BTB: What's an equine podiatrist? Part I

Posted: 29 Jun 2010 01:57 PM PDT

I wonder if in your equestrian travels some of you have encountered an Equine Podiatrist (EP). Well, I did. How is this different from a farrier, a horseshoer, a trimmer, or a vet who specializes in hooves? A human podiatrist normally has a medical degree, what about horse podiatrists? I did a little research, and it seems that practitioners using this title come in roughly two flavors.

Some are veterinarians, like Dr. Steve O'Grady (or Dr. Ric Redden of Versailles, KY). Dr. O'Grady is a veterinarian and farrier who has applied this title to his work (www.equinepodiatry.com). Dr. O'Grady has practiced as a farrier for forty years and has published articles in The Horse (publication of the AAEP), Blood Horse, and elsewhere. He contributed a chapter for the textbook Current therapy in Equine Medicine and has presented and moderated at conventions held by the American Farrier's Association as well as other farrier and veterinary associations. I have referred frequently to articles by Dr. O'Grady and appreciate the detail and un-dumbed down information he shares in lectures, articles, and on the Web.
The Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry (Ocala, FL) confers certificates and degrees in Applied Equine Podiatry (DAEP). A variety of courses and programs are offered through the school. Currently about forty certified DEAPs are listed as practicing EPs on the Institute's web site.

I was/am curious about the second type of EP.

Well, I did some research

Part of me was skeptical of the EP term -- it sounds a little too much like calling a housewife a domestic engineer, and it also implies an advanced degree through the use of the term "podiatrist." Since the Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry seems to be the main source of practitioners using this title in the U.S, I looked into it.

From what I can tell, the graduates of the Institute are trained to trim feet, and their philosophy is that in all but the most extreme cases, "shoeless is best." Now there are lots of schools that teach you how to be a farrier, and presumably a lot of barefoot trimming programs too. In the U.S. it's not that hard to hang out a shingle and become a school for horseshoeing or trimming.

As to the credentials of this Institute, here are a few things I've discovered...

The Institute's founder (KC La Pierre) is a registered journeyman farrier and hoof specialist. He is an invited speaker at horseman's conventions, equine trade fairs, and equine-related associations.
Yellow flag Ho! In his online bios and at the bottom of his Web site, he indicates he has a PhD. In a 2005 bio he wrote that he had a "Middleham University PhD based upon original research in the field of animal science." MU is a diploma mill that sells you a PhD for $75 (see threads on COTH, horseshoes.com, and on forums.degreeinfo.com). Not. cool. Also in issue 134 of The Farrier's Journal (a UK publication) he lists the credentials DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine). He is not a DVM. While he still lists a PhD among his credentials, he does not say where it is from.
The Institute Web site is tightly integrated with -- you guessed it -- an online store.
The Institute is a one man show -- the founder has developed his own system and he is promoting that particular system. It may be a good system, but it limits the perspective of the graduates and IMHO detracts from the educational experience. There are no partnerships with vet schools, no instructors with differing viewpoints, the students learn only one person's perspective and theories.
Graduates who make a career out of their EP degree are encouraged to use the founder's products and to promote them to their clients. This is similar to the Parelli model of training and selling -- nothing wrong with it as a business model, but it seem a bit limiting to the student and self-serving for the Institute.

I'd encourage you to take a look at the web site for the Institute and form your own impressions.

Stay tuned for Part II.