Hello Dr. Tom,

Can you tell me how many hours you received in the veterinary school curriculum about the hoof? If vets don't get the training on the hoof in school, where do they get it?  Why aren't the veterinary schools teaching natural hoof care?  Aren't the veterinary schools supposed to offer the best in care for the animals?  Thank you so much for your time.

Karen

DR. TOM'S ANSWER:

Hi Karen,

There was quite a bit of study on feet in school compared to some things, but the way that we have learned to dissect and study them now is what is different--we are getting to see an entirely different perspective on how they work. Most of what I remember is being taught anatomy and some physiology with respect to laminitis and navicular syndrome. I'm sure my professors shared with me as much as time allowed in classes...medical school doesn't teach you nearly everything...it touches on most everything a LITTLE BIT and teaches you how to "look things up" yourself.

Honest and up to date information about horses and their hooves comes from people like us.  There is no standard and there are no formal places to go for this vital information.  They certainly can't find it in the numerous farrier schools across the country.  That will likely change fairly quickly now that there are so many owners demanding healthy feet on their horses.  It turns out that the farriers-turned-veterinarians are often the most troubled and angry of our detractors out there.  I have pointed out at different opportunities their inherently conflicting schools of thought, but the possibility that they may have spent years of their lives doing harm to horses is too painful to face.

The veterinary schools are not our enemies, though they are quite stagnant when it comes to embracing the knowledge of how the equine hoof operates, and realizing how detrimental the steel is to the horses.  This has grown from a long (and interesting) history of farriery and veterinary medicine.  Our challenge is to get the every-day-doctor and horse owner to realize that horses don't need shoes--they need proper hoof form and movement.  I now realize that by increasing the demand for honestly sound horses to such great heights, the veterinary profession will have to fall in line and provide the support, or suffer ridicule and loss of respect.

I am planning to eventually talk to veterinary students in a "horse-club" type setting to plant the seeds of proper and natural hoof form and function. I've practiced on some 4-H groups so far, have held workshops for local groups and have recently spoken at the local University. Little by little we are lighting little fires, and there will be no way to stop them now...our teachings and examples are the Truth--they will hold up in the end because the truth is self-evident.

We need to concentrate on helping horses and talking to people. Not everyone ends up doing what we feel is good for their horses, but we need to just go on and work on the ones whose owners are in better touch with their horse's health--they are coming to us for the information, and they are going to continue to come in larger and larger numbers as each day passes.

It is one of my most sought-after goals to stimulate veterinary schools to include natural hoof care in their curriculums and offer it as the "best option" for all lame horses that come through their doors.

Dr. Tom T.