October 10, 2011

A Quick Update

Here’s a quick update on what I’ve been up to. Besides trimming a lot of horses and fitting a lot of boots, I have continued my education at every opportunity.

In March of 2010 I attended the American Hoof Association Conference at Auburn University, in Alabama. http://www.americanhoofassociation.org/  A week of great speakers, clinics, and surrounded by some of the most experienced trimmers in the business, I learned a lot. Dr. Debra Taylor, of the Veterinary Collage, shared the research she has been doing with Pete Ramey on rehabilitating foundered horses. She was very generous with her time. She lectured and took us into the field to see some of her cases first hand. We studied radiographs and venograms and spent a day in the Anatomy Lab dissecting.
I was also honored to meet Dr. Kerry Ridgeway, for the first time. As a traditional Vet, also licensed in Chiropractics and Acupuncter, Dr. Ridgeway uses conventional and integrative medicine to get to the root of the problem and treat the whole horse. He demonstrated a technique he has developed for diagnosing ulcers through reactive points, and common muscular and chiropractic patterns. http://www.drkerryridgway.com/index.php

In August 2010 Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners held it’s annual meeting in LA. Brian Hampson of the Australian Brumby Research Unit was our speaker, lecturing for 2 full days on his findings in the outback. http://www.wildhorseresearch.com/

This past March I returned to Auburn University for my second AHA conference. Dr. Taylor was full of information once again and Dr. Robert Bowker, Professor of Anatomy at MSU and owner of Corona Vista Equine Center http://www.coronavistaequinecenter.com/home.html, presented his research. Dr. Ridgeway, was back with a new direction. He has been studying the hi/low hoof syndrome, side dominance in the horse and how it affects the muscular skeletal system. I found this information incredibly relevant to my work and made the decision to learn more.

In June I attended a 2 day “Movement and Biomechanics” clinic with Dr. Kerry Ridgeway and his wife Christine Heraud-Ridgeway, in Northern California. Part lecture, with a lot of hands on, we learned what to look for in movement and how to look for it. There was a lot of discussion on side dominance, how to recognize it and what issues it can cause for the horse. If you ever get the chance to attend one of Dr. Ridgeway’s clinics, I would highly recommend it. For more information check out his web site at the Institute for Equine Therapeutic Options.  http://www.drkerryridgway.com/