It's called horseshoeing, not footshoeing, says Jim Keith, explaining why he rejects the traditional approach of aligning the hoof-pastern axis as the starting point for bringing a hoof into balance.

The 2008 International Hoof-Care Summit again lived up to its name. The event’s emphasis on high-quality education drew nearly 800 dedicated hoof-care professionals. They came from almost every state in the U.S. and 15 foreign countries, including such faraway spots as Japan, South Africa, Australia, China and numerous European nations.

The old cliché about the basic qualifications for a farrier being a strong back and a weak mind certainly took a beating from the presenters at the fifth annual International Hoof-Care Summit. A high degree of expertise and sophisticated thinking was evident and in abundance.