AAEP Focus on Podiatry

From the show ring and racetrack to the cross country course and pleasure trail, a healthy foot is critical to soundness and performance. Unfortunately, foot-related lameness is an all-too-common frustration for owners and a unique challenge for equine veterinarians. Successful management of the various causes and conditions requires navigating the knowledge gap in equine podiatry in which much of the information remains subjective, controversial or unclear.

Led by an elite team of veterinary podiatrists and farriers, the AAEP’s Focus on Podiatry will cut through the information clutter and instill a strong foundation of podiatry principles and techniques to help you diagnose, treat and prevent common to complicated foot diseases faced by your patients. 

Small-group labs will reinforce pertinent lectures, providing the hands-on opportunity to expand your working knowledge of the foot, boost understanding of anatomy and biomechanics of podiatry issues, and develop skills to interpret degree of damage and devise mechanical solutions that facilitate healing and restoration of function. 

The immersive meeting offers 25 CE hours and is limited to 60 participants for optimal instruction and skills acquisition.

During interactive labs, you will:

• Perform and interpret digital venograms

• Radiograph the foot and learn to simplify communication with the farrier

• Use radiographs for therapeutic shoeing

• Apply surgical approaches for diseases of the distal limb and foot

• Administer therapeutic applications with different materials and gluing techniques

• Observe dissected limbs and feet

Following daily sessions, evening social events will facilitate further discussions with instructors and fellow attendees, creating opportunities to forge enduring professional relationships. 

Just a few of the meeting’s many practical takeaways include: 

• Improving interpretive skills, planning and execution of the podiatry plan

• Approaching common to traumatic injuries such as deep puncture wounds, traumatic avulsions and cracks

• Performing a DDF tenotomy at the level of the mid-canon and pastern

• Determining when and how to use different therapeutic shoes

• Connecting the ill effects of compromised blood supply with hoof distortions

Attendance is limited so register early!

Focus on Podiatry will be held June 22–24 at Spy Coast Farm in Lexington, Ky. Attendance is capped at 60 participants, and all spots will be filled on a first-come basis. 

Registration for this meeting will open by the end of February.