Dr. Christoph Muelling
Dr. Christoph Muelling is a clinical Anatomist with a strong background in Veterinary practice and a broad training and great experience in all areas of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology. He graduated as a Veterinarian from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universitaet Berlin in Germany (approbation as Veterinarian (DVM) in 1988). While practicing in various parts of Germany, he worked on his Theses on a research project on Functional Anatomy of the bovine claw and subsequently received his Dr med vet degree with excellence (summa cum laude). In 1994 he went back to Veterinary Faculty in Berlin to work as a Postdoc as a stipend of the German Research Society (DFG) for 3 years with his own research program on biology of horn formation in the bovine hoof. Over the next several years, Dr. Muelling lectured and/or conducted research at Cornell University, Hokkaido University, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Freie Universität Berlin, and University of Aberdeen, all while further developing his lameness research program. In 2001 he passed the German board examination and was approved as Specialist in Veterinary Anatomy. Dr Muelling has received several national and international awards for his research activities. He has published 40 research articles and contributed to 26 books and 6 E-learning courses. He is an internationally recognized expert in the area of bovine lameness and claw disorders and a frequent invited speaker on international conferences and educational seminars. Dr. Muelling is currently serving as Interim Department Head; Professor, Veterinary Anatomy, University of Calgary.

Dr. Muelling’s major research interests and activities include:

• Morphology Biology and biomechanics of the bovine and equine hoof and distal limb Molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of laminitis

• Influence of environmental and nutritional factors on horn quality and hoof health

• Fetal development of the hoof  

Steven Berry, DVM, MPVM
Dr. Berry is Extension Dairy Management and Health Specialist with the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis. Research interests are interrelationships of disease and management focusing on lameness causing diseases. Dr. Berry conducts hoof health workshops in California and other states to emphasize the importance of proper management and hoof trimming to the overall health of the dairy cow. After 11 years working as a private practitioner and reproductive specialist, Dr. Berry began to work in the area of dairy management and health, mostly with periparturient diseases, including lameness. In 1995, he began to do research with digital dermatitis and developed an interest in lameness and hoof trimming. He works with dairy veterinarians, producers, hoof trimmers, nutritionists, and other allied industries personnel to teach about lameness prevention and therapy.

Dr. Chuck Guard DVM, Ph.D
Dr. Guard is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Ambulatory and Production Medicine Clinic in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University. He also works in Cornell’s large animal teaching veterinary practice. Dr. Guard consults with dairies about lameness control programs and frequently speaks to veterinarians, dairy producers and agribusiness groups about cattle lameness.

Dan Weary, B. SC., M. Sc. (McG.), D. Phil. ( Oxford)
Dan spent his childhood in Quebec, the West Indies, Africa and the Middle East, and studied at McGill (B.Sc. & M.Sc.) and Oxford (D.Phil). After working for Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada for five years, Dan moved to UBC in 1997 to co-found the University's Animal Welfare Program. Dan's research interests have always focused on animal behavior and how animals perceive their environment. Much of his work involves applying this knowledge to create practical improvements in how we care for animals. One special research focus of is on the use of vocalizations and other behaviors as objective indicators of different aspects of animal well-being. He is a pioneer in working to unlock the wealth of information animals can communicate to us about their physical and emotional states and their environments. 

John Woodworth, DVM
Dr. Woodworth graduated from the Veterinary College at Cornell University in 1970. After one year of teaching at the ambulatory clinic there, he started his private practice in 1971, caring specifically for bovines. Dr. Woodworth’s special interests are proper calf care, reproductive performance, lameness and proper trimming.

Gordon Atkins, DVM
Dr. Gordon Atkins is a native Western Canadian and was raised on a dairy farm near Calgary, Alberta. He graduated with distinction from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1973 and has practiced dairy veterinary medicine in Alberta for the past 35 years. He is a past president of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners, an Official Judge and member of the Type Classification Advisory Committee for Holstein Canada, and a past president of the Southern Alberta Holstein Club and the Calgary Stampede Dairy Committee. He has been honoured with numerous practitioner of the year awards and his speaking and judging assignments have taken him to 16 countries internationally as well as from coast to coast in Canada.

Jerry Gaffner
Setting out to change the world after receiving a business degree from University of Illinois, Jerry soon realized that “real life” happens on the farm where he was raised. He brings a fresh perspective to the challenges in business today. Jerry’s unique ability to communicate stories captivates and entertains his audience. As owner and operator of Gaf-Fine Farms, Inc., a 1000 acre and 80 cow grain and dairy farm, he has successfully implemented diverse revenue streams and management tools to profit the business. Jerry is married to Sherri and they have three children, Jonah (12), Abby (11), and Hannah (8). Jerry is exciting, refreshing, and unforgettable!

Elbert Koster
Elbert Koster owns and operates No Tilt Hoof Trimming in Innisfail, Alberta. Mr. Koster was raised on a farm in Holland and attended agricultural college there. He immigrated to Canada in 1987 where worked as a herdsman before starting his trimming business. He has been trimming for 17 years and is an active member of the Hoof Trimmers Association, Inc.

Allan Schlabach
Dixon Hoof Trimming, Fredericksburg, OH

Gary Buchholz
Buchholz Hoof Care LLC, Harbor Beach, MI

Jeff Heeg
Heeg Hoof Trimming, Clintonville, WI

Doug Johnstone
AR-PE Hoof Trimming, Abbotsford, British Columbia