Heumphreus Lecture Features Farrier Daisy Bicking

The 32nd Annual Charles Heumphreus Memorial Lecture will take place Feb. 3 at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, featuring farrier Daisy Bicking, founder of Daisy Haven Farm: School of Integrative Hoofcare, and equine specialist Dr. Nicholas Frank, DVM, professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

Farriers and equine veterinarians are invited to attend the event, which takes place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration and a complete schedule for the event can be found on the UC Davis website.

Over the years, the Heumphreus Lecture has served as an opportunity for farriers and veterinarians to share insights and collaborate on industry best practices. A veritable who's-who of farriers and veterinarians have served as past guest lecturers. This year's program will focus on laminitis and endocrine disorders.

The annual lecture honors the memory of Charles Heumphreus, the school's farrier from 1967-85. The program was initiated to foster the veterinarian-farrier relationship in order to develop a better understanding of equine foot disorders. Faculty member Dr. Mary Beth Whitcomb, chair of the 2018 event, is assisted by UC Davis farrier Shane Westman, along with Drs. Eric Davis, Larry Galuppo, and Claudia Sonder.

"We are excited about this year's lineup for the 32nd Annual Heumphreus Lecture," Whitcomb said. "Daisy Bicking represents the first female farrier lecturer in Heumphreus history, and Dr. Frank's afternoon lectures at the winter conference add a bonus for veterinarians this year."

The morning lecture session will include Bicking's presentation "Hoof Mapping—Relating External Landmarks to Internal Anatomy in the Laminitic Foot," which will highlight foundational principles to evaluate the laminitic foot with a focus on hoof mapping; and "Rehabilitating the Chronically Laminitic Foot Using Composite Materials," which will highlight the use of synthetics in the treatment of laminitic horses.

As the founder of Daisy Haven Farm in Parkesburg, Pa., Bicking has presented at Cornell University, the International Hoof-Care Summit, Laminitis Conference, and the International Lameness Prevention Conference. 

Frank, a professor of large animal internal medicine, the chair of the Clinical Sciences Department, and associate dean of Academic Affairs at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University will present "The Role of Endocrine Disorders in Laminitis." This lecture will present background information for farriers and veterinarians to better understand the association between laminitis and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction and equine metabolic syndrome.

The afternoon hands-on session will include a demonstration by Bicking that will focus on evaluating the laminitic foot, including hoof mapping and trimming, followed by selection and application of composite materials. The equine winter conference lectures are offered at a special registration price of $100 for Heumphreus attendees and the afternoon session has a limited capacity of 40 participants.

Following the Heumphreus Lecture, Frank will present "Navigating the Minefield of PPID and EMS Diagnostic Testing" and "Management of the Challenging Endocrine Case." Also presenting at the Winter Conference are UC Davis' own Drs. Julie Dechant and Nicola Pusterla, who will present colic surgery outcomes and dental disease in the geriatric patient, respectively.

Admission to the lecture remains free of charge. However, to help sustain the level of excellence, the school asks that participants consider making a contribution of $50 or more.