THE MASSACHUSETTS EQUINE CLINIC

How, then does one approach a “foot health” orientation and translate it into a viable part of daily  equine practice, tying soundness to general health? How much of one's daily work revolves around the use of podiatric principles?  And how much post-graduate study in podiatry is necessary to acquire and maintain the knowledge that we must have to keep current? The answers will become evident as you progress through the chapters ahead. Overall, education is the key to successful implementation of a podiatry program in any practice, large or small.  In a practice that sees large numbers of lame horses, it’s axiomatic that between 70% and 80% of the cases will involve the foot.  Therefore, adequate therapy will almost always involve some aspect of podiatry, even if only in a supportive role. If one examines the number of lame horses seen a year and then realizes how many you refer or pass along to a farrier, you can see that there is a powerful economic tool at hand that can stimulate the busiest of farriers to pay attention when you send a case their way. In our practice we refer to several farriers locally, or work with any farrier the owner chooses.  We keep an active file of farriers for every situation. We attend local and national conferences on podiatry and speak when asked at meetings.  When specialists visit, we invite farriers to attend and observe, often “recruiting” new farriers for future referral. With computerized reminder systems and reports, it is easier than ever to develop the podiatry side of any equine practice.  The following chapters will provide a serious post-graduate course in the latest aspects of veterinary podiatry in current use.

          There are three targets in a successful education program:  Veterinarian, farrier and client.  Each takes a specialized effort, and each must be approached somewhat differently. There are also three basic elements necessary to integrate such a program into a practice successfully, education, technology and economics.