Farrier, limb length disparity clinic planned at Penn State

Penn State Equine Extension and the Pennsylvania Professional Farriers Association will be hosting an event May 28 to educate farriers, veterinarians and horse owners alike.

Speaker

Esco Buff of Webster, New York will be the featured clinician and will speak to attendees about equine limb length disparity and mechanical treatment.

The clinic will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. and consist of lectures and shoeing demonstrations. The clinic will be held at the Penn State University Snider Agricultural Arena located on the University Park campus, on Park Ave. across from Beaver Stadium.

Buff is well known for his work with shoeing and work with foundered horses and is the owner of Esco Buff’s Equine Educational Enterprises in Webster, N.Y. He is a leader in the field of foundered and limb length disparity horseshoeing. He also is an American Farriers Association Certified Farrier with 36 years experience trimming and shoeing horses.

Books

Buff has authored many books, which include; Limb Length Disparity — Equine Anisomelia, Founder Data Collection and Analysis, How to Take, Read and Interpret Radiographs for the Prognosis and Treatment of the Foundered Horse.

Buff was inducted into the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame this February. His lecture is sponsored by PurdyBuilt by UPSCO, Moravia, N.Y., designers of truck camp and trailer accessories.

Signs

Limb length disparity is an observable body imbalance and physical deviation that manifests itself in a structurally and/or functionally different limb length, and more than likely has been created due to congenital, hereditary, injuries, environmental, muscular and/or spinal problems.

Identifying LLD includes a thorough evaluation of the conformation, muscles, skeletal structures, movement and attitude of the horse. There are two types of LLD, structural or anatomic limb length disparity and functional or apparent limb length disparity.

Horses mainly have functional LLD. The disorder of unequal limbs or lack of similarity goes by several names such as: high-low syndrome, limb length inequality, bilateral asymmetry and club foot.

Details

Clinic costs will be $15 per day for those that pre-register and $20 at the door. Checks should be made out to the Pennsylvania Professional Farriers Association.

For more information or to register for the clinic contact Ann Swinker at 814-865-7810 or e-mail: aswinker@gmail.com or call Randy Rider at 814-574-3196 or e-mail at ridershorseshoeing@gmail.com.