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Toe Grab Study Reproduced with permission from Thoroughbred TimesBe sure to see the follow up article on other Breakdown studies. Texas veterinarian says Thoroughbred owners should heed warnings. A CALIFORNIA study that links toe grabs to Thoroughbred racehorse fatalities continues to generate debate in both the farrier and racing industries. Dr. Al Kane, a researcher at the University of California Davis, first presented the study at the Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium in Louisville, Ky., in January, 1996. American Farriers Journal published the paper in the March/April, 1996, issue. Kane\s study, while certainly the most conclusive to draw an association between the use of toe grabs and fatal musculoskeletal injuries, is not the first to question the use of toe grabs, however. Dr. William Moyer, the Texas A & M University equine veterinarian who has served on the American Association of Equine Practitioners\ liaison committee with the American Farrier\s Association since 1981, first challenged the use of toe grabs back in a 1975 paper. In a recent interview with the Thoroughbred Times, Moyer expounded on Kane\s study as well as rim shoes, glue-on shoes and the future of Thoroughbred racehorse shoeing. That interview is excerpted here with the permission of the Thoroughbred Times. Q: Are toe grabs universally used on Thorough-bred racehorses? A: No. As a matter of fact, toe grabs are illegal in a multitude of racing countries, and any projection of the shoe is not allowed. The study used three standard heights of toe grabs: ... |
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