In this episode, we explore the precision of shoeing the dressage horse, from Intro level through to Grand Prix.

Learn how different movements influence hoof loading, how to assess the horse both statically and dynamically, and how shoeing strategies adapt to surfaces, conformation, and performance demands.

We cover trimming principles, shoe selection, barefoot management, and the importance of working alongside vets and physiotherapists to support long-term soundness.

A practical, evidence-based guide for farriers working with the modern dressage athlete.

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The Hoofcare Companion (eBook Edition) eBook : Jerram, Marc: Amazon.co.uk: Books

Cushings disease, correctly termed pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, is one of the most important endocrine disorders affecting the ageing horse and a leading underlying cause of laminitis and chronic hoof pathology.

In this episode of The Hoofcare Companion, host Marc Jerram delivers a clear, farriery focused overview of Cushings disease, explaining how pituitary dysfunction leads to widespread metabolic, vascular, and immune changes that often manifest first within the hoof.

The episode explores thorough assessment of the Cushings affected horse, common and subtle clinical signs, laminitis risk, and the farrier’s role in early recognition. Veterinary diagnostics, medical treatment, and the importance of collaboration between farrier and vet are discussed, alongside practical hoof management strategies aimed at reducing mechanical stress and supporting long term comfort.

This episode is essential listening for farriers, veterinarians, and horse owners seeking a deeper understanding of Cushings disease and its impact on hoof health, laminitis, and lifelong management.

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To order your hardback copy of The Hoofcare Companion visit:

Store | thefarrier

For an eBook version visit here:

The Hoofcare Companion (eBook Edition) eBook : Jerram, Marc: Amazon.co.uk: Books

In this episode, we take an in depth look at one of the most critical yet often underestimated structures of the equine hoof: the coronary band. This episode is essential listening for farriers, veterinarians, and serious hoof care professionals who want a deeper understanding of how coronary band health directly influences hoof wall quality, growth, and long term soundness.

We begin by exploring the normal anatomy and function of the coronary band, explaining its role as the primary germinal tissue responsible for producing the hoof wall. You will learn how the epidermal and dermal components work together, how coronary papillae form horn tubules, and why the vascular and neurological supply of this region makes it both highly productive and highly vulnerable.

The episode then examines the coronary corium in detail, discussing blood supply, lymphatic drainage, innervation, and how mechanical loading and movement influence horn production. We explain why disruptions at the coronary band are always expressed distally in the hoof wall and how farriers can interpret growth rings, horn defects, and changes in wall quality as a historical record of coronary band health.

The second half of the episode focuses on coronitis and coronary band dystrophy, conditions that can have lifelong implications for hoof integrity. We discuss:

• Common traumatic, infectious, environmental, and systemic causes
• The difference between acute inflammation and chronic dystrophic change
• How repeated low grade trauma and poor environmental conditions contribute to long term damage
• The relationship between systemic disease, laminitis, vascular compromise, and coronary band pathology

You will gain insight into the clinical signs seen in both acute and chronic cases, including swelling, pain, discharge, scarring, altered horn growth, cracks, and capsule distortion. We also explain how to distinguish coronary band abscessation from other hoof pathologies and why accurate assessment is critical.

From a professional perspective, this episode outlines the diagnostic process, highlighting the role of the farrier in recognising abnormal growth patterns and working alongside the veterinary surgeon. We cover veterinary investigations including blood work, imaging, ultrasonography, and when biopsy may be indicated.

Finally, we discuss medical and farriery management strategies, focusing on:

• Controlling inflammation and infection
• Environmental and hygiene management
• Conservative trimming approaches during active disease
• Shoeing strategies to reduce mechanical stress on compromised horn
• Long term management, prognosis, and owner education

This episode reinforces the importance of a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach and positions the farrier as a key professional in early detection, ongoing management, and long term hoof care planning.

Support the show

To order your hardback copy of The Hoofcare Companion visit:

Store | thefarrier

For an eBook version visit here:

The Hoofcare Companion (eBook Edition) eBook : Jerram, Marc: Amazon.co.uk: Books