There’s a new tradition in the making designed to improve the lives of local equine friends and their owners.

On the first Monday of each month, farriers and veterinarians are gathering to evaluate two horse “cases,” radiographing and shoeing them in a cooperative, learning environment. The first of these “Farrier Jam Sessions” was held on Monday, May 2 at the farm of Ron and Bibi Freer, DVM, with 16 farriers, five veterinarians, three owners and two horses in attendance.

Each case began with a brief history. Horse 1 was recovering from surgery, so no gait evaluation was done and decisions were based solely on the horse’s radiographs. Following the discussion, a plan was developed and the horse was later shod by participating farriers in accordance with the radiographs and the surgeon’s requests.

Horse 2 was jogged, flexed, blocked and radiographed. There were discussions on the radiographic findings, including diagnoses and angles. The horse was then shod by his primary farrier with the help of some of the participants. In both cases, the horses were radiographed again after shoeing to evaluate balance, confirm that the angles were improved and the desired “break-over point” was achieved.

Farrier Jam Session cases must be referred by a farrier; horses owners interested in having their horse participate should consult with their farrier. Owners of participating horses are charged a flat fee, which covers the farrier’s materials and contributes to a fund for hiring clinicians/hosting continuing education for the group.

“We’re hoping that this group will grow and that these gatherings will become another example of our amazing equestrian community,” Dr. Freer said.

Farriers or veterinarians interested in the events can email freerequine@gmail.com or search in Google Groups for “Farrier Jam Sessions.”

– article submitted by Bibi Freer, DVM