Donkey Feet

Here is a picture of Rufus's feet.  His hooves were getting too long, and were chipped.  It was time to make an appointment with the farrier, so we exchanged some texts and set up a visit for 9:30 on Friday morning.   

Here are my good donkeys, haltered up and tied to posts.  We haven't practiced much these days, so I was happy that we made it happen.  

The farrier arrived right on time.  He drives a gigantic truck that I could hear coming from a distance.  He's a strong man, as you would assume, and he wears leather chaps and steel toed boots.  In each hand he carries an object - one is a magnetic post with a wide base that his tools are stuck to, about the height of a stool,  and the other is a wide based post with a top on it that would allow a calm animal to rest it's foot, also about stool height.   

When the farrier followed me through the gate carrying these objects, both donkeys were frightened.  Hattie pulled fiercely against her post and squatted in a runners crouch.  Rufus put back his ears and danced in place.  The donkeys are not afraid of people, but they do not like objects.  Even dishcloths and hair brushes are scary, so two metal objects with tools stuck to them are terrifying.  I told the farrier that they are afraid of his tools, but he got straight to work on Hattie.  I held her head while he wrestled her feet, but every time he scooted that post of tools where he could reach it she jumped and squirmed.  

We managed to get both donkeys trimmed up in short order, but by the time we were done I had a knot on my forearm from being rammed into the fence and my toe was sore from being stepped on.  The donkeys probably had sore legs from having them tugged while they resisted, and I'm sure the farrier's shoulders got a workout.  The farrier said with bigger animals he would "get onto" the owners for not teaching them to hold still better, but I guess with my little donkeys he just grabs them and makes it happen.  It only took a few minutes, then he collected his eighty dollars and was off.  

For days afterwards I would rub my sore arm and think about how we can do this easier, less scary, and less expensive.  The answer is to learn to trim them myself.  If I could patiently get them used to the tools and teach them to hold still, it might save us trouble and probably money too.  Of course, it doesn't help the farrier much, as I'm sure he appreciates the eighty dollars.