For want of a nail the shoe was lost For want of a shoe the horse was lost For want of a horse the rider was lost For want of a rider the battle was lost For want of a battle the kingdom was lost And all for the want of a horseshoe nail. The book deals with what is arguably the most important area of horse healthcare - the maintenance of healthy feet. Lameness is the biggest single cause of suffering and layoff for the horse, and 90 per cent of lameness is connected with problems in the foot.

Author Biography

Alison Schwabe was born and educated in Cambridge and teaches animal husbandry there at the University Veterinary School, specializing in horses, cattle and sheep. Alison is also in charge of the welfare of a group of resident horses used for teaching veterinary students handling and clinical skills. Her interest in horses' teeth began when, as a child, her father gave her a copy of Galvayne's Horse Dentition (1888). Since then she has collected over 100 specimens of horses' teeth, and photographed many more. Alison regularly plays polo and goes drag-hunting and hacking on her own horses when they are not taking part in veterinary classes, from live anatomy to ultrasound scanning. She is secretary of the Cambridge and Newmarket Polo Club, senior treasurer to the Cambridge University Draghounds and area co-ordinator for Pony Club polo in East Anglia. She also finds time to write for polo magazines, and has published articles on horse handling and behaviour as well as scientific papers on a variety of veterinary topics.