Due to the constant pounding in training and racing, Susan Stover says, many Thoroughbreds end up with microscopic bone damage as the injured horse swaps damaged tissue for new tissue. However, the University of California veterinary researcher at Davis, Calif., found that more than 90 percent of tissue sampled from racehorses that had died or were euthanized after leg fractures had pre-existing bone damage.

During last winter’s 4th annual International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, a pair of veteran farriers tackled two dozen of the most frequently asked questions about the footcare industry. This totally unrehearsed, fast-paced session sparked a number of highly interesting views for attendees to evaluate in their own footcare operations.