White Line Disease & Seedy Toe in the Horse

What is the difference between white line disease and seedy toe? Are they actually the same condition and is white line disease really just a fungal infection?

In this episode, we look beyond the visible cavity to explore what is happening inside the hoof and why understanding the underlying mechanics is essential for successful treatment.

We cover:

• White line disease vs seedy toe
• Causes and contributing factors
• Clinical signs and diagnosis
• When radiographs are important
• Debridement and treatment
• Corrective trimming and therapeutic farriery
• The role of topical treatments
• Hoof protection and shoeing options
• Prognosis and rehabilitation
• Veterinary–farrier collaboration

The key message: don't just treat the hole, understand why it developed!

An essential listen for farriers, vets, veterinary students, equine professionals and anyone wanting to understand hoof-wall pathology at a deeper level.

🎧 Listen now and develop your understanding of one of the hoof conditions that can remain hidden until significant structural damage has occurred.

Support the show

To order your hardback copy of The Hoofcare Companion visit:

Store | thefarrier

For an eBook version visit here:

The Hoofcare Companion (eBook Edition) eBook : Jerram, Marc: Amazon.co.uk: Books

In this special preview, Marc Jerram introduces The Farrier’s Mindset, a 6 hour audiobook created primarily to help apprentice farriers prepare for written and professional discussion examinations.

Rather than simply providing more information to memorise, the audiobook focuses on how to think with the knowledge you already have.

Farriery examinations require more than recalling facts. You need to understand what a question is asking, identify the relevant knowledge, apply it to the situation and explain the reasoning behind your answer. The Farrier’s Mindset takes you through this process step by step.

The audiobook explores areas including examination technique, health and safety, risk assessment, anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, hoof balance, movement, pathology, diagnostic information, farriery decision-making, professional communication and collaboration with other equine professionals.

Throughout, the emphasis is on connecting information rather than learning isolated facts. You are encouraged to ask:

What am I observing?

Why might I be observing it?

What does the information tell me?

How does it apply to this horse?

What are the options?

Why would I choose one approach?

How can I explain my reasoning clearly?

Knowledge checks and examination-style questions encourage you to stop, think and construct your own answers, helping turn passive listening into active revision.

Although created with apprentice farriers in mind, the audiobook is also relevant to registered farriers and other equine professionals who want to develop their understanding of the reasoning behind professional farriery decisions.

It is designed to complement, rather than replace, a good farriery textbook. Visual subjects such as anatomy, radiographs, hoof morphology and shoe design are best supported by appropriate visual resources, while this audiobook concentrates on developing the thought process behind applying that knowledge.

Whether you are revising for an examination, travelling between yards or simply looking to develop your professional reasoning, The Farrier’s Mindset aims to help you move from remembering knowledge to understanding, applying and explaining it.

Listen to this preview to discover how the audiobook approaches farriery education and why developing the right mindset can be just as important as learning the facts.

Support the show

To order your hardback copy of The Hoofcare Companion visit:

Store | thefarrier

For an eBook version visit here:

The Hoofcare Companion (eBook Edition) eBook : Jerram, Marc: Amazon.co.uk: Books

In this episode of The Hoofcare Companion, we explore the anatomy and function of the equine pastern and examine why this relatively small region of the limb is so important to soundness, movement and hoofcare.

We look at the proximal and middle phalanges, the pastern joint and its relationship with the coffin joint. The episode also explores the important soft tissue structures surrounding the pastern, including the joint capsule, collateral ligaments, superficial digital flexor tendon and deep digital flexor tendon.

Understanding how these structures work together helps explain how the pastern supports the horse during weight bearing, absorbs and redistributes forces, and contributes to efficient locomotion.

For farriers, the pastern cannot be considered in isolation. We discuss the relationship between pastern conformation, hoof balance and the hoof-pastern axis, and why understanding these anatomical relationships is essential when assessing hoof mechanics and making informed farriery decisions.

SEND Support

This podcast has been designed to support listeners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The content is structured around clear explanations, defined anatomical terms and repetition of key concepts. Listening alongside the accompanying learning outcomes and questions can help learners consolidate information and revisit sections where required.

Learning Outcomes

After listening, you should be able to:

• Identify the bones and joints of the pastern.
• Describe the main soft tissue structures associated with the pastern joint.
• Explain the role of the pastern in movement, stability and force distribution.

Learning Questions

1. Which bones form the pastern?
2. What structures stabilise the pastern joint?
3. What is the role of the digital flexor tendons?
4. How does the pastern contribute to shock absorption?
5. Why is the hoof-pastern axis important to the farrier?

The Hoofcare Companion – anatomy, biomechanics and hoofcare explained for farriers and equine professionals.

Support the show

To order your hardback copy of The Hoofcare Companion visit:

Store | thefarrier

For an eBook version visit here:

The Hoofcare Companion (eBook Edition) eBook : Jerram, Marc: Amazon.co.uk: Books