Hoof Trimming

[equusmaximus]

     One of the jobs that needs to be done on a regular basis with horses is trimming their hooves.  In the wild, constantly running over hard terrain naturally wears their hooves down; But domestic horses (and hay-burners in particular) generally have much softer lives, and thus require assistance keeping their hooves in top shape.  Ideally,

Comments

[chipuni]

There's very good reasons why I like my ponies to be FICTIONAL.

I've had some experience with trying to clean out a horse's hooves... when the horse did not like his hooves being touched. (I've had another horse decide that he had an itch, and that I made a very good scratching post... pushing me hard against a wall, then lifting me off the ground.)

[kevinbunny]

Should see about a small riding-cart, and harness the little guys for a nice little trot into town for shopping trips. Get them some good exercise in the process.

[equusmaximus]

Nevermind the horses, I've been thinking I should get my bike out of storage and start riding my chunky butt into town and back each day. That's a 17km (12 mile) ride that would surely burn off a lot of calories. I could take the back-roads, and avoid the highway. The bike is a mountain-bike, though I wonder how it would fare on gravel roads?

[centauress]

That's why they have shocks now a days ^-^

[equusmaximus]

It's not the bumps in the road that concern me, but the pile-up of gravel that tends to happen. If the road is packed down nicely there shouldn't be any troubles, but if the gravel is pushed up into a pile (as is wont to happen) I can just see the tires bogging down into it and me going flying. :P

[wordslinger]

You should let your neighbors know that you do basic farrier work. I'm sure someone would pay you. :)

[equusmaximus]

I don't think I could handle yet another business! As it is, I'm (trying) to run the engine shop, the bowling alley, and the farm. I need a few clones to help out with all of this. I know you suffer from the same malady - so many things to do and no clones to help do it all. ;)

[captpackrat]

Our Cranky Doodle Donkey needs his hooves trimmed one of these days. We also need to find someone who is willing to shear just two little sheep; I've tried it a few times and they always end up looking like they went 10 rounds with a weedwacker, and it always kills my back.

[equusmaximus]

What do you do with the wool that you get from them, or is there even enough to bother with?

[captpackrat]

They keep getting into the burdock, so they usually end up covered in stickers, which are impossible to remove. And the hack-job that I end up doing with the shears chops the wool into short, useless bits.

I think maybe our electric shears just aren't the right type for Southdown wool.