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Monday, December 3, 2007

Horse Health Topics Headline 2007 Adequan/USDF Annual Convention
By Lynndee Kemmet for DressageDaily.com

Interested in attending the lectures presented at the 2007 Adequan/USDF Annual Convention? You will be able to view all content on DressageTrainingOnline.com very soon. Stay tuned to DressageDaily for details as they come.

The Foundation of the Horse: Legs and Feet Are the Focus of Many Health Sessions at Adequan/USDF Annual Convention

Legs and feet are vital to maintaining soundness in horses and several educational sessions at this year’s Adequan/USDF Annual Convention addressed the importance of good conformation in both the legs and the feet. Dr. Erin Denney-Jones was one of the convention’s first educational presenters and focused her lecture on the role of conformation in lameness. While she touched on the foot, she directed many to a presentation held later in the day by Dr. Stephen Grady, a specialist in hoof anatomy and care.

When it comes to lameness, Denney-Jones said that “nine times out of 10, it starts with the hoof.” Poor conformation also plays a role and in fact, a careful look at conformation can give horse owners an idea of conditions to which their horse might be prone, such as navicular disease and ringbone. “Keep in mind that 65 percent of a horse’s weight is carried in the front and how the legs line up will tell you where the stress will be,” she said.

Dr. Grady ensured that everyone who attended his seminar learned something about every part of the hoof and the role each part plays. Like Denney-Jones, Dr. Grady spent a good portion of his lecture discussing the role of that conformation of the foot plays in the development of diseases of the foot, such as laminitis.

Throughout, Dr. Grady emphasized the importance of maintaining proper hoof care from the get go. For example, some conformation defects can be corrected if caught early, but once a horse matures “you don’t change his conformation.”

What can be improved through proper trimming and shoeing – he emphasized that the trim is the most important of all – is balance. And a balanced foot, Dr. Grady said, means a foot in which all of the parts are working together properly. A healthy hoof serves three important purposes – it protects, it can bear weight and it can handle concussion. Lose that healthy hoof and these three critical roles of the hoof are in jeopardy.

Adding to the discussion regarding hoof and leg care were Dr. Hilary Clayton and Nick Attwood who joined forces for a presentation on the impacts of arena footing on the legs and feet of horses. Their message was one of moderation – footing should be neither too hard nor too deep. Too hard, Clayton said, puts bones and joints at risk. Too soft, threatens ligaments and tendons.