The Hoof Print - Ontario Farrier

News Bytes
OFA Conference
Plans are well underway
for the ontario Farrier’s
Association’s Annual
Convention to be held in
ottawa in March 2011.
As a member of the oFA,
I am pleased to be part
of planning this event
which serves as a great
opportunity for farriers
from across the province
to come together to learn,
share ideas and
experiences and hone
skills so that we can
continue to provide
optimal service to our
clients and horses.
Payment Alternative
I am now able to accept
email money transfers
(from all major banks) for
bill payments. Anyone
interested in this alternate
form of payment may
contact me at
gbirett@hotmail.com.
Greg Birett, CF
7 Longyear Drive
Waterdown ON L0R 2H5
905-320-2875
www.ontariofarrier.com
gbirett@hotmail.com
September 2010
The Hoof Print
Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services
Late in August, Iron
Horse Equestrian
Complex hosted their
first Central West
Trillium Show, which
from the feedback I’ve
heard, was a great
success.
Although I don’t
usually spend my days
off at the barn, I was
happy to have been
able to make it out.
The show had a great
atmosphere and I was
able to see lots of
familiar faces. It was
a pleasure to take
part in the ribbon
presentations for the
Low Hunter Division I
sponsored, and it was
fantastic to be able to
present ribbons to a
few clients!
Congratulations to Lise
Elder, Whitney Gibson
and Robin McCaw, all
of whom took home
ribbons in the division.
PHoToS
To p: Greg and Sandy
present Whitney
Gibson and On The
Mark with their first
place ribbon over
fences.
Bo T T o m: Greg and
Sandy congratulate
Lise Elder and Top
Gun on their first
place win on the flat.
In the Ribbons ...

The Hoof Print
Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services
The Abscess: What is it and how to do deal with it
For anyone who’s ever had a horse with an abscess, it
can be a worrisome experience as your horse can seem
fine one day and come out of his or her stall lame the
next. Fortunately, once detected, an abscess can often
be treated fairly easily and once treated, your horse’s
pain will typically subside quickly.
What is an abscess?
A hoof abscess is an invasion of bacteria trapped in
between sensitive and insensitive structures of the hoof
that multiply to form a liquid-filled pocket that puts
pressure on the soft tissues. They can cause the horse
to go three-legged-lame or go completely undetected,
depending on the location in the hoof and the amount of
pressure it’s causing. An abscess can be caused by a
puncture, a bruise or laminitis (which leaves an absence
of circulation in an area and resulting necrotic tissue), or
an abscess can start with a particle of foreign material
that has migrated up the white line and become infected.
Gravel is a term for an infection in the white line; a
subsolar abscess is in the sole.
An abscess in the white line will follow the path of least
resistance and therefore may travel up to drain out at
the hairline, or down to exit at the sole. A gravel abscess
occurring at the heel will usually have a much speedier
recovery than when it’s located at the toe because there
is less distance for it to travel (the toe length is longer
than the heel length) and the natural expansion and
contraction of the horse’s foot at the heel allows for the
migration of drainage much more easily.
A subsolar abscess is usually fairly easy to treat and
drain provided there are no foreign particles left in the
foot. Generally the more lame the horse is, the easier the
abscess is to find and excavate. Those ones where the
horse is just “slightly off” can be extremely hard to find,
and if it’s in the white line at the toe you could be waiting
for a very long time.
Treating an abscess
The treatment I usually recommend is Animalintex, which
is a poultice available at most tack shops. It adds lots
of moisture to the hoof which allows the laminae
to open up and the infection to work its way out.
Check the expiry date on your Animalintex, it does
have a shelf life and you don’t want to be wasting
time using a product that won’t work optimally. I
don’t like to suggest soaking the foot in an epsom
salt bath until the abscess has been opened up
because if the foot dries out too much from the salt,
then the laminae tighten up and the pocket can’t
drain.
After poulticing the foot, vet wrap or duct tape will
keep it in place and it should be changed daily. An
easy boot is good protection to ensure the dressing
stays on.
once draining has been established and the patient
is comfortable moving around again, a few days of
a ten minute epsom salt foot bath will help to finish
the job and pull any remaining infection out of the
foot. one or two more days of poultice is a good
idea to prevent it from starting all over again.
I’m sure all vets have their own treatments to
recommend. You should always contact your vet to
ensure tetanus shots are up-to-date and to
confirm that the problem isn’t something more
serious which could cause further injury if not
treated properly. In some cases antibiotics are
administered to prevent the proliferation of bacteria.
While no one is happy to have a problem with their
horse, finding an abscess is often somewhat of a
relief because the prognosis is much more
favourable than many of the alternative problems
that can cause a horse to go lame. With proper
treatment a horse will usually make a full recovery
within a week or two - which is a lot better than
other equine ailments.

The Hoof Print
Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services
Horses For Sale
Quiet & Willing Hunter Prospect
Four-year-old TB/Paint gelding. Quiet and sensible.
Does walk/trot/canter and started over fences. Brought
home ribbons at first show (hack division). Currently
15.2 hh, should mature 15.3 hh. Located at Rivermore
Stables, Milton. For more information, call Lise at
905-467-1481 or Annie at 905-580-2664.
Sweet Hunter Mare
2002 bay Holsteiner cross mare by Lancaster, 15.3 hh.
Shown successfully in hunter ring. Auto lead changes,
excellent movement, and a scopey jump, this mare will
make a wonderful companion for a rider looking to do
well in the hunter ring. Asking $10,000 or best offer.
Call Meghan at 905-527-7430 or email
megstewart29@hotmail.com.
World Class Warmbloods
Black Lightning Horses has a vast selection of
warmbloods for sale ranging in age and training/show
experience. All horses are well-mannered and handled
daily. For more information and photos/video visit
www.blacklightninghorses.com.
Talented Hunter Youngster
Four-year-old TB/Hanovarian gelding. 15.3 hh, bay
with four socks and a star. A true pleasure to work with
and ride. This talented boy was Reserve Champion for
the 2010 Central West Trillium Circuit Training Hunter
Division after entering only six of the 11 shows. Selling
due to lack of time with two young children. Photos and
video available. Call Leah at 905-635-4950.
What’s an Ergot?
Horse ergots are similar to chestnuts whereby they are
thought to be a vestige of a toe. The ergot grows on
both front and hind legs, on the rear underside of the
fetlock joint. Most often they are covered by hair and
easier to feel than see.
The ergot’s composition is a bit like the soft hoof wall
material and as it grows, the outer portion gets tough.
The size and amount of growth varies from horse to
horse. While it’s not necessary to remove ergots, many
horse owners do so primarily for aesthetic reasons.
If ergots are pinched or rubbed (if very soft) regularly,
they can easily be removed. However, if a horse’s
ergots are very long and tough, they can be trimmed
down by your farrier (as can chestnuts).
Congratulations, mate!
After a long wait, Anthony Daly (Greg’s assistant),
finally received the good news that he’s been
accepted as a Canadian citizen. Congratulations!
HORSE TREATS
Here’s a quick and easy recipe for making your own
horse treats. We’ve yet to find a horse that doesn’t love
‘em!
Ingredients
2 - 3 Apples
3 Carrots
1 cup Flour
5 cups Oatmeal
1 carton Molasses
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar
Instructions
Use a food processor to dice apples and shred
carrots. Mix apples and carrots with flour, sugar and
salt. Add oatmeal and mix in molasses. If the mixture is
too runny, add additional oatmeal. Form into small balls
and place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Store in fridge.

The Hoof Print
Produced by Greg Birett Farrier Services
Winter options
It’s hard to believe kids are already back to school is and
we’re heading toward the Royal followed by the winter
months of bundling up with layers of clothing and riding
indoors - if riding at all.
Some things horse owners might consider for the winter
months to keep your horse safe and sound are:
WInTER CoRkS
What are they?
Small drive in studs with borium (tungsten carbide) tips to
provide traction on ice for horses with shoes. These small
corks can help prevent horses from slipping in icy
conditions and potentially injuring themselves.
What do they cost?
The cost for winter corks is minimal. A pair of shoes can
be fitted with corks for only $10 and they will last as long
as the shoes.
SnoW PAdS
What are they?
A rim or bubble pad that goes between the horseshoe
and the horse’s foot. The pad prevents snow or ice from
balling up inside the shoe. Snow pads are especially
useful for horses that are being walked in sloping areas
where ice balls in their feet can be dangerous both for
horses and their handlers.
What do they cost?
A pair of snow pads costs $25 and they should last the
entire winter season.
Just for a Laugh...
did you know...
Horses have survived and evolved using flight as their
primary defence method and the ‘stay apparatus’ is a
key element.
The front and hind limbs can lock into place so the
horse can sleep standing up using very little muscular
effort. This mechanical design of bones, ligaments,
muscles and tendons is called the ‘stay apparatus’ and
it allows for the horse to be in a constant readiness for
flight.
When a horse is at rest, they will periodically rest one
hind limb and then the other. This is because a horse
can lock a hind leg at the stifle (knee), which in turn
locks the hock (the hock and stifle joints always bend
together and if one can’t bend, neither can the other).
This makes the
supporting leg like a
weight bearing post,
requiring very little
muscular effort.
So, if a horse is
sleeping standing
up and is startled,
he or she is ready
to spring into motion
in an instant, and
therefore able to
quickly put distance
between himself
and whatever the
threat may be.
An out-of-towner accidentally drove his car into a deep ditch on a country road. Luckily, a farmer happened by with his
big old horse named Betsy. The man asked for help. The farmer said that Betsy could pull his car out, so he backed
Betsy up and hitched Betsy to the man’s car bumper.
Then he yelled, “Pull, Nellie, pull.” Betsy didn’t move. Then he yelled, “Come on, pull Ranger.” Still, Betsy didn’t move.
Then he yelled really loud, “Now pull, Fred, pull hard.” Betsy just stood. Then the farmer nonchalantly said, “Okay
Betsy, pull.” Betsy pulled the car out of the ditch.
The man was very appreciative but curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three
times. The farmer said, “Oh, Betsy is blind and if she thought she was the only one pulling, she wouldn’t even try.”