Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital is set to host the Third Rood & Riddle International Podiatry Conference Apr. 19-20 at the Rood & Riddle Podiatry Center in Lexington, Ky.
The seminar is tailored for veterinarians and farriers, aiming to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange in equine podiatry. The conference will explore key areas such as biomechanics, laminitis, and the latest innovations in the field. Distinguished speakers from the equine industry, including Andrew van Eps, BVSc., PhD., MACVSc., DACVIM, from the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, will lead lectures.
The American Farrier's Association (AFA) is pleased to announce the return of our 50th Annual Convention to Arlington, Texas, Nov. 8-12, at the Arlington Expo Center.
As the only nationwide event of its kind and scale, the AFA Convention brings farriers, veterinarians, suppliers, horse owners and students together for four days of education, competition, certification, hands-on learning and networking, as well as a robust MarketPlace that includes many of the top suppliers and manufacturers in the equine industry.
Beginning on Monday, Nov. 8, our 50th Annual Convention will feature guest lecturers who are the top of their fields in the farrier, blacksmith and veterinarian professions. Including 20 hour-long session in just four days, attendees will be able to learn from renowned speakers on a variety of hoof-care related topics.
In addition to lectures, AFA Convention guests will be able to participate in hands-on learning demonstrations with our qualified certification instructors, start their journey towards farrier certification with our Examiners and Testers, visit top-of-the-line suppliers and exhibitors in our MarketPlace, network with people from all over the world, and watch the best farriers in the industry compete in our 2021 National Forging & Horseshoeing Competition.
The National Forging & Horseshoeing Competition will take place from Nov. 9 through Nov. 11, featuring over 100 farriers competing in the Open, Intermediate and 2-Person Draft Classes, and culminating in the Capewell North American Challenge Cup Live Shoeing Finals on Nov. 11 from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. It is following this competition that the members of the 2022 American Farriers Team will be named. These outstanding competitors will then represent the United States at competitions all over the world, but most notably at the International Team Horseshoeing Competition at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, England, in October 2022.
“We are excited to be returning to Arlington for our 50th year to showcase the rich history of our association in a location that has proven to be popular with our attendees and vendors. We look forward to highlighting our past success and looking toward the future during this special 50-year celebration,” said AFA executive director, Martha Jones. “We welcome anyone in the Arlington area to attend—even if it's only for just one day—to watch and learn from the top farriers and veterinarians in the world, and to better understand why using a qualified farrier matters for the welfare of your horse.”
More information on the AFA Convention, including the full schedule of speakers, events, registration and competition classes, can be found on our website.
Farriers practicing their craft on the racetrack backstretches of America — sometimes derogatorily termed “platers” — are often considered to be less effective than their sporthorse counterparts on the other side of the stable gate.
The reasons for this misconception are twofold, explained journeyman farrier Pat Broadus.
First, racehorses coming off the track are usually at the end of their shoeing cycle, or even overdue, so those individuals tasked with taking over the horses' care do not see the feet at their best. That image of long-toed, uneven hooves is then perceived to be the fault of the farrier at the track, when in reality the horses' feet may have simply overgrown the shoes due to the time it takes to find retiring racehorses a new home.
Second, the lack of a standardized test to acquire a racetrack farrier's license has been a growing problem for several decades. As it stands in most states, all it takes to be licensed to shoe racehorses is a currently licensed farrier to vouch for the newcomer. The pitfalls of this system are easy to see, with unqualified individuals able to acquire licenses and begin caring for racehorses' feet without the necessary education to do so safely and successfully.
Licensing for racetrack farriers hasn't always been that way.
The Journeyman Horseshoers Union, founded in 1874 as one of the oldest labor unions in the United States, initially helped farriers collaborate with the Teamsters, those driving teams of horses over long distances. The JHU developed tests for farriers, including forging custom shoes as well as exams on equine anatomy and physiology.
When the Teamsters switched from horsepower to engines, the JHU found a new home on the backstretch of the racetrack. In its heyday, the JHU required a five-year apprenticeship with a veteran racetrack farrier in order to be eligible to take the licensing exam.
The difficulty of the test and strict requirements of the JHU meant that racetrack farriers were considered to be at the very top of their profession from the 1940s through the 1960s.
By the 1970s however, the power of the JHU had started to decline as right-to-work laws began to grow in number. The apprenticeship requirement was decreased to three years, and continued complaining about the testing, as well as a lack of qualified examiners, eventually helped wipe out the exam altogether.
The American Farrier's Association, established in 1971, has since moved to the forefront of farriery qualifications. The AFA has developed four levels of testing for farriers, with “journeyman” the highest qualification, and in the minds of many, that has helped sporthorse farriers shift to the forefront as the “best” of their profession.
The most unique aspect of the AFA testing is the written portion of the exam, which tests a farrier's knowledge of anatomy, structure, how shoeing affects a horse's motion and stride, and different lameness issues.
“They're getting $350 to $400 to shoe show horses, so what's happened is the talent level at the racetrack has decreased,” explained Pat Broadus, who added that racetrack farriers may shoe horses for $200-$250 apiece. “The people that come out of school or have a lot of talent are drawn to show horses because they make more money. It's a better lifestyle with weekends off and you don't have to travel as much, so we're really losing a lot of talent in the younger people coming up.”
Since racetrack licensing boards do not require AFA certification for farriers seeking a license, and licensing is contingent upon the validation of other working farriers, it's been hard for racetracks to strike the right balance between ensuring a high level of competency, fulfilling the demand for horseshoers, and avoiding right-to-work lawsuits.
In 2016, The Jockey Club attempted to refine a standardized farrier's test that it hoped would be adopted nationwide, much like model rules for other aspects of racing. The standardized farrier's test was developed by the Shoeing & Hoof Care Committee of the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, chaired by prominent owner Bill Casner.
However, debate amongst trainers and currently-licensed farriers about the test's format and who the examiners would be kept the project from getting off the ground.
“For the most part, racetrack shoers stay quiet and stay in the background,” explained Pat Broadus. “Most of these guys have businesses built, and they help bring somebody else along.
“Still, a lot of racetrackers were looking for something to validate themselves, to prove they could get things done on the big stage. It was up to them, because the test had been gone; you couldn't take a test and be validated anymore.”
Tired of hearing that racetrack farriers were not as good as their sporthorse counterparts, Broadus decided to pursue the AFA's top-level journeyman certification. In April of 2021 he became the first racetrack farrier to earn that distinction in nearly 40 years.
Eric Gillaland was the lead examiner for several parts of Broadus' testing.
“For him, coming from the racehorse background, is a little different from the majority of the AFA,” Gillaland said. “For the journeyman test, you have to make a bar shoe to fit a pattern. The first time he did it, he did it in aluminum, and we weren't sure about that. Everybody else does it in steel. But he did a beautiful job. He's talented enough that the second time, he just did it in steel.
“His method was also very different on his live horseshoeing. We use plain stamp shoes, which are definitely not a racehorse thing, because there's no traction at all in those. He made templates, then walked to the truck and didn't have to walk back and forth to the horse 10 times to see if it fit. Watching him go through stuff, the efficiency that he has, most of the racetrackers probably have to be efficient to get so many young, excitable horses done each day.”
Broadus has now inspired other racetrack farriers to pursue their AFA certifications, spending multiple hours of his own time each week helping them study.
“I was a farrier for 28 years before I took the test, and I'm a much better farrier now than I was then,” Broadus said. “But at the end of the day, it's not about me. I stepped up and did it first, but if no one else does it, it doesn't mean anything. That's the reason I'm so proud of these guys going up there; they're leading the way.”
Broadus' father, Sonny, was the president of the Arkansas branch of the JHU, and was an examiner for some of the final JHU exams given in that state.
“We had a lot more quality horseshoers back then,” Sonny Broadus said. “There was no such thing as a superstar. There were just craftsmen, and everybody kind of followed their lead.
“The trainers knew a lot more, too. Trainers would walk around the barn area while you were shoeing a horse. He might stand there for 30 minutes, talking to someone else while he watched you shoe a horse, and you might see him three or four times in a week. If he liked what he saw, he'd come back and ask you if you had room to add his horses to your schedule, and you'd work something out.”
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The elder Broadus is extremely proud of his son's passion to help improve not only his own craft, but that of those around him. He hopes Pat's dedication to continuing education helps show today's trainers the importance of testing farriers.
“Every trainer should want his farrier to at least be qualified, and that's what the journeyman's test with the JHU stood for,” said Sonny Broadus. “It told you he was qualified; he's not a genius, but he's not going to hurt you, either.”
Gillaland agreed that trainers should want their farriers to be able to pass the competency exam, but acknowledged that the AFA hasn't been as proactive as it could be about educating trainers and horse owners about the certification process.
“The AFA is an excellent organization, but the downfall is it's run by volunteer farriers, and the reason we get into this is we're hands-on people,” Gillaland said. “We're not sit-downers, so to do other stuff to promote the certification, it doesn't really fall into the realm of understanding.
“It really comes down to, I think, the majority of people are not that involved in certification because their owners don't ask for it. Whoever their farrier is, that's who they think is best.”
“If these trainers knew what was involved in studying for and taking the test, they'd start asking their farriers whether or not they were certified,” Gillaland summarized.
Veterinarians at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital answer your questions about sales and healthcare of Thoroughbred auction yearlings, weanlings, 2-year-olds and breeding stock.
Question: How do crushed heels happen, and how might they impact an athletic horse (racehorse or sport horse)?
Dr. Scott Fleming: The modern Thoroughbred has been continuously refined for speed and this is reflected in the light, often thinner walled hooves they possess. A lighter hoof is more susceptible to forces acted on it at speed and can manifest itself in hoof deformation and eventual dysfunction of anatomical structures in the caudal or “back” part of the hoof. Crushed or significantly underrun heels are a hoof conformation fault encountered in all breeds, but very common in the Thoroughbred.
This condition typically develops over time and can be prevalent by early adulthood. There are varying degrees of crushed heels. Depending on the observer, you can describe the degree of heel dysfunction as “low heels” being milder and “crushed” being more severe. Crushed heels can be seen by the eye, but hidden within the hoof, there are often changes that take advanced imaging such as radiography, CT, or MRI to define. Often, crushed heels are accompanied by negative palmar (forelimb) or plantar (hindlimb) angles of the coffin bone, a broken back hoof-pastern axis, and degradation of the digital cushion which is the lifeblood of caudal hoof function.
A hoof is a functioning framework of bone, soft tissue and hoof wall/sole keratin all working together to support and provide traction for the horse. This highly specialized unit must endure tremendous load and stress whether at rest or speed. Proper development from an early age is critical to maintaining a healthy hoof into and throughout adulthood. Timely and attentive hoof care early in life along with activity providing impact/concussion while growing are very important factors for development. The wings of the coffin bone are very short in early life and grow caudally as the horse matures. Strong healthy wings are critical for maintaining health in the back of the hoof as they share load with the digital cushion. We often see underdeveloped or resorbing coffin bone wings with crushed/low heels.
Crushed heels can significantly impact performance through unsoundness or physical breakdown of the hoof with heel or quarter cracks. Often, these horses are heel sore and may have bruising or “corns” present. Low heels or negative palmar/plantar angles also increase stress that can lead to soft tissue injury further up the limb. A good physical exam of the hoof is an integral part of diagnosing a problem and formulating a treatment plan. While prevention is the best medicine, therapeutic shoeing/trimming protocols including bar shoes, sole support, and addressing mechanical needs of the hoof can all help with this problem. Unfortunately, the effects can often linger if severe.
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Scott Fleming, originally from Northeast Texas, grew up riding Western performance Quarter Horses and working with cattle. Upon graduating from high school, Fleming attended farrier school and maintained a quarter horse centric farrier business in Northeast and central Texas until moving to Lexington. He also served in the Marine Corps Infantry for four years.
Fleming graduated from veterinary school at Texas A&M University in 2013. He then completed an internship at Rood & Riddle in 2013-2014, continued at the hospital as a fellow, and is currently an associate veterinarian at Rood & Riddle.
Outside of Rood & Riddle, Fleming enjoys spending time on the farm with his wife, Tina and their two children, Callie and Case. A special interest for Dr. Fleming is participating in Equitarian Initiative trips to Central America to help working equids in the region.
Do you have a question for a veterinarian that you'd like to see in Ask Your Vet? Email natalie at paulickreport.com
