The Fifth Tex Cauthen Farrier / Veterinarian / Researcher Seminar: Protecting the horse, the hoof, and the sesamoids: ongoing research. 

This year’s symposium was held on Jan. 24, 2021, via zoom from the Gluck Equine Research Center. The focus of this year’s seminar was the Horse, the Hoof and the Sesamoids. There were over 150 veterinarians, farriers, researchers, and horse owners from all over the world. The presentations included an overview of safety measurements, motion sensor technology. racetrack data collection, and analysis of the results, accelerometer data acquired at racing speeds, lameness locator technology, current research with tomography, sesamoid structure and function, sesamoiditis in yearlings and effects on racing performance, shoeing strategies that optimize sesamoid bone protection, and round table discussions.

I was part of one of the round table discussions, and my topic was the holistic horse, and how veterinarians, farrier, trainers and owners, need to understand that a lot of the behavioral changes we encounter come from pain, and address that before an injury, catastrophic or not, happens. The old view that the horse is misbehaving only because of an temperament needs to change, and we need to focus on training a healthy/free of pain- horse. 

I have helped organize this seminar for 5 years now, and it just keeps growing in attendance. We are looking forward to the 6th one in 2022, which we will hopefully host in person and also online.