_DSC0180.jpg

Boning Up on Equine Anatomy

Students at Heartland Horseshoeing School put together an articulated horse skeleton under the direction of Walter Varcoe


Figure 1. Walter Varcoe’s articulated equine skeletons draw a lot of attention on the trade show floor at the International Hoof-Care Summit. One was even featured on the cover of the January/February 2007 issue of American Farriers Journal.

After several years of going to the International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati and drooling over the articulated skeletons that Walter Varcoe makes, I finally decided to get him to come out to Missouri and do a clinic. These skeletons are quite expensive for a private school, so I thought that I could get a double whammy by not only having Walter show me how to build one, but we could offset the cost with a clinic. It was a great plan.

If you are not familiar with these articulated skeletons, one appeared on the cover of the American Farriers Journal a few years ago, and Varcoe also always has limbs set up on the floor at the Summit trade show (Figure 1). His skill and knowledge when it comes to putting together skeletons has lead to some amazing poses. His work has appeared in numerous vet and farrier venues and at trade shows.

He is currently working on five pieces for the Museum of Natural History in New York City. You can find him on Facebook or www.equine
skeletons.com if you would like to see some really cool bones and skeletons.

Varcoe spent his early career in the Department of Corrections for New York State. The prison where he worked had…

To view the content, please subscribe or login.
 Premium content is for our Digital-only and Premium subscribers. A Print-only subscription doesn't qualify. Please purchase/upgrade a subscription with the Digital product to get access to all American Farriers Journal content and archives online.

Chris gregory

Chris Gregory

Chris Gregory is a Hall of Fame farrier and owner of Heartland Horseshoeing School in Lamar, Mo.

Top Articles

Current Issue

View More

Current Issue

View More

Must Read Free Eguides

Download these helpful knowledge building tools

View More
Top Directory Listings