Equine practitioners are regularly exposed to various and sometimes contradicting opinions on farriery and especially on therapeutic shoeing. The fact that new graduates go into practice with minimal training in farriery and shoeing only exacerbates the problem and leaves practitioners grappling with this contentious subject.

This 2-day practical course approaches the subject in a scientific and as objective way as possible by reporting established and recent, cutting-edge facts from scientifically sound clinical studies and aims to equip equine practitioners to have meaningful and informed discussions with their farriers.

In the mornings the following topics will be covered by the specialists through highly-illustrated lectures in English and there will be plenty of time available to ask questions and for debates:

Functional Anatomy & Physiology of the Foot
Biomechanics of the Distal Limb & the Relationship between Stress and Shape
Examination of the Foot – Veterinarian’s vs. Farrier’s Approach
Principles of Trimming & Shoeing
Anatomy & ‘Physiology’ of a Horse Shoe
Effect of Shoes on ‘normal’ Foot Function
Hoof Capsule Distortions - Underrun Heels, Club Feet & Sheared Heels
The Use of Composites
Foot Wounds: Characteristics, Healing & Treatment
Laminitis & Various Types of Displacement
Hoof Problems in Foals: Corrective Shoeing for Angular & Flexural Limb Deformities
Hoof Capsule Conditions – Infections, Cracks & Poor Wall Quality
In the afternoons, 7 hours of practical sessions will give attendees plenty of opportunity to put theory into practice on live horses and limb specimens in small groups (2 vets per specimen) and to discuss all aspects of foot trimming, shoeing and farriery with the specialists. Each attendee will be rotating through the following practical stations:

Foot Examination on live Horses
Preparing the Foot for Shoeing
Shoeing Techniques
Use of Radiography in Farriery
Foot Casting Techniques
Applying Wooden Shoes
The course fee includes lunches at a restaurant, coffee/tea breaks, extensive electronic course notes and a certificate of attendance. Attendees can choose to only attend the lectures (= Lectures Only) on this course or can register for the entire course (= Lectures & Practical Sessions). Early course registration is recommended as there are only a limited number of places available due to the highly practical nature of this course.