Maintaining Soundness and Performance in the Sport Horse
With Olympic Farrier Haydn Price DipWCF
Wednesday 6th March, 2013 at 7.30pm

Olympic farrier and consultant to the British Equestrian Federation - Haydn Price DipWCF - gave an evening talk at Nottingham Trent University's Brackenhurst campus which proved to be both stimulating and informative. He captivated the audience – of farriers, equestrian enthusiasts, staff and students from the University – with his knowledge, experience and expertise.
Haydn runs a farriery business specialising in the shoeing of performance horses and has a particular interest in equine locomotion - proactively looking for performance indicators on a practical and clinical level.  In 2011 he was awarded the British Equestrian Federation (BEF) Medal of Honour in recognition of outstanding services and international endeavour in relation to equestrian sport. He began his consultancy to Team GBR and the BEF in 2002 and the Olympics in London last year marked his tenth anniversary in service to his country. 

It is well documented that good hoof balance is an important factor in both continued soundness and performance. But little thought is actually given to the considerable effect that appropriate shoeing techniques can have on the biomechanics.

Whilst we regularly use varying shoeing and trimming techniques in the treatment of underlying conditions and pathology, it is seldom appreciated how it can also be a contributing factor in the prevention of lameness and performance. Practical assessment - prior to the implementation of a dynamic shoeing procedure - is critical and in some cases each limb should be considered as a separate entity.

During the course of the lecture, Haydn looked at both anatomy and physiology from a functional aspect and review why it is important to treat an underlying condition rather than the visual symptom.

Arguably the finest remedial farrier in the country, Haydn loves remedial shoeing and the challenges it brings. He showed himself as an enthusiastic and stimulating speaker.

Nottingham Trent University’s Head of Animal and Equine Sciences, Heather Owen said: “Haydn has over 25 years’ experience in this field and we were delighted for him to visit Brackenhurst to enable students and members of the equine community to benefit from his deep knowledge. Maintaining soundness and performance in the sport horse is a particular point of focus for our Equine Sports Science provision, so we found it a most interesting and informative lecture”


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