof, no horse.’ Without this solid foundation, a horse cannot perform to its potential no matter how well trained, how fit or how athletic he may be.”

That acknowledgement of the hoof comes from author Nancy Loving, who graduated from Colorado State University Veterinary School in 1985 and has practiced equine medicine and surgery exclusively ever since.

She also has been a dressage and event competitor and has been involved in endurance events as a veterinarian sanctioned by the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale), an international governing body for equestrian sports, and as team vet for…