| The Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit's Shoeing and Hoof Care Committee is now offering a free educational DVD entitled, "The Hoof: Inside and Out" that examines the physiology of the equine hoof and demonstrates proper care and shoeing techniques.
"The hoof is the foundation of equine performance so it is imperative that those entrusted with the well-being of racehorses possess the knowledge necessary to properly care for and maintain this core component of equine locomotion," said WinStar Farm co-owner Bill Casner, chairman of the summit's Shoeing and Hoof Care Committee. "This DVD provides some basic information that will be helpful to owners, trainers, grooms, and anyone else involved with the racehorse, to have a better understanding of the hoof and its care."
The 65-minute DVD, which was produced by the Keeneland Association's broadcast services department under the direction of G.D. Hieronymus, includes seven segments:
- Introduction and Overview
- Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit
- Physiology — The Equine Limb
- Basic Hoof Care and Trimming
- The Basics of Horse Shoeing
- Types of Shoes
- Farrier's Role and Communication (with Trainers and Owners)
The video is available for download from the summit's website at http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org/summitdisplay.asp.
A DVD copy of "The Hoof: Inside and Out" can be obtained free of charge (limit one per customer) by contacting Cathy McNeeley, The Jockey Club's administrative assistant for industry initiatives, at (859) 224-2728 or cmcneeley@jockeyclub.com.
"The Hoof: Inside and Out" features the insights of a number of hoof experts and industry professionals, including Mitch Taylor, director of the Kentucky Horseshoeing School; prominent Kentucky-based farriers Steve Norman and Colby Tipton; Dr. Scott Morrison of the Podiatry Center at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital; Dr. Sue Stover of the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Mary Scollay, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission; Kentucky Derby-winning trainer John T. Ward; Bill Casner; and Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation President Ed Bowen.
The Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit, coordinated and underwritten by Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation and The Jockey Club, featured a wide cross-section of the breeding, racing, and veterinary community for two-day workshops in October 2006 and March 2008. Both summits were hosted by Keeneland Association.
Like the Shoeing and Hoof Care Committee, several other committees that were formed at the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit are still meeting on a regular basis to enhance welfare and safety in the Thoroughbred industry.
Additional information about the Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit is available on the summit's website. Click here.
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