There comes a time when even the horse that has carried you to countless victories begins to show signs of age. For many riders, accepting that a trusted competition partner is becoming a senior can be difficult. Yet with modern advances in veterinary medicine and improved management practices, many horses now continue to perform successfully into their late teens and even their twenties. This is particularly true in disciplines such as dressage and show jumping, where years of training and experience are essential to reaching the highest levels of competition.

Progress rarely replaces tradition; it usually explains it - Farriery has an extensive historical timeline, steeped in tradition, empirical knowledge, and a deep reservoir of skill. Horses have played a central role in human civilization, and their use — for transportation, war, agriculture, status, and sport — has driven the evolution of hoof care as we know it today. From early leather coverings to iron protection, hoof care adapted in response to the changing demands placed on the horse.

Horse owners are very familiar with hoof trimmings: they are a routine byproduct of farriery visits and are usually swept up and discarded without much thought — if not eaten by the dog first. However, recent scientific research suggests that these small clippings may have much greater value than previously realized. A growing body of work in materials chemistry and biopolymer engineering is exploring how horse hoof trimmings could become a sustainable and useful natural resource.

Take an inside look into the latest the scientific studies at the University of Saskatchewan's veterinary college, with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine's semi-annual newsletter: Horse Health Lines.