Why do people keep critters when they don't/can't take care of them !?!?! Here is what I worked on today. Not a perfect job. Little jenny was so patient but getting so tired. The worst hoof, the white front, will get trimmed some more in the next couple of weeks. Didn't feel comfortable doing much more than I did -- it was obvious that her hoof was VERY tender.

Notice the MASSIVE metabolic fat mess AROUND her neck !! Not just the crest -- but the fat encompasses her neck and all over her body. She and the other two donks are on a huge field of 90% c.l.o.v.e.r. !!! I left strict instructions to cordon off part of the field, rip the vegetation out of it and make it a dry lot. The larger of the donkeys is also building up a adipose neck. Hooves on the others not as bad as this little one. We'll tackle them next time, too. Owner has committed to the next appt. in 3 weeks. Hopefully that won't change. It had been over 2 years since this jenny had been trimmed.

I wish I had had a hacksaw with me today. I daresay I'd have used it! But -- only had my regular tools so nipped and rasped away diligently.











Any suggestions for that white hoof? Trim pics in next post (reply)

Is that the finished job Gwen?

For today, Smitty. I'll go back shortly when the donk has had some time to recupe from today. She was really good for a long time but was starting to get tired and anxious. I wasn't real confident about taking anymore off that white hoof. The others were fine. But that one -- well, ... just felt it was time to stop for today. At least she has some relief for now.

You have tons of hoof for cut still.A 23 teeth disc for grinder works very good.

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Yeah ... I know. I've been toying with the idea of getting an angle grinder. I've been ordered by Doc to at least TRY to retire. So I'm tryin' ... semi-retirement (ain't workin' so good!) ... *GRIN* Figure using a grinder would be easier on my neck and back that are semi-busted up.

I have a ... ahem ... history with power tools -- particularly circular saws. "Can anyone give me a "hand" here, please? " ... Hubby was NOT impressed with my joke ... 120 stitches later! *LOL*

Anyway -- yeah, got a long way to go but I'm in it for the long haul for this little jenny. She's too sweet and doesn't deserve the neglect she's gone through!

Anyone know where to get that type of disc in the US?

Looks very usefull

George, try on the websites or supplies for cow podology.

Gwen,
I've done about a half dozen of these ( 3 were donkeys ). You will be amazed at how far you can go before finding sensitive tissue. If anyone can post an X-ray of something like this it would do wonders for the "confidence factor". Without one, just visualize where the coffin bone is and cut like HedoubleL. It's where you think it is. Having said this, I'll confess I like to do it in 2 sessions a week apart, just to make the extreme angle change easier on the tendons and ligaments.

And OH Yeah, Good Job, so far.

Regards

Thanks, Rick -- yeah, I have a pretty good idea where the P3 is ... and looking at the photos now, wonder why didn't I just keep on going? But then -- well, just a *feel* so I stopped. Will take more next time. The black hoof, tho -- wasn't as extreme so felt pretty comfie getting it where I did.

She's such a wonderful little critter!

caballus wrote:

Glad she's co-operative. I worked on a Donkey named Dolly. One hoof was turned up. The other rolled under from lateral to med, and she was actually walking on the hoof wall, with the sole pointing up. I took over 5 hours over the course of 2 weeks to get the hoof looking semi normal, and she was a total sweetheart the whole time. When I went back 6 weeks later, she was feeling good and totally hated me. Couldn't even approach her. Passed her on to another farrier I knew, and he said she was fine. Donkeys have great memories.

Always felt really good about it, though.

Regards

Gwen, I would agree that she has a ways to go but she must be moving at least a little better with the roller motion feet. I would just add that maybe you should stick with the rasp next time and wait on the angle grinder.

Here are some rads of a standard donkey I did a few months ago. I have done a few just like this (unfortunately) and it is surprising sometimes how much you can take off. I have been able to be fairly aggressive with the donks, it doesn't seem to bother them. It was great to get the rads just to see what was going on though!! You can see that I still could have gone a bit further, but he was getting pretty antsy, had to have three IV shots just to get these done as good as they are.





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Gwen I think I know that lady that owns them donks..I stop by one day and asked if she needed me to trim them and she said no that she read on the net about the advantages of barefoot and the mustang roll and it said they would self trim if no grain was feed and just turn them loose like in the wild and nature will do the work...lol.. I will give her a call and tell her she did not even give them enough time to self trim and the hoofters was not gonna be happy...lol

I'm not sure how to make these photos smaller, so sorry for that, I thought I was just posting a link to photo bucket.

Here is a before photo;

Here is an after;