"Excellence in Farriery"
- Lameness -
Dave Gilliam has an extensive background with lameness cases in general, but more specifically in the performance horse. When performance lameness is encountered, it is imperative to understand the cause and nature of the lameness and have the ability to work in conjunction with a veterinarian to ensure a synergistic shoeing protocol is developed. This allows your horse the ability to overcome the issue and return to soundness as soon as possible.
The corrective shoeing implemented will be critical to the horse’s recovery, both short term and long term. Having an understanding of the physiology and anatomy of the lower limb is critical. Anatomic knowledge allows you to understand location, function, and possible pathologies of surrounding ligaments, tendons, bones, joints, and the hoof capsule.
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It is imperative to understand radiographs, have the ability to interpret them for farriery purposes, and the knowledge to effectively communicate with a veterinarian. These abilities require an extensive education as well as a lot of experience.
"Load the good, unload the bad" is a concept Dave frequently uses working with veterinarians and clients. It's a key ingredient that he has become known for. Knowing how to shoe a horse so that it can "unload" the injury or compromised area and "load" other structures so that the horse can still compete while allowing healing to take place. While the concept is simple, implementing it can be complicated and technical. This is where Dave's academic knowledge, practical experience, and technical skill intersect to allow him to perform this type of finely tuned work.
Here are a few examples of some common lameness that have been fixed by experienced shoeing:
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Under run heels
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Quarter cracks
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Laminitis
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Navicular syndrome/Caudal heel pain
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Sole depth issues
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Soft tissue injuries (various)
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- Complex Lameness -
Dave has an extensive background working with complex lameness issues like laminitis, soft tissue tears, and more. Laminitis is a common prolem that horses sometimes encounter. Dave's background and education in that area are thorough, and he has had great success. Understanding the process is imperative in order to help the horse. Being able to work with the veterinarians and understanding things like venograms to determine blood flow; unloading the DDFT to help counteract the rotation of P3 associated with laminitis; and also, if needed the tenotomy procedure and the shoeing protocols associated with that procedure. Dave has been fortunate to work with some of the leaders in the industry that specialize in this area. Dealing with laminitis takes a team approach and he enjoys working with the veterinarians to help your horse.
Ligament and tendon tears are injuries Dave is also comfortable managing. Having the knowledge and ability to set up and choose a shoeing protocol with the veterinarian that will unload the affected ligament/tendon so that it can heal, while supporting and stabilizing the healthy structures that become overloaded due to the injury is key to a succesful outcome.