HoofSearch

10/06/2025

That moment when you think you don't have time to scroll your Facebook feed and then you see a reel from a favorite HoofSearch subscriber. Meet Dr. Erik Bergman from the Sporthorse Medical Diagnostic Centre SMDC in The Netherlands...but you probably already know him!

09/13/2025

Laminitis research includes the study of horses with PPID ("Cushings disease") and insulin dysregulation conditions commonly described as equine metabolic syndrome. Pergolide, marketed in the USA under the name "Prascend" by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. has been available to these horses but is still being researched to unlock the fine points of which horses benefit most, and where future challenges lie to help more horses live with these conditions without the complications of accompanying .

Congratulations to The University of Melbourne 's Nicolas Galinelli for his achievement in winning the Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) Open Award at this week's BEVA - The British Equine Veterinary Association in the UK.

Here are the details: Effect of pergolide treatment on insulin dysregulation in horses and ponies with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction by Nicolas C. Galinelli, Nicholas J. Bamford, Madison L. Erdody, A. Mackenzie, Tobias Warnken, Patricia A. Harris, Martin N. Sillence and Simon R. Bailey, published in the February 2025 issue of Equine Veterinary Journal.

The article was published under an Open Access license and may be read online or downloaded by all from this link:
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.14468

As shown in this photo, the award was presented to Galinelli by Great Britain's Princess Anne, who is the royal patron of BEVA.

07/11/2025

The new HoofSearch has been released! Subscribers: check your email for the link; it may be in your "promotions" folder if you use gmail. Lots to read this weekend, even if you've escaped to the beach!

06/16/2025

La boiterie peut se manifester par :

- Une dissymétrie du mouvement (ex : pas étriqué, irrégularité au trot, déséquilibre du galop)
- Une altération de l’harmonie locomotrice (asymétrie du port de tête, manque d’engagement postérieur…)
- Des signes comportementaux liés à la douleur : refus d’aller dans un coin, raideur, défenses à la jambe ou au montoir, oreilles systématiquement en arrière…

🔍 La vigilance du cavalier est la première étape d’un bon diagnostic.

06/11/2025

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities - IFHA and Equine Veterinary Journal published a comprehensive collection of new horseracing safety research. https://hoofsearch.com/f/equine-veterinary-journal-new-racehorse-safety-research-resource (There's a podcast about it, as well).

05/28/2025

Equine research isn't always just locked away in the library, or stuck in a browser bookmark. Recent research at the University of Liverpool led to the corporate group of veterinary practices to become the latest to require equine veterinarians and staff to wear helmets when working around horses.

Research results lead to PPE requirement for British equine vets working at CVS-owned practices

04/26/2025

And then *this* happened: The University of Mexico (UNAM) Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has voluntarily withdrawn from AVMA Council of Education accreditation for its veterinary school after the US organization announced it would discontinue enforcement of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. Here's coverage from the AVMA news office; scroll to the end of the article to read the statement on DEI, including that the decision was based on executive order policies mandated by US President Donald Trump.

The AVMA Council on Education (COE) made a number of accreditation decisions at its March 15–18 meeting at AVMA headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois.

04/18/2025

The Glasgow Equine Hospital and Practice, University of Glasgow has announced a new study to evaluate the effect of hoof imbalance, and therapeutic spiral shoeing techniques. The University vets will work with resident farrier Jim Ferrie . This website link describes the study in detail, along with how the vet school is recruiting the horse owners to invest in the research by offering deeply discounted lameness exams, standing MRIs, and expert shoeing. Well presented, and more to follow! https://glasgowequine.co.uk/improving-understanding-of-equine-lameness-spiral-shoeing-research-study/

03/27/2025

Here's yet another link to the AVMA's Laminitis prevention podcast featured in the last issue of HoofSearch , in case you haven't listened yet. It is casual, easy to listen to, and has important information for anyone caring for horses and hoping to effectively prevent . Listen in now, at the audio link from Penn Vet, or catch it in video on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVU4E6XMIPo

Cooling treatments for equine laminitis have long been standard practice, but groundbreaking research now reveals that not all cooling methods deliver equal results. Drs. Andrew Van Eps and Sarah Ciamillo join us to discuss their study which found...

03/25/2025

What happened when a major international broadcaster made a 26-minute documentary about one of the world's leading equine surgery clinics?

Answer: This.

Of course everyone knows Jan-HeinSwagemakers: surgeon, educator, German Olympic team vet, etc. You wouldn't likely see him in the same place in the world twice, unless you went to Luesche in Germany. This film takes you into the mega-clinic he founded, but the camera looked beyond the surgeons and found the horses themselves, the owners, the nurses, even a horse van driver and an international flight groom. From loading a horse for the long ride to surgery, to positioning a horse for a CT scan, to before and after anesthesia, and into the job that requires almost equally high level skills in explaining a diagnosis to a client as it does to performing state-of-the-art surgery.

With an English over-narration track, this project gives a great insight into equine sports medicine and lameness diagnostics...and the many facets of providing referral care to animals who are high in value, whether monetarily to investors or emotionally to worried owners.

Thanks, DW News, and thanks, Tierklinik Lüsche. I wonder what became of that nice chestnut mare...

A special veterinary clinic in the northern German town of Lüsche is a global destination for horse owners. They flock here, thanks to head surgeon Dr. Jan Hein Swagemakers’ minimally invasive surgery – a technique he learned operating on humans.

03/22/2025

I felt like I was "springing ahead" when I hit publish on the latest HoofSearch. Here are a few vital statistics of the new research on equine hoof science, biomechanics, anatomy, therapeutics, and rehabilitation (plus 11 other topics). The leading topic this time was new research on .

For those unacquainted with the HoofSearch concept, it's an instant cure for research FOMO*. I gather citations and links to new peer-reviewed research for each month, and send it subscribers who either drill down deeply in their subject areas, or gain a quick overview of "what's out there", knowing they've seen the list.

The list lives on their phones, tablets, and computers for a quick check or link share, anytime they need it.

And, since I'm still a journalist when I'm not in the library, I always include news about equine research from the lameness/podiatry perspective.

You can subscribe anytime, sign up for e-news, or order a single copy here: https://hoofsearch.com .

(*For non-English speaking friends: FOMO = Fear of Missing Out)

02/19/2025

Here's a research article from Ireland's Thomas Dunbar. It will be featured in the February , but I thought I'd share it in advance. We often make assumptions about studs for grass vs artificial arena surfaces. Thomas took on the challenge. Thank you! (citation and link to full text in the comments to comply with Facebook)

🐴 New Publication 🐴

🥼 Authors: Thomas Dunbar & Soraya Morscher

📚 The Effect of Screw-In Studs on Equine Hoof and Limb Kinematics while Cantering and Jumping on an Artificial Surface

👀 Open Access - https://rasayely-journals.com/index.php/ijes/article/view/144/92.

💥 Summary:

Studs are used to optimise hoof grip to prevent slip and enhance performance. Previous research has explored the effect of studs on a grass surface during canter, the influence of stud length on braking forces and the effect of restricted foot slip on bone strains. However, previous work has not addressed the influence of screw-in studs during canter and jumping on an artificial surface. This study demonstrates that canter kinematics were largely unaffected by stud use on an artificial surface; however, unexpectedly, some jumping parameters significantly improved. A significant reduction in the stance duration at jump landing is concerning as this may lead to higher braking forces in the distal limb, potentially resulting in an increased risk of overload injuries.