To encourage a stronger working relationship between veterinarians and farriers, a new footcare research project has been announced by the equine research committee of the American Farrier’s Association.

“The number one goal for AFA is to promote education and we all know that research represents the building blocks for education,” says Michael Savoldi, a farrier at Shandon, Calif., and chairman of the equine research committee. “We believe this presents a great opportunity for members of the AFA and the American Association of Equine Practitioners to work together on research projects.”

Savoldi says the committee’s proposed project for 2005 deals with collecting pertinent data on sore feet problems. “The majority of the horses that farriers and veterinarians see on a daily basis show signs of sore feet and many of the problems that are being treated are secondary to sore feet,” he says.

The AFA research committee has asked staffers at schools of veterinary medicine and equine clinics to work together with farriers on this project. The only requirement is that the equine vets work on this project only with an AFA member.

“We will come to your clinic to help setup the study,” says Savoldi. “Included in the setup will be an explanation of how pathology can be based on the plane of the P3 bone. Using anatomical landmarks, we will define the difference between the plane of the hoof capsule and the plane of the P3 bone.”

He says the farriers and vets would begin the sore foot studies…