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    Professor Robert Bowker & the Equine Hoof Laboratory

Professor Bowker heads up the Equine Hoof Laboratory at Michigan State University. His work and his teams work there has thrown new light onto the functions of the hoof and its internal components and their relationship to soundness.

His research has lead to a greater understanding of natural hoof care as a powerful rehabilitation tool. This science is backed up by the now thousands of successful rehabilitations for serious hoof problem such as navicular syndrome.

He explains that we are living in unusual times and professionals working in hoof care need to "catch up" with those working at the coal face of hoof care.

Have we seen so many unhealthy hooves for so long that we no longer recognise the causes! Its time we fast tracked this information.

The Equine Hoof Laboratory at Michigan University is the home of much of the new research into the hoof. From their work we are only now beginning to understand the true nature and biomechanical functions of the hoof and its internal components.

Read about their work: Equine-hoof-laboratory-article Equine-

hoof-laboratory-article

Some more interesting studies by Professor Bowker and other leaders in barefoot research:

Osteo-poriotic Coffin Bones   Bowker_article_Osteoporotic_Coffin_Bones.pdf Bowker_article_Osteoporotic_Coffin_Bones.pdf

Contrasting structural morphologies of good footed and bad footed horses.    Bowker-good_foot_bad_foot2.pdf Bowker-good_foot_bad_foot2.pdf

Haemodynamic flow theory   Bowker_Lateral_Cartilage_hemodynamics.pdf

Wolf's Law of Orthopedics and why it applies to shod horses.     Bone_Remodeling_of_the_Equine_Distal_Limb

andrew bowe

Magazine Articles on Barehoof Care by Andrew Bowe, The Barefoot Blacksmith:

The articles below, are written by Andrew Bowe Master Farrier, Equine Podiotherapist and a Director of the Australian College of Equine Podiotherapy. 

Andrew was the first farrier in Australia to realise that barefoot rehabilitation was the very best option for the horses in his care and to adopt this new craft. He changed after 25 years of traditional farriery so he has really seen hoof care from both sides of the anvil!

Andrew & and wife Nicole run Mayfield Barehoof Care centre - Australia's only full time rehabilitation centre for Laminitic and Navicular horses.  He travels Australia holding barefoot workshops and seminars and asks that vets and farriers contact him if they would like to know more about his strategies for barefoot rehab. 

  Hoof Sore - Barehoofcare Australia Newsletter - March 2008
  What are Underrun Heels - Barehoofcare Australia Newsletter - July 2008
  The Effect of Environment on Horses' Hooves - Barehoofcare Australia Newsletter - April 2009
Thrush - Horses and People Magazine - April 2011
Hoof Wall Cracks Part 1 - Horses and People Magazine - June 2011
Hoof Wall Cracks Part 2 - Horses and People Magazine - July 2011
Hoof Wall Cracks Part 3 - Horses and People Magazine - August 2011
Laminitis - Barehoofcare Facts
Hoof Contraction - Equine News
The Ups and Downs of Club Foot - Horses and People Magazine - November 2011
Laminitis Recovery - Horses and People Magazine - March 2012
An Inconvenient Hoof - Horses and People Magazine - December 2012
Baby Feet - Horses and People Magazine
Hoofcare for the Golden Oldies - Horses and People Magazine
The Trouble with Pony Hooves - Horses and People Magazine - May 2012
Laminitis, Early Intervention Crucial - Horses and People Magazine - March 2013
The Truth About Breakover - Horses and People Magazine - April 2013
Flat Feet - Horses and People Magazine
The Thin Sole Dilemma - Horses and People Magazine
Caudal Hoof Development - Horses and People Magazine
Symmetrical Hooves - Horses and People Magazine
Horses Have Hooves - Horses and People Magazine
The Stallion Advantage - Horses and People Magazine
Flares and Hoof Wall Separation - Horses and People Magazine
Get a Grip - Horses and People Magazine
When a Horse Needs Shoes - Part 1 - A story with legs - Horses and People Magazine
When a Horse Needs Shoes - Part 2 - The set up - Horses and People Magazine
When a Horse Needs Shoes - Part 3 - The set up continued - Horses and People Magazine
A Tale of Two Horses - Horses and People Magazine
When a Horse Needs Shoes - Part 4 - Some advice - Horses and People Magazine
When a Horse Needs Shoes - Part 5 - Plastic Fantastic - Horses and People Magazine
Foal Hoof Management - Part 1 - Horses and People Magazine
Foal Hoof Management - Part 2 - Horses and People Magazine
The Trouble with Donkey Hooves - Horses and People Magazine
Standardbreds Unfettered - Horses and People Magazine
Seedy Toe
Thrush
Sharpening Hoof Knives
Maintenance Trimming for Horse Owners - Horses and People Magazine
Bringing Back Sexy - Horses and People Magazine
Oh No! It's a Hoof Abscess - Horses and People Magazine
MSM and Healthy Hooves - at the Bowker Lectures - Horses and People Magazine
Tropical Depression - Horses don't do the tropics - Horses and People Magazine

 

Veterinarians - like to know more about ways to achieve a more successful outcomes with rehabilitation?

Consider new strategies for serious hoof issues such as navicular syndrome?

Professor Robert Bowker visits Australia regularly to lecture to students studying Equine Podiotherapy at the Australian College of Equine Podiotherapy.  He also offers seminars whilst he is here featuring his research work.

If you are a veterinarian and would like to talk to him about his work he welcomes your interest. Many Australian equine veterinarians are now also Equine Podiotherapists because this type of rehabilitation therapy has allowed them access to new strategies for helping laminitic and navicular horses. www.equinepodiotherapy.com.au

Bio:   Professor Robert BowkerEducation and Training:

PhD, Neurobiology, University of Pennsylvania, 1979 VMD, Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 1973 BS, Biology/chemistry, Springfield College, 1969


Professor Robert Bowker is one of the leading reserachers into the function of the equine hoof. His studies, right down to cellular level of the structures involved, have produced some outstanding observations about how the hoof. His research has thrown light on some of the long standing myths surrounding traditional hoof care and offered insights into how we can easily rehabilitate serious hoof conditions that were once career ending for equines, such as navicular syndrome.

His work has also revealed the relationship between healthy hooves and healthy biomechanics, and how both can become dysfunctional when the hoof is unhealthy or under influences that impact on its ability to be self maintaining. Bob has a deep love for animals and a particular interest in horses and his studies have helped explain many of the amazing changes to the equine hoof that natural hoof care is revealing all around us at the moment.

Robert Bowker grew up in northern New England before going to  undergraduate school in Massachusetts and then on to  veterinary school  at the University of Pennsylvania, where he met Barb.  Following  graduation he continued his  studies in neurobiology, receiving his PhD  and continuing on at several major universities in the U.S. His research  interests in horses began in the early 90's when he began focusing upon  understanding how nerves aid and improve foot function, how horses use the many sensations present in the foot to negotiate within its  environment and how the foot dissipates energy and supports the horse  during health and disease conditions. He has presented his results to  numerous international and national audiences over the past ten plus  years.

He enjoys teaching vets at Michigan University and lecturing for interested groups about the equine foot as he believes that a healthy foot translates to a healthy horse. 


 Research Interests:

  • Integrative medicine and its application to the horse
  • Equine foot
  • Navicular disease


 Recent Publications:

Bowker RM,
Linder K, Van Wulfen KK, Perry RL, and Ocello PJ.
Distributions of local anesthetics injected into the
distal interphalangeal joint and podotrochlear bursa: An
experimental study. Pferdeheilhunde.
12:609-612, 1996.

Bowker RM,
Van Wulfen KK, Perry RL, and Linder KL. Anatomy of the
equine synovial joint cavities of the forelimb and the
hindlimb. Amer. Assoc. Eq. Pract. 42:33-47,
1996.

Bowker RM,
Linder K, Van Wulfen KK, and Sonea IM. Anatomy of the
distal interphalangeal joint of the mature horse:
Relationships with navicular suspensory ligaments,
sensory nerves and neurovascular bundle. Eq. Vet. J.
29:126-135, 1997.

Sonea IM, Wilson
DV, Bowker RM, and Robinson NE.
Tachykinin receptors in the equine pelvic flexure.
Amer. J. Vet. Res. 29:306-312, 1997.

Bowker RM,
Van Wulfen KK, Springer SE, and Linder KE. Functional
anatomy of the cartilage, the distal phalanx and digital
cushion in the equine foot and hemodynamic flow
hypothesis of energy dissipation. Amer. J. Vet. Res.
59:961-968, 1998.

Sonea IM,
Bowker RM, and Robinson NE. Distribution of
substance P binding sites in equine airways. Eq.
Vet. J. 31(3):238-242, 1999.

Rosenstein DS,
Bowker RM, and Bartlett PC. Digital
angiography of the feet of horses. Amer. J. Vet. Res.
61:255-259, 2000.

Bowker RM,
Atkinson PJ, Atkinson TS, and Haut RC. Effects of
contact stress in bones of the distal interphalangeal
joint on microscopic changes in articular cartilage and
ligaments. Amer. J. Vet. Res. 62:414-424, 2001.

VanWulfen KK and
Bowker RM. Microanatomic
characteristics of the insertion of the distal
sesamoidean impar ligament and the deep digital flexor
tendon on the distal phalanx in healthy feet obtained
from horses. Amer. J. Vet. Res. 63:215-221,
2002.

VanWulfen KK and
Bowker RM. Evaluation of tachykinins
and their receptors to determine the sensory innervation
in the dorsal hoof wall and insertion of the distal
sesamoidean impar ligament and deep digital flexor
tendon on the distal phalanx in healthy feet of horses.
Amer. J. Vet. Res. 63:222-228, 2002.

Bowker, R.M. 2003. The
growth and adaptive capabilities of the hoof wall and
sole: Functional changes in response to stress. 49th
Amer. Assoc. Eq. Pract. 49: 146-168.

Bowker, R.M. 2003.
Contrasting structural morphologies of "good" and "bad"
footed horses. 49th Amer. Assoc. Eq. Pract. 49: 186-209.

Bidwell, L.A. and R.M. Bowker.
2006. Evaluation of changes in architecture of the
stratum internum of the hoof wall from the fetal.
Newborn and yearling horses. Amer. J. Vet. Res.
67:1947-1955.

Bowker, R.M. and E.E. Haas.
2006. Growth of Equine Hoof Wall in the Term Fetus and
Foal Occurs by Keratinocyte Migration From Laminae.
Amer. J. Vet. Res. (submitted).

Lancaster L.S., R.M. Bowker
and W. A. Mauer. 2006. Density and morphologic features
of primary epidermal laminae in the feet of
three-year-old racing Quarter Horses. Amer. J. Vet. Res.
68:11-19.