# Hoof triming 101



## FarmerMack (Jun 4, 2009)

How to trim a hoof -  I've seen a few sites and youtube video's all were nice to watch but not as descriptive or informative as I'd hoped they'd be. Does anyone know of a good site or Someone in the Maine/NH area that might give lessons or trim for a fee. 



Famer MacK

also on a side issue what comb is best for the Pygora breed? If I was to do regular combing


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## norcal (Jun 4, 2009)

I'm interested too, but I don't even know _*when*_ to do it either.   Or what they "should" look like.    I feel like a dork, being such a newbie to goats (though I used to milk for neighbors, I've never owned one before).


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## FarmerMack (Jun 4, 2009)

norcal said:
			
		

> I'm interested too, but I don't even know _*when*_ to do it either.   Or what they "should" look like.    I feel like a dork, being such a newbie to goats (though I used to milk for neighbors, I've never owned one before).


I'm also worried about injury to the goat. I've set up 2 different people neither has shown up.


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## Chirpy (Jun 4, 2009)

It's really very easy but I was also very nervous and wanted someone to show me before I did it my first time.  I was fortunate that the breeder I got my kids from showed me how to trim their feet before I brought them home.

Anyway - fiascofarm always has great info and here's another site I found very helpful:  http://goat-link.com/content/view/109/106/

Good luck; wish I was closer... I'd trot over and show you how.


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## RedStickLA (Jun 4, 2009)

That stinks that you have set up 2 different people and neither has shown up. I hope you can find someone and watch them do it...that is what helped me.

 I thought I was trimming mine right but when I went to the goat show I found out that I was not trimming enough off.  Like you I had been to a lot of sites, watched YouTube videos, and read some books but actually watching someone in person trim my goat's hoof was what I needed to really learn how to do it. 

Good Luck!
Mitzi


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## bheila (Jun 5, 2009)

I like many others thought I knew what I was doing.  I even took one of my goats to someone who said she'd been trimming hooves for years.  I ended up trimming them better then her  Fine someone who actually does know what they are doing. 

http://goat-link.com/content/view/109/106/


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## annanicole18 (Jun 5, 2009)

do you have to let the hooves get into that bad of shape before you trim them or can you just file them off more often to have to keep from using the nippers


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## Chirpy (Jun 5, 2009)

> do you have to let the hooves get into that bad of shape before you trim them or can you just file them off more often to have to keep from using the nippers


If you can help it... NEVER let them get into that bad of shape.  Once you get a goats feet trimmed up properly it is always best to keep them filed or trimmed regularly so they never again have that overgrowth.   I trim my goats feet every two months.    Actually... today's the day again.   Wanna come help?


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## bheila (Jun 5, 2009)

I would never let my goats hooves get into bad shape before I trim them.  I got a doe whose hooves hadn't been trimmed in 4 years and she had hoof rot too.  I tend to trim my goats hooves every few weeks because I live in Washington :/  where it's pretty wet a lot of the time.  I don't over trim either, you don't want sore feet.  It also depends on how fast your goats hooves grow.


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## FarmerMack (Jun 7, 2009)

Update , A nice lady from a local dairy goat farm, hollow tree hill farm www.hollowtreehill.com  took the time to stop over yesterday and we got all 5 goats trimmed. The best of the bunch was my shaggy angora buck "Rasta" goat. True to his name he just rested his head against my thighs as i rubbed his nose and she trimmed him up, as if to say "no problem mun" "it's all good". The nice lady said she would return in a few weeks for the final lesson . Thank you Hollow tree hill farm




Farmer Mack   love those built in handles


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## pattyjean73 (Jun 7, 2009)

That's very kind of her.  I wish I could find someone around here to help me out with some "lessons".  I know my older doe needs hers trimmed.  They're not terribly bad... but they're bad enough.  Me and my husband may go out today and see if we can at least trim off the bad and then wait to get help on getting it done shorter and more correctly.


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## FarmerMack (Jun 7, 2009)

pattyjean73 said:
			
		

> That's very kind of her.  I wish I could find someone around here to help me out with some "lessons".  I know my older doe needs hers trimmed.  They're not terribly bad... but they're bad enough.  Me and my husband may go out today and see if we can at least trim off the bad and then wait to get help on getting it done shorter and more correctly.


The secret seemed to be that there was a "grow line" or "ring" trim back using it as a cutting line. the little boys she cut to close so they bled a bit but were fine this am at feeding time


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## RedStickLA (Jun 7, 2009)

FarmerMack said:
			
		

> Update , A nice lady from a local dairy goat farm, hollow tree hill farm www.hollowtreehill.com  took the time to stop over yesterday and we got all 5 goats trimmed. The best of the bunch was my shaggy angora buck "Rasta" goat. True to his name he just rested his head against my thighs as i rubbed his nose and she trimmed him up, as if to say "no problem mun" "it's all good". The nice lady said she would return in a few weeks for the final lesson . Thank you Hollow tree hill farm
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That's great!
Mitzi


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## pattyjean73 (Jun 8, 2009)

My husband and I watched some videos on youtube showing how to trim hooves.  I'm sure that isn't the best way to learn but there were a couple of them that gave pretty good detail about what he was doing and why.  After watching and listening multiple times... we went out and gave it a try.  It wasn't so bad.  But, unfortunately, my does hooves were worse off than I thought.  Her front ones weren't too terribly bad but the back ones were.  She was walking on ridges!  Poor thing.  We were afraid that if we took too much off at once we'd make her feet sore so we simply cut off what was curled and the ridges making them as flat as we could.  We'll go back in a few days and trim off some more.  I figure we'll take it slow and easy... a little at a time until we get them to look like they do on the videos.  

The doe was quite cooperative though.  She kicked a little on the hind legs but nothing that couldn't be handled. She was really enjoying the loving that I was giving her as my DH done the trimming.  We figured it would be better for me to do the reassuring since I'm the one that handles them daily.  It worked out pretty good.  She even befriended my DH after he was done.  Apparently she was appreciative.


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## norcal (Jul 26, 2009)

Where do I get hoof trimmers?   Tractor Supply?   Also, do you guys use a file or some sort of planer after the trimmers?


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## ()relics (Jul 26, 2009)

best is to watch someone, who knows what they are doing, first hand.  If you can't find anyone to show; go to this link at You tube  ....watch all the videos and you will be an arm chair professional...buy some clippers, pick out a likely candidate and start your learning process...If you want to see the perfect trim on a goats hoof; just look at one of your newborn kids....they are born perfectly trimmed....usually



http://www.youtube.com/results?feature=moby&search_query=goat+hoof+trimming&search_type=&aq=f


good luck and don't worry you won't hurt the goat...start by trimming less than you think is right...you can always trim more later


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## mully (Jul 26, 2009)

FarmerMack said:
			
		

> Update , A nice lady from a local dairy goat farm, hollow tree hill farm www.hollowtreehill.com  took the time to stop over yesterday and we got all 5 goats trimmed. The best of the bunch was my shaggy angora buck "Rasta" goat. True to his name he just rested his head against my thighs as i rubbed his nose and she trimmed him up, as if to say "no problem mun" "it's all good". The nice lady said she would return in a few weeks for the final lesson . Thank you Hollow tree hill farm
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Some of the nicest people I meet are goat people, always willing to help and do it out of kindness. That is what is so great about this site!!


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## nightshade (Jul 26, 2009)

I trim mine all once a month so that they do not have a chance to get too long and collect nasty stuff that causes them to rot. I was told that you want the hair on the top of the foot to almost cover the hoof for them to be the correct length.   I also worm and give any booster shots at this time. It makes it easy to do them all at one time so you remember it all. I so the same with my horses doing worming, any shots and hair cuts at the same time I am trimming hooves.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jul 27, 2009)

FarmerMack said:
			
		

> pattyjean73 said:
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so how do you know what the 'grow line' is????? i'm doing a terrible job trimming my goats! can you describe it?? i sat there and watched a gal do it but when i look at their feet it all looks the same. 
:-(


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## Chaty (Jul 27, 2009)

the grow line is the Coronary band at the top of the hoof where it attaches to the leg. That is a straight line and then you go to the bottom of the hoof and check to see if its straight and if not trim a little at a time till it looks good. Sometmes they can get overgrown and you need to trim and not make them bleed. If its gets pink stop till it grows some or they will bleed. My motto when trimming is less it better and dont be in a hurry or someone will get hurt.


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## cmjust0 (Jul 27, 2009)

I only occasionally have to break out the shears..  Usually, I use a cheapo $4 hoof knife from TSC..  I have a more expensive knife, but I like the cheapies better because they're more flexible.

I just trim until all the excess hoof wall is gone, the foot has the correct "trapezoid" shape, and the sole is more or less level with the hoof wall..  I rarely make anybody bleed.

The finished shape should look something like:

 __
\ _\

^^^ that when viewed from the side.  

I helped a guy get downright brutal with a buck's hooves once..  This buck that had what appeared to be swimming flippers on his front feet, and the trimming he got was something the likes of which I've never seen..  

When it was all said and done, the hoof shape was correct....but he didn't have a heel.  The sole met flush with the hoof wall across the entirety of the underside of the foot..  It was just...weird.

Needless to say, the buck wasn't walking too much better when he left the stanchion than he was when we loaded him up...and he was grinding his teeth something fierce, too.


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