Hoof-Trimming Day

Please excuse my flashing; it was not intended.

Today I accepted that fact that I could not put off the hoof trimming any longer. Ginger started looking like she was wearing fancy slippers. I hate trimming her hooves, because she hates it and refuses to just let me do it without a fight! She alone took three different sessions and a total of about 45 minutes. She won't hold still and is continuously pushing forward and backward with her 120-lb. brawny self. She also pushes, pulls, and kicks her hoof out of my hand. Then I'm in the middle of all of this holding a terribly sharp pair of trimmers in my hand. I'm scared that one of us is going to be stabbed with them. John had to come out and help me so I could actually finish the job this time. Just about every other time I've done it alone, I gave up before all hooves were done; which is why her feet are in such gnarly shape.

One thing I noticed for the first time was that every time I picked up on of Ginger's hind legs, it sounded crunchy inside her joint. Like dozens of tiny dry twigs snapping and breaking. It sounded awful! It can't be good. I'll have to peruse my many goat books to see what horrible condition she has. None of the other goats had this problem - so that's one good thing.


Clover was a doll during the trimming. Juniper was okay; Tulip was not pleasant and faught me the whole time. Luckily, she is still pretty small. I'll have to trim her more often in hopes that she can get more used to the process.


Thank you, Farmhand John, for your help today! Thanks, Asa, for taking the pictures.