The Michigan Horseshoers Association (MHA) recently held its 46th annual clinic and contest in East Lansing, Mich. Sixty farriers from as far south as Texas and as far north as Canada came to attend and compete in the event. From Jan. 8-10, attendees participated in lectures and demos by Tom Willoughby of Crown Point, Ind.; Andy Canoy of Grand Blanc, Mich.; Laura Pylman of Laingsburg, Mich.; and Roy Bloom of Drummund, Wis., who was also the judge for several forging competitions held at the event.

Researchers in Vienna examined the utility of using heart rate and heart rate variability to estimate the degree of pain felt by 12 horses with clinically obvious laminitis compared to five unaffected control horses. In addition, heart rates were compared to the Obel pain scale, historically used to describe the severity of laminitis pain where “1” is used for horses that shift their weight from one foot to another while standing or are lame only at a trot and “4” is used for horses that are very reluctant or refuse to move.