The Hoof Project Foundation was established to meet three distinct goals:
Rehabilitation, Education, and Research
Rehabilitation & Extended Care for Horses with Hoof Disease
The Hoof Project Foundation (HPF) provides supplemental funds to permit extended care of horses affected with diseases of the feet in cases where the owner cannot afford optimal care. Clinical care will be initiated on an as-needed basis, pending the availability of sufficient funds.
Funds applied to this purpose are used to help in the following areas:
- Boarding
- Medical supplies
- Diagnostic tests
- Treatment for horses donated to the HPF as non-restricted gifts when owners cannot afford to provide care.
No funds from the Hoof Project Foundation will be used for the professional fees of veterinarians. Veterinarians who provide care for HPF horses donate their professional services. HPF funds for clinical care will be restricted to on-site care at the Hoof Diagnostic and Rehabilitation Clinic for horses donated to the HPF for treatment. Exceptions to this may be made on a case-by-case basis and will require approval by the Board of Directors of the HPF.
Education
The Hoof Project Foundation provides funds for educational and scientific meetings with the restricted focus of research and education regarding the foot of the horse.
Support will be made available to local, state, national or international level scientific symposia, professional veterinary and farrier meetings, and structured meetings of the horse industry or associations. HPF funds may be used to sponsor a speaker (honorarium, travel, and expenses) or provide supplemental funds for support of international or national meetings.
HPF funds for these purposes will be initiated when requests for support are made, pending the availability of sufficient funds.
Research to Establish Better Understanding of & Treatments for Hoof Diseases
The Hoof Project Foundation provides research funds to support non-proprietary, applied/clinical research that is focused directly on the diseases of the horse’s foot, or research on the normal foot if the data sought is necessary to the understanding of foot/hoof disease.
HPF research dollars may be expended on the cost of:
Research projects completed at the Hoof Diagnostic and Rehabilitation Clinic (HDRC) facility using HDRC equipment by visiting scientists. Visiting scientists may be allowed a stipend and travel funds while they are conducting research at the HDRC facility.
HPF funds may be used to support research at academic institutions following submission to and approval of proposals made to other nonprofit equine research foundations that have an independent scientific review committee.
HPF funds may be used for research overhead (maximum of 10%), materials and supplies, equipment, and for the salaries of technicians necessary for the research. HPF research funds cannot be used for professional salaries.