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Its time to trim hooves... but she wont let me.

2550 Views 6 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  motdaugrnds
im struggling .. ive tried to clip her to a fence so she cant move.nope .. kicks ..

ive had someone hold a front hoof up while i try to do the back , nope , she try her best to kick and doesnt care that she might choke her self if she falls off the stand as she wobbles and kicks while on the stand

ive tried giving her, her fave treats while doing it , nope .. apparently her snacks arent as important as freeing her foot from my hand ..

ive tried to stand there holding her foot till she stops kicking .. she never stops kicking...

her doeling is so easy to do , all i have to do is flip her on her back in my lap and go at it ...... till she gets older ..... i cant flip mama over .. shes to heavy ..

i need advice on how to do this so badly .. goat mentor is to busy to come help me figure this out.. she just told me "keep trying , she will give up " and "unbalance her " and "you have to man handle her " .. which is easier said then done !? .. this goat has no chill ...

her hooves really need done .. i was thinking about paying someone to do it .. but i cant find a hoof trimmer around me... so i got to figure this out..
please tell me what you do !!!
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If you are just not strong enough, it isn't worth getting hurt over. Now, having said that, I would tie her front feet together while she is standing. Have someone hold her or tie her to something what will hold her. Be ready to make slack when she fall down. Now, tie her back feet so they are hobbled but where she can still stand. Take hold of her front feet and push her over. When she goes down, put your weight across her neck and hold her there. Now, tie all four feet together, and start trimming. This will work best with a strong helper.
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Goat control video

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Must be a very stubborn goat. Most of mine don’t like their feet trimmed and they kick and fuss, but they all do give up eventually. I figure, who’s in control here, who is more tenacious, who is stronger? Sometimes I settle for one hoof a day. But that’s when my clippers are dull and it’s taking too long. One thing I discovered, quite by accident, is that the hooves are easier to clip after a rain or heavy dew and they’ve been standing on wet ground.
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A right angle grinder helps, too.
Must be a very stubborn goat. Most of mine don’t like their feet trimmed and they kick and fuss, but they all do give up eventually. I figure, who’s in control here, who is more tenacious, who is stronger? Sometimes I settle for one hoof a day. But that’s when my clippers are dull and it’s taking too long. One thing I discovered, quite by accident, is that the hooves are easier to clip after a rain or heavy dew and they’ve been standing on wet ground.
Seriously. Suck it up and take that beast down. Sit on goat, trim hooves, do what needs to be done. Even the largest of goats can be taken down by a 120lb girl with a little determination.

Don't worry about hurting the goat, or hurting the goat's feelings. I have a feeling the is the operative mindset for the OP. Show the thing who's boss.
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Goodness goats have a great memory. Maybe she actually got hurt before when someone was trimming her hooves....

With that being said, what I've discovered is that goats respond in kind, meaning they give back what they get. Still there are those who just don't like their feet trimmed...I guess.

What I do with an older goat who has not been used to getting hooves trimmed is to put it on the milking staunching. (My stanchion has a 2' high wall at one side; and another wall at the end where its head goes. No matter what, that goat cannot escape.) I sit down beside the goat to trim the front hooves; then stand at the side of her rear to trim the back ones. [If I'm having to trim a goat's hooves when it is not on the stanchion, I tie her up tightly against some wall ...with a type of fastener that can be undone even if the goat is hanging itself... and then push my weight up against its side pinning it up against that wall. Then I stand at the side facing its front feet to trim those feet; then facing the rear feet to trim the rear ones.]

You need a goat like I use to have...oh how I miss her! (She died one winter of pneumonia.) She would come and stand along side me when I was trimming hooves; and if the goat started acting up, she would talk to it and it would calm down and let me trim without problems. I kid you not! "Myra" was exactly like that! Have not had another goat yet who would help in such a fashion... :(
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