Burney Chapman by Myron McLane

    I was recently asked to write a short tribute to my good friend Burney Chapman. There were so many noteworthy things that happened over the years, it is difficult to find just one thing to write that demonstrates what a remarkable effect Burney’s teaching had on me and others. I decided on a story that happened, not all that long ago. It is a small description of the astonishing difference the correct use of frog support can have on the comfort of some horses with different lameness problems.
    I had been contacted about working on a Quarter Horse that had been lame for quite some time. The story was that the horse was able to be ridden and shown, but was becoming more and more unsound when going to the left. The owners had spent a fortune on veterinary bills and been told the horse was suffering from navicular disease. When the horse arrived at the shop and was jogged in a circle to the left, the lameness was apparent. It was also apparent that the horse was not suffering from navicular disease and that proper application of a heart bar shoe could correct the actual problem.
    To make a long story short, I shod the horse with a heart bar shoe on the near fore foot. The horse was sound when he left my shop that day. The owners were very happy and so was the horse.
    Although our story is one of a successful shoeing job, it doesn’t end there. When the owners returned to my shop six weeks later for the next shoeing they told me a story that made me so pleased. I immediately thought of Burney and I wished that I could have called to tell him what the owners had revealed to me.
    The owners explained that they had raised this nine year old horse from a foal. They said that until recently he'd had been sound enough to ride and show, but he had a peculiar habit. When not being ridden, he spent all his time lying down. Everyone joked about how lazy he was; he even ate lying down. Excitedly the owners announced that the horse had not lain down since the day he left my shop wearing the heart bar shoe. It has been nearly a year now and the only time he lies down is for an occasional night time rest as would any sound horse.
    Imagine the misery that horse must have been in for all those years. Burney taught me and literally hundreds of others about heart bar shoes. A story like this is a tribute to his teaching. He could get the point across to anyone who would pay attention and try. His teachings also impacted many of the most notable of equine veterinarians as well as horseshoers.
    Over the years, during our close relationship, Burney and I seemed to complement each other's work. We worked closely with each other and with the Mustad Group. We were able to develop many innovative items through this company for the treatment of laminitic and lame horses. It is rewarding to see so many of these products being used by professional farriers and lameness practitioners the world over.
    It seems Burney's teaching followed the old, anonymous axiom: --"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." Burney could get you to "do!" --- I miss him greatly.