BEVA Congress (11-14 September 2024, at the ACC in Liverpool) will be shining the spotlight on the horse’s foot with a lecture stream dedicated to the foot and farriery. The wide range of content should appeal to vets, vet nurses and farriers and aims to celebrate teamwork between vets and farriers in making the dream work.
The farriery stream will run all day on Saturday 14 September, with content curated by Dr Simon Curtis who is internationally renowned in the hoof-care world for his remedial farriery textbooks and lectures.
“Any historical, perceived divide between science of veterinary medicine and the craft of farriery is no longer in existence,” said Simon. “The overlap is vast which means it is more essential than ever that vets, nurses and farriers understand each other’s roles in order to maximise their patient outcomes.”
“Farriery isn’t sexy, but it beats everything else for improving soundness. It is impossible to maintain or regain soundness without farriery being considered as an integral part of the process.
“The impact good farriery can have on a horse’s ability to tolerate conformational, work-related or other causes of lameness associated pathology is all too often overlooked by all parties, and this should no longer be the case. Vets and farriers must work as a team to avoid injury and facilitate recovery wherever possible.”
The sessions will cover significant ground, exploring various aspects of the critical connection between veterinary science and the craft of the farrier, including:
It’s not the shoe that fixes the horse it’s the trim
The focus on types of shoe has been an enemy of progress for some vets and farriers. This misplaced belief that changing the type of shoe is sufficient to bring about improvement ignores the importance of trimming in altering the biomechanics of the foot. “It is this bigger, more complex picture which must be appreciated by all involved if we are to really make a positive difference to the horses we treat,” said Simon.
Horseshoes do have by bio-mechanical effects but what are they?
Achieving a better understanding of the effect the shoe has is paramount to recognising where they make a difference, and ensuring the appropriate changes are made which take into account the whole horse, both in the short- and long-term.
Why do heels collapse and can we repair them?
Collapsing heels is one of the biggest challenges associated with poor foot confirmation and lameness, which is associated, but may originate elsewhere. Various theories and practices are seemingly indicated but what is the evidence and how can it be used to be determine the best course of action for cases of both prevention and treatment of the condition once established?
Chronic club foot is manageable by farriery
Chronic club foot is a condition causing much concern amongst owners, vets and farriers alike. There is mounting evidence to justify why some methods of management should be employed and where success is most likely to be achieved, on a case-by-case basis.
Digital support may not be a cure-all but in many cases, it is effective
Digital support can be hugely rewarding with appropriate case selection. Understanding where and how this technique can be applied is something all vets and farriers should strive to understand.
Trimming the toe back: when did that ever work?
This catch-all was (and still is!) frequently prescribed to supposedly cure all manner of foot balance and painful conditions, but when carried out inappropriately it can be seriously detrimental to the horse’s soundness and long-term progress. Understanding the impact and context in which this technique can and should be used is vital for avoiding this common pitfall.
BEVA Congress is uniquely produced by horse vets for horse vets. The farriery stream is part of 90+ hours of live and on-demand CPD on offer, covering almost every aspect of equine medicine, surgery and practice. The balance of practical and clinical content is delivered via interactive discussion, debates and workshops. There is also an expanded stream for Vet Nurses.
The full BEVA Congress programme can be found here.
BEVA members prices for Congress for all three days are £699 for vets (with concessionary prices available for those in their first three years of graduation or earning less than £25,000), £273 for nurse members for all three days and £300 for farriers and other allied professionals for all three days or £110 for one day.
Tickets provide access to all lectures, practicals, the exhibition hall, as well as full access to the virtual Congress hub, where delegates will have access to Congress content for six months after the event.
To find out more and to book your tickets to BEVA Congress today.