The hoof GP

9tails said:
I'm not sure many horses would ever trust us again if they were put in one of those crushes. You *could* use a grinder on horses but there's a lot that could go wrong if the horse objected and we don't leave them for long enough in most cases for it to be necessary.
Click to expand...
There's a US mule rescue that uses cattle crushes and tilt table type deals for trimming unhandled mules (they are sedated mostly though).

Personally speaking the hoof gp stuff makes me really want to be a cow farrier! Weirdly trimming cows or sheep has always sounded cool but I wouldn't want to trim horses.
 
Beausmate said:
Hoof GP drinking game - every time digital dermatitis gets mentioned..... 🥴

Check out Enoch The Cow Vet. Rectal prolapse repair, using poly pipe and fencing wire 😳 Great results with that fix! Also, lots of abscess draining and the postmortems are really interesting.
Click to expand...
Love Enoch the cow vet, especially when he deals with abcesses!
 
webble said:
Watching this is a thing?!! Hoof trimming cattle has been around a long time. Hoof care has got better over the years like all things, some milk contracts even require locomotion scoring as part of the contract
Click to expand...
Most milk contracts stipulate locomotion scoring, so does Red Tractor scheme.
Hard to believe people don’t know farm animals need hoof husbandry!?!
Hickman’s Farriery (a course textbook) has a whole section on hoof care for cattle, sheep and goats, our farrier does the odd pet sheep, but drew the line at a Pot bellied pig.
Cows always had feet trimmed as necessary, lame ones have supportive ‘cow slips’ glued on, medieval working oxen could have metal hoof plates fitted....
I once visited a Breton Horse stud in Hennebont: impressive, hefty stallions in stocks for shoeing, with their hind hooves winched up and a grinder used - total calm, and bliss for the farriers!
 
Sandstone1 said:
Anyone watch the Hoof GP? I find it interesting how different trimming is for cows. Do cow hoof trimmers have to be qualified like a farrier? Is trimming cows feet a new thing? Some of the poor things have nasty feet.
Click to expand...
I thought you only had to be qualified to shoe horses. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can claim to be a barefoot trimmer and trim horses hooves
 
FieldOrnaments said:
There's a US mule rescue that uses cattle crushes and tilt table type deals for trimming unhandled mules (they are sedated mostly though).
Click to expand...
Exactly; wild, unhandled and sedated equines. Not pampered princes and princesses where we rely on the relationship so they don't kill us.
 
Char.barker said:
I thought you only had to be qualified to shoe horses. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can claim to be a barefoot trimmer and trim horses hooves
Click to expand...
LANTRA run courses, if you’re interested? handling cattle and sheep isn’t like horses, though, forget the ‘iron-free, barefoot-movement’ proselytising - just a thorough, quick, professional job required!
 
CanteringCarrot said:
I know some trimmers and other horse owners that use grinders quite successfully. I've considered it for my horses hard as rock hooves.

It doesn't have to be a drastic trim or anything. You can use a grinder for small trims too.

Some horses honestly give zero f*cks about it. You can tell pretty quickly what they think about it/how they'll react.
Click to expand...
(about 12 mins in)

this video shows an absolutely lovely little grinder that may help with your hard hooves. (forget the knife one it is the one with the sanding disc) It is very different from the normal angle grinder, a lot lighter, safer and very easy to use.
Whips through hard feet for a pastime. I think a lot more trimmers use grinders on your side of the pond. They seem a bit more nervous over here. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top