A deep digital flexor tenotomy is something that will give clients pause for concern. But Dr. Raul Bras says if it is executed properly, in the correct circumstances, it can be an effective tool in helping a horse. In this presentation, he will discuss key considerations before going forward with the surgery and how to give the horse the best chance for success.

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The wooden shoe provides the clinician with an alternative option to conventional farriery when treating a variety of foot problems such as acute/chronic laminitis, white line disease, distal phalanx fractures and poor-quality hoof capsules. The wooden shoe provides a simplified method to apply many of the principles of therapeutic farriery which include redistributing the load or forces on the foot, repositioning breakover and providing heel elevation when necessary. In this session, Dr. Steve O'Grady will review proper application and modifications for this solution.

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The heart-bar shoe remains a revolutionary weapon for managing the painful and deadly founder and laminitis. When the heart-bar came to the forefront, it spurred a great deal of innovative thought for how hoof-care professionals can help these afflicted horses. Vernon, Texas, farrier Blane Chapman will discuss the protocols that he has found the greatest success in shoeing foundered and laminitic horses.

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A tenotomy may be necessary in a case where a horse is afflicted with laminitis. In this the first of this two part presentation, Travis Burns reviews his steps for shoeing a horse pre or post tenotomy.

CLICK HERE VIEW A PREVIEW VIDEO OF THIS SESSION

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The stench is diagnostically distinctive — the tendrils from the sole unmistakable — and for a horse with canker, the clock is already ticking by the time you notice the signs. In this presentation, Culpeper, Va., farrier Dave Giza, Warrenton, Va., veterinarian Megan Mathias, and West Chester, Pa., veterinarian Dr. Frank Reilly will share their evidence-based research in equine canker treatment protocol along with tools for treatment and cure. From identifying factors which cause numerous canker outbreaks, to assessing the impact of mud or footing on disease contraction, to evaluating canker symptoms which extend beyond the hoof — this presentation will provide the answers needed to successfully treat rather than euthanize.

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One of the more common problem farriers see is white line disease. University of California-Davis farrier Shane Westman was involved with a research project at the university that looks at the effectiveness of laser therapy for severe white line disease. He shows some preliminary results from the research team and explains how this therapy works.

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Horses with seasonal asthma or COPD make insulin resistance (IR) worse, which can lead to laminitis. At the same time, asthma/COPD breathing is made worse by IR. In this presentation, West Chester, Pa., veterinarian Frank Reilly will explain that in these horses, it’s important for the farrier to understand that the horse that is puffing hard as it’s trimmed, or that they see in a stall or field struggling to breathe, is likely to be your next laminitis case. The farrier, as a member of the barn-health professional team, needs to understand how this link works in order to bring this potential problem to the attention of the owner.

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The hoof capsule consists of three major horn types and two minor types. Together, they fulfill a number of important functions, which include protection of the sensitive tissues within, creating Dr. Simon Curtis a barrier to microbial invasion, providing grip and purchase to enhance locomotion. In this presentation, Newmarket, England, farrier and researcher Simon Curtis will discuss how the hoof capsule is subject to invasion by microbes causing keratolysis, affected by keratomatous growths and cracked by trauma. Farriery is involved in the treatment and alleviation of every assault upon the hoof capsule.

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