# Hoof Trimming Woes



## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

I absolutely hate trimming hooves. :sigh: Every time, I start out ok but wind up shaky and almost in tears. It's just so stressful to me because I really wasn't properly shown how and I botch it up every time. I just came in from doing Fiona's (Eclair's need done too but I'm going to wait until after she kids because I can't handle the added stress of "what if she gets too stressed out?") and they were a little overgrown because I probably tend to let it go longer than I should since I don't look forward to it at all, even though I know it would be easier to do it on time. Twice, I didn't see any pink, made a thin cut, and there was blood, so I stopped it and sprayed it with Blue-Kote. She seems fine and she's walking fine, but her poor hooves look awful and uneven.

Anyone else have this problem? How can I practice and become better at trimming without hurting my girls and messing up their feet?


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## LoneStarChic (Jan 19, 2012)

Not much more I can tell you than to just practice. 

Don't let them get over grown. Buy a rasp & use that to even the bottoms after trimming (looks like a lil cheese grater). It takes off slivers at a time so you're less likely to make them bleed.

Set a schedule and DO NOT skip trims. I trim once a month. Maintaining pretty feet is only a few short minutes of work and is easier than trying to correct feet. If you have feet that need fixed, work on them a bit, every 2 weeks until they look correct. Them just maintain what you've accomplished.

Just takes practice. Good luck!


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I'm sorry... I too was never really "shown" cause there's no one close by me that has goats.. anyway, I have searched for videos on youtube and other places online to see how it's done. I've just kept at it myself... and I think I'm getting better (??) but I feel your pain.
It also doesn't help that the goats hate it!
P.S. I also pick a time when no one is around to watch me... cause it looks like a wild ride goat rodeo!!!!


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## Mandara Farm (Sep 12, 2010)

I can so relate to your pain! I too, have had to suffice with looking at pictures online. When I first started trimming, I only trimmed the outer hoof along the sides and front. After a while, and studying more pics online, I realized I was not getting the whole thing and experimented (lightly!) with trimming the base/heel of the hoof. Wonder of wonders -- it worked! I'm still learning and going slowly, but if I can offer any advice it would be to go slow, take deep breaths between cuttings, and try to be as kind with yourself as you are with your goaties (even if you're wrestling them to get at their feet -- it's still a kindness to try and take good care of them!)

:hug:


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

No one has ever shown me how to do it.
I have just researched it a lot online and went out and did it. Wasn't pretty at first.
I must say for one goat it wasn't perfect, as she was overgrown and it took time( as well as trial and error) to correct it.

Once you get the hooves down to where they need to be it is a lot easier to keep them that way.
It was a pain for me at first...as I really felt bad that no matter how hard I tried, it didn't look right.
After a long time of doing it and more research I figured out what I was doing wrong.
Now I can say that it looks okay/good, still not a pro but they are not walking on heels or anything.

Even had a breeder out here and she said I was doing a good job at it...took a while to get there.
But this is just maintaining hooves,
I am sure if I got a doe with overgrown hooves I would have a nightmare again...makes it hard to correct at times and it turns it into a mind challenge.
I don't buy from un-responsible herds anymore though. The herds I bought from/will buy from keep their animals well cared for and it makes it easier for a novice to keep up with the trimmings.

Might help if someone could come out and show you what you are doing wrong. It always helps learn quicker when you know what you are doing wrong.


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

Oh and yes they kick around. A way that works for me (although hard on your back) is if doing the back feet stand on the milk stand with your knees locking their hips. Then curl their back hoof up so you can trim it, while holding the hoof with a firm hand.
This works for me and they don't kick around.

Front hooves are harder, they don't really like to have their front feet off the ground too long.
So lift the hoof and trim away till they get uncomfortable(30-60 secs) and set it back down and do it again till I have trimmed it all


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## .:Linz:. (Aug 25, 2011)

Thanks! I'm just going to have to stick to it and do it on schedule. They both came to me with well cared for feet, it is entirely my fault that they have gotten overgrown.  I know that I need to work on them and get them back to where they need to be, and then maintain it. 

The kicking around doesn't really bother me. That's funny, Jesse, my girls don't mind their front feet being up as much as they do their back feet. I trim on the milkstand, so I move it away from it's usual place near the wall so I can walk all the way around it. For the front feet, I sit with my back against their side and hold their hoof but their leg is sort of resting on my lap. For back feet, I stand facing their tails and hold their leg under my arm, between my body. If they kick too much I'll let them set it down for a little.

Oh, and I'm really glad to hear that all of your goats kick and seem to hate it too, as I was told that "they love it."


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Really good advice from everyone. I really do not know what I would do if my husband were not around for this chore. He has gotten pretty good with some specialized knives he made himself. Recently I bought him a hoof trimmer and he really likes it; though he still uses the knives for some of it. He also got a rasp and that really helps smooth them out.
The big thing I think is to stick to a schedule and keep them low. My husband is not very good at that. He usually trims when I notice they are overgrown and tell him to get them done. The buck and wether have to be done this weekend.
Good luck and like they say: practice, practice, practice.

>>>I trim on the milkstand, so I move it away from it's usual place near the wall so I can walk all the way around it.<<<
I have recently come up with an idea for a *double stantioned* milk stand. That way we can turn them so the hoof being trimmed is facing out. My husband has bought the materials but has not built it yet. I will post pictures and let you all know how it works.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Oh no.. that was what we were gonna do today.. we better get out and do it. We hate trimming hooves.


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## rjfoster03 (May 29, 2010)

I do remember the first time that we trimmed..... nervous, but went good. It is much better now, but we do the trimming with two people. The wife deals with holding the smaller girl that sleeps while she gets her trimming. I hold the girl that really does not like it. 

We pick them up and roll them over on their side while the other trims. Works well, but have to watch the horns on the one that doesn't like the trimming. Must keep the head stable. 

We trim once a month and it does get better with each trimming.


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

Someone that can post videos should make a video on how they trim,and correct bad hooves.Any volunteers???I dont have the connection speed to post any videos or i would try it,i have some that are overgrown or just out of shape from too much rain.

Edit:it does help to do it after a rain or early morning while the feet are somewhat soft.


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## rkl4570 (Nov 21, 2011)

I just trimmed hooves yesterday, elwood's looked HORRIBLE!!!!! the whole hoof had grown 1/3 inch, the hoof wall, the whatever-its-called-center-part, all of it. :shocked: I just trimmed his hooves 3 weeks ago before the does gave birth! What could have made them grow so fast?! everyone else's hooves looked fine, theirs didnt grow much. Elwoods have never grown this fast before. I got them back to their original length, you couldnt even tell before because they curled under. Unfortunately I accidently made one bleed.  It wasnt too bad and we gave him a CD&T shot, he was due anyway. Also put some hoof treatment on them too just in case. I try to trim once a month, I hope his hooves dont do this again. It has been wet alot lately. :shrug: 
I hope I didnt do something wrong....


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

I just want to add, our sr. does we got at 6-7 mo. and they HATE when I do their feet.... our doelings aren't bad about it, I played with there feet ALOT when they were little (I also play with their teats and am hoping they won't mind learning to be milked) I have made my doe bleed once.... not bad I cleaned it up and sprayed BlueKote on it and she was fine. An I agree do it on a schedule, we do it once a month....


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## rkl4570 (Nov 21, 2011)

Most of our are good to be trimmed, if theyr in the milk stand. But Elwood is a huge wussy about everything, shots, trimming, wormers. I either have to cross-tie him or stick him in the stand. Lil bit is only a pain bc he tries to reach around and nibble the trimmers :laugh:


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

Maybe I should post this in a new topic, but this is a good place to ask it. My bucks have stout, wide hooves and a _double_ hoof-wall that gets dirt and manure jammed up inside. I'm wondering if this is normal or because I don't trim as often as I should.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I admit I am lousy at trimming feet LOL I've had one person show me, but it's different when your actually doing it. I can't seem to get things 'straight' hard to explain, but I do trim down to pink. Sometimes I make them bleed  Usually it's when they jerk suddenly and unexpectedly. Sadly, it's just one of those things that happen IMO.
My biggest issue right now is my trimmers are dull, I need to get a new pair BADLY <I've been using prune trimmers from TSC>.

Of course I have to be the one to do it because my husband can NOT trim....LOL He just trimmed last week while I sprayed the goats with bug spray. Well, I HAVE to do it again later this week, or at least check everyone's feet because I checked one of the does who have been having issues with a foot <her and wet-anything-kind-of-ground don't go well together>, I ended up trimming like 1/2 an inch off of her heel and her toe was still a little long! I told him he doesn't know how to trim feet LOL He told me I was wrong you don't trim much off and don't trim until you see pink....I wanted to :ROFL: :slapfloor: I'm not a know it all, but I think I know enough about this since I've been the one doing it for the last 2 years. Now I need to find a video and show him....hehe.... :laugh:

My problem is it looks 'choppy' and not nice and straight. I don't want to use a hoof knife, that's out of the question. We have a rasp think I need to give that a second go around.

I think instead of worrying about hurting them, and getting panic-y, just go out and say, I'm gonna do it LOL 
All you can do is try your best. Trim a tiny bit off, and sit back and look at the hoof, as long as it doesn't look too long, then leave it be. If it still needs more taken off, then take a tiny bit more off. As soon as you see pink, stop. If the foot is still long, wait and trim again in a couple of weeks. I'm no pro by any means, but that's how I learned.

You just have to remember sometimes your going to make them bleed. It's just part of life sadly.


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## rkl4570 (Nov 21, 2011)

Yea thats how I got better at trimming! I also always wear a thick leather glove on my left hand when trimming because one time Zena jerked when I wasnt expecting it (i know i should have expected it she tries to jerk her foot outta my hand all the time) and the trimmers put a deep cut in my hand... :angry: Not the best thing to have go in your hand!


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## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

I totally understand this now, just had my first experience hoof trimming. I knew my nubian was going to be the worst as the prior owner admitted to not be able to care for the goats. Her feet were awful! I dug out enough dirt to plant some potato's. Then the hooves were split, cracked, and all curled.

All I gotta say is thankfully there is youtube. I watched several videos before I went out there and tried. I figured I did OK as there was no blood, and I got them pretty even and flat. She looked like she was moving a little faster after I was done (wishful thinking on my part she just wanted away from me).


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

got a question for ya'll..i have 4 kids born and bought in feb2013...i have trimmed their hooves twice so far (new thing for me) which i have help from someone..my question is i have 2 of them in which their hooves turn inward..they limp and dont like going on walks..the underside of the hooves look fine..could this be a genetics problem and are they gonna become lame..i'm raising them for ground clearing and am in the rpocess of training them to lead..the 2 with good feet LOVE IT!!! the other 2 not so much..any suggestions..i think the 2 were born that way..is that possible? i really hate to get rid of my 2 handicap kids..thanks..


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

I've never been shown, and like a lot of folks here, I just watched some youtube videos and did a LOT of googling. i'm still VERY new at it, and they're not perfect, but one day it'll get there! don't be discouraged! everyone starts at the beginning at some point!

my one goat gets annoyed very quickly when I touch her hind feet...she tries to kick and ends up hand standing. I don't have a milk stand quite yet, so I just hold on for dear life and hope I don't stab myself with the clippers..... then both of them started this new behaviour that they just lay down when their front leg is picked up.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Do you have a picture?


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

Do you have a picture of their feet? Sounds like they may need BoSe. Do you know if they ever had it? When you trim, maybe try trimming the inside angling inwards and trimming it shorter than the outside to make them stand on the insides of their hooves? I think that's how you do it.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Curious said:


> Do you have a picture of their feet? Sounds like they may need BoSe. Do you know if they ever had it? When you trim, maybe try trimming the inside angling inwards and trimming it shorter than the outside to make them stand on the insides of their hooves? I think that's how you do it.


I was thinking bo-se too. Without seeing I'm not going to comment on how to trim correctly... I'm very visual haha


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

hanna5977 said:


> got a question for ya'll..i have 4 kids born and bought in feb2013...i have trimmed their hooves twice so far (new thing for me) which i have help from someone..my question is i have 2 of them in which their hooves turn inward..they limp and dont like going on walks..the underside of the hooves look fine..could this be a genetics problem and are they gonna become lame..i'm raising them for ground clearing and am in the rpocess of training them to lead..the 2 with good feet LOVE IT!!! the other 2 not so much..any suggestions..i think the 2 were born that way..is that possible? i really hate to get rid of my 2 handicap kids..thanks..





Curious said:


> Do you have a picture of their feet? Sounds like they may need BoSe. Do you know if they ever had it? When you trim, maybe try trimming the inside angling inwards and trimming it shorter than the outside to make them stand on the insides of their hooves? I think that's how you do it.


 i posted pics of their feet under my question..hope you can find them. i cant see how they would have a deficency of any kind considering they get 1/2 lb of 18R medicated kid goat feed a day plus they have a goat mineral tub also..wouldnt ALL of them have the deficency?


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

hanna5977 said:


> i posted pics of their feet under my question..hope you can find them. i cant see how they would have a deficency of any kind considering they get 1/2 lb of 18R medicated kid goat feed a day plus they have a goat mineral tub also..wouldnt ALL of them have the deficency?


 and fresh grass hay,all ya can eat, and plenty of fresh water..


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

Curious said:


> Do you have a picture of their feet? Sounds like they may need BoSe. Do you know if they ever had it? When you trim, maybe try trimming the inside angling inwards and trimming it shorter than the outside to make them stand on the insides of their hooves? I think that's how you do it.


 i posted pics of their feet today..hard to take a pic when they want to chew on the camera...hope you can see what i'm seeing..


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

You know, I tried searching for videos on hoof trimming online, but they are all so far away that it's hard to see what you need to do.

I was VERY stressed and scared when I first started, but now it's second nature.
Yes, sometimes I still cut a bit too much, and make them bleed a little bit, but it's not such a big deal to me anymore. I trim while the girls are on the milk-stand, so they are happily munching on grain while I trim.

I am NOT an expert, but I quickly learned how to do it properly, and am proud of myself.  So I tell you what...
Next time I am going to trim feet, I am going to make a Video and post it. 
I am going to post another ad on CL offering FREE clippings for people, and see if I can have them hold a camera on the foot and show how to trim severely overgrown hooves, as well as some 'normal' ones.
Hope this will help...

Here are some before/after pics. Only the first picture (with the green/brown bottom) is of my own girl when I first got them, the rest were someone elses goats. But these are NOT the worst I have done, believe me.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Here is a pictue of one of the feet that shows what you are looking to do.
I barely took anything off of the back of this doe's feet.
The Blue-line shows where the angle was when I started.
The Red shows how much I actually ended up cutting off.
And the Green shows what you are looking to achieve. 
Even with the amount of hoof I took off, you can see that there was not a single drop of blood. 

You want the bottom of the foot to be as parallel with the 'fur line' at the top of the hoof as possible.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

hanna5977 said:


> got a question for ya'll..i have 4 kids born and bought in feb2013...i have trimmed their hooves twice so far (new thing for me) which i have help from someone..my question is i have 2 of them in which their hooves turn inward..they limp and dont like going on walks..the underside of the hooves look fine..could this be a genetics problem and are they gonna become lame..i'm raising them for ground clearing and am in the rpocess of training them to lead..the 2 with good feet LOVE IT!!! the other 2 not so much..any suggestions..i think the 2 were born that way..is that possible? i really hate to get rid of my 2 handicap kids..thanks..


I am no specialist by any means... But I have trimmed a LOT of feet recently, and to be perfectly honest with you, it looks to me that their feet just need to be trimmed VERY well and 'evened' out. There should be some taken off the rear, and a LOT from the front to make them 'flat' and even.
I did a young wether (4 months old) a few weeks ago that was limping badly, not wanting to walk, and kneeling a LOT. The lady was considering putting him down because she thought it was genetics... After the trim, he started walking, running and playing like a goat-kid again. Although he was a bit sore for about 48 hours (not used to standing correctly) (I think she WAY overfed him grain or something, I have never seen a kid with hooves as long as that little guy had!)
Honestly, I think your babies will be just fine, they just need to have their feet trimmed correctly...


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

so what you are saying is that i need to take more off the front of the hoof? so that they are not pointed?how in the world do you do that,without making them bleed? i'm scared to death i'm gonna make them bleed or hurt them...a neighbor of mine said your not suppose to trim their hooves till they are 6 months old..mine are gonna be 3 months old or close to that come may 15th..we bottle fed them and and weaned them when they were bout 7 wks old..then fed them kid goat feed( bout 1/2 lb day)..am i feeding them tooo much also?? do you know how much it costs to have someone properly trim their hooves??? and show me at the same time...i want to learn how to do this but cant seem to find anyone here, neighbor included, to help me do this..


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Oh honey, I have no idea about cost... I do the trimming for people for free, and I wish I could come over and trim for you, and show you how to do it.
I can tell you that my 2 and 3 week old babies have already had their first trim. 
And Hope (my 4 month old doeling) has had 3 trims since I got her.
I tend to stay on top of the trimming like a mad-woman. I actually enjoy doing it now.
I am going to see if I can do a video. There is really no way to explain how to do it, without showing it. Once you see it, you will go "OOOOoohhh! I get it!" 
Hopefully I can get a video of a black hoofed goat, as well as a white one.


All I can tell you, is do NOT be afraid to trim. Yes, there is a chance that you might cut and draw a bit of blood, but it won't kill them! 
Just go slowly! Do a bit at a time. I would start at the front, and cut off a bit of the 'tip' just a bit at a time. This way, when you hit the 'quick', there won't be that much blood, and you will KNOW where the quick starts and you can start from the tip of the hoof, cutting along the sides, and the bottom, to even out the hoof walls, and base, as shown in the picture.... You will "see" the difference in the bottom of the hoof when you start getting close to the 'quick'. Then stop.... And even out the hoof...
If you make them bleed a bit, don't freak. It's not a big deal. I normally put cayenne pepper on it and hold it in for a few seconds to make the bleeding stop, then keep going...

You would be SHOCKED if you saw how much hoof I took off of some of those goats! The babies quick generally doesn't go down that far, and I have never made a baby bleed yet.... Still, I'm careful....

I am going to call a friend and see if she will let me come over tonight and trim her goats, and let me take a video...  She has a lot of girls, and who knows, she might have one that might need a trim, though I can't imagine her goats feet being 'overgrown' or anything. Still, it would give you an idea... 

I will post a video as soon as I make one.  Promise


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

I charge $10 an animal but I will wave fees for people who just need to learn or 4H/FFA kids.

Maybe post an add on craigslist? That's where I get my business from


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

You can also call the 4H office and FFA chapter.and see.if they would be interested. I do it for project books in 4H. Also call the livestcok agent for your county. They might help or have someone help


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

Abra said:


> Oh honey, I have no idea about cost... I do the trimming for people for free, and I wish I could come over and trim for you, and show you how to do it.
> I can tell you that my 2 and 3 week old babies have already had their first trim.
> And Hope (my 4 month old doeling) has had 3 trims since I got her.
> I tend to stay on top of the trimming like a mad-woman. I actually enjoy doing it now.
> ...


 that would be soooo GREAT!!! i really want to do this!!! i cant wait to see this video..i know i can do this, just need someone to show 1 time and let me do it while they're there to make sure i'm doing it properly..fast learner...i just watched a few youtube clips and read up on it..i know its not rocket science!!! just what to learn the RIGHT way..thanks soooo much!!


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

Dani-1995 said:


> You can also call the 4H office and FFA chapter.and see.if they would be interested. I do it for project books in 4H. Also call the livestcok agent for your county. They might help or have someone help


 thanks sooo much!!! i never thought of that !!! i think the school up the street has a 4H chapter...great idea....thanks for the tip!!!


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

Hanna- It doesn't look to me like your problem comes from lack of trim. They seem to be trimmed back almost perfectly  It's my opinion that it is a genetic trait. We purchased two goats from the same place, two years in a row, that had weak pasterns like those. It was practically unresolvable, even though we tried very hard to trim them differently.

For your goats, I would trim only the outside toe, and leave the inside one. It may help to straighten them out, but no promises. Sometimes these genetic things have a hard time mending.


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

TrinityRanch said:


> Hanna- It doesn't look to me like your problem comes from lack of trim. They seem to be trimmed back almost perfectly  It's my opinion that it is a genetic trait. We purchased two goats from the same place, two years in a row, that had weak pasterns like those. It was practically unresolvable, even though we tried very hard to trim them differently.
> 
> For your goats, I would trim only the outside toe, and leave the inside one. It may help to straighten them out, but no promises. Sometimes these genetic things have a hard time mending.


 i will try that!! i went out and looked at them again, and i cant see anymore to possibly trim off!! so will they ever be able to go walking to pasture land or are these 2 gonna be my backyard buddies?? the other 2 are fine( they were all purchased at a sale barn, i believe these are 2 sets of brothers,weak one and strong one) thank you!! i'm glad someone else has had this problem, my husband says i worry too much..ha now i know it is a genetic issue..thanks again!!!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

I can't tell you if this is genetic or not. But from the photos I would guess it's not.
Not to say that there aren't goats that DO have issues.... I've seen goats with genetic foot-problems, and I trimmed many of them. Does it fix the problem if it's genetic? No, but it helps... A lot 
And I, myself, have one that was neglected BADLY, and her feet will NEVER be straight (I have been trying, desperately, for a year now!), but that was because the previous owners NEVER clipped her. I got her when she was almost 3 years old, and the first time she was trimmed, was when I trimmed her. Her feet are messed up, because that is how she walked since she was a kid, and that is how her bones hardened as she matured...
But I don't think that this is your problem.
I can see from the pictures that the toes (tips) are way too long, that there is excessive growth in the back, and that the hoof is not angled as it should be...
I am going to a friends house to trim feet today (tonight). She agreed to help me make a video. 
I am going to bring my camera, and a tripod. 
I hope there will be a goat with hooves similar to what your picture shows, and I can record how I trim that to make it even. I will try to have the video up by tomorrow morning.  No guarantees, but I will give it my best shot. 
I am NOT going to guarantee that this will fix the problem, but I think you should give it a shot! You never know!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

hanna5977 said:


> so what you are saying is that i need to take more off the front of the hoof? so that they are not pointed?how in the world do you do that,without making them bleed?


The way I do it, ESPECIALLY with goats I am not familiar with, is I trim the sides of the hoof first, starting at the toe, so that the center of the hoof 'sticks out' a bit. Then I trim the inside. I do a bit at a time, and as I start getting close to the 'quick', I can see that the texture of the hoof will start to change. It will look somewhat 'porous', and I can start to see a more 'pink' coloration... (the quick)

With some goats, the feet are SO overgrown, that there is massive bruising inside the hoof, and people stop cutting the moment they see something that looks like blood. It might look scary, but it won't bleed at all. I learned to go PAST that part, and keep on cutting until I find the 'real' quick. The stuff before that, is just bruising inside the hoof that has grown out. It has no more blood flow, so it will not bleed. Once you get past the bruising, the hoof looks clean again, and THEN you get to the 'real' quick...
I guess I have done it so many times now that I can tell the difference.
But believe me when I say that it was scary the first time I braved it and cut thru that bruising. It looked SO scary, that I was worried that the goat would bleed to death if I cut thru it, so I cut only a bit at a time, and when I realized that although it's red, and looks like blood, it's NOT. 

As I said, I will make a video, and hope to put your mind at ease. Once you do it a time or two, you will feel SO proud of yourself, and you will not worry anymore. 

Oh, also, I realized that you can't just cut the outside of the hoof wall alone. I ALWAYS trim the inside. Always. Especially towards the tip of the toe.
It helps to keep their feet in tip-top condition.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Abra said:


> The way I do it, ESPECIALLY with goats I am not familiar with, is I trim the sides of the hoof first, starting at the toe, so that the center of the hoof 'sticks out' a bit. Then I trim the inside. I do a bit at a time, and as I start getting close to the 'quick', I can see that the texture of the hoof will start to change. It will look somewhat 'porous', and I can start to see a more 'pink' coloration... (the quick)
> 
> With some goats, the feet are SO overgrown, that there is massive bruising inside the hoof, and people stop cutting the moment they see something that looks like blood. It might look scary, but it won't bleed at all. I learned to go PAST that part, and keep on cutting until I find the 'real' quick. The stuff before that, is just bruising inside the hoof that has grown out. It has no more blood flow, so it will not bleed. Once you get past the bruising, the hoof looks clean again, and THEN you get to the 'real' quick...
> I guess I have done it so many times now that I can tell the difference.
> ...


Great advice! The bruises are really deep red color... kind of dull too while the quick is more pinkish red to me.


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Dani-1995 said:


> Great advice! The bruises are really deep red color... kind of dull too while the quick is more pinkish red to me.


Thanks!!! 
I feel like I am actually contributing now! LoL
I don't feel like such a Noob! (Though I still am!)
Maybe Goat feet are my "Instinctual Specialty"..??? LoL

I bet my friend Sue will be proud of me! LoL

I can't WAIT to get this Video done. I am going to really try to Zoom in on the hoof. None of the Videos I saw EVER show how to trim close enough so you can actually SEE it. LoL
Drives me BONKERS!


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Post the link here- Im on a livestock skillathon team and the younger kids would benefit from it. We always do classroom practices so we can't do live animal demos.


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## Dani-1995 (Mar 11, 2011)

Btw, the ones with bad/tender hooves or who gave battles hoof rot are.much easier to make bleed... don't sweat it. Grab some blood stop or corn starch and it will be fine. In all honesty its better to get just a little too close then to leave way too much. As long as there isn't like a hole in the foot that's bleeding you should be fine. I know people who say if you don't get a little blood its not close enough... I disagree but sometimes it happens.


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## lazykranch (Dec 18, 2012)

TrinityRanch said:


> Hanna- It doesn't look to me like your problem comes from lack of trim. They seem to be trimmed back almost perfectly  It's my opinion that it is a genetic trait. We purchased two goats from the same place, two years in a row, that had weak pasterns like those. It was practically unresolvable, even though we tried very hard to trim them differently.
> 
> For your goats, I would trim only the outside toe, and leave the inside one. It may help to straighten them out, but no promises. Sometimes these genetic things have a hard time mending.


I agree the conformation of the goat hooves in the picture is not good. This wasn't a broken bond or hooves that were let go. This is definately a genetic issue.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

All My Saanen have bad hooves like that...if I dont trim Amos twice a month he will limp...no matter how I trim them ( Does too) they always look like they either twist or look like boats...we just do the best we can to be sure they walk correctly...sometimes that does draw blood... but we do try to avoid it.


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

yeah...my kids are a mix saanen and don't know..maybe the alpine..most of the folks that sell kids where i get them are a saanen cross of some sort...i dont care...i love my kids!!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Ok, I didn't get to do a "BADLY" overgrown goat. LoL
My friend takes such immaculate care of her goats that it's scary.
Out of like 20 I did, I could have sworn there would have been a 'bad' one in there somewhere, but Noooooo!!!!
However, I did get to record a video on what my friend considered to be 'the worst' of her goats. LoL (BIG LoL here!)
I am going to do a few more goats this week ( a couple are, apparently, so bad, they can barely walk!), so I should have another video or 2 here soon....
Still, this one should give a general idea... 
Will post a link soon.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Abra said:


> I do the trimming for people for free, and I wish I could come over and trim for you...


So does this mean that if I buy you a roundtrip airplane ticket and provide a place to stay that you will come and help me trim 100+ head of goats feet? :laugh:


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

GoatCrazy said:


> So does this mean that if I buy you a roundtrip airplane ticket and provide a place to stay that you will come and help me trim 100+ head of goats feet? :laugh:


If you pay for the airline ticket, transport from and back to the airport, give me a place to stay, and some hay to put in my belly, I will come over and help you trim your 10,000+ head of goats!!!
Not only that, but as long as you keep me there, I will do your neighbors, your neighbors neighbors, friends across town, sisters, brothers, first and second cousins, parents, aunts, uncles, and anyone else you can think of that had goats that need trimming.!!! LoL


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## GoatsLive (Jul 1, 2012)

I learned by watching videos on youtube. After about 2 years, I had a vet on the farm on another matter, but had her look at my goat's hooves. (She has goats herself) and I was told everything looked just fine. Guess I figured it out then 

One of my girls, she sees the trimmers and jumps up on the grooming table and offers me a hoof. She loves her pedicures. The other girl fights me the entire time so I have to stanchion her.


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

GoatsLive said:


> One of my girls, she sees the trimmers and jumps up on the grooming table and offers me a hoof. She loves her pedicures. The other girl fights me the entire time so I have to stanchion her.


that is an awesome goat. you'd think more of them would figure out that you're trying to make their lives more comfortable, but NOOO....gotta fight em' to get the toes done! the things we do for our animals.....


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Okie Dokie. Here is the link to the Video.


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## still (Mar 16, 2013)

Abra said:


> Okie Dokie. Here is the link to the Video.


What trimmers are you using? They look like they work really well!


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## PiccoloGoat (Sep 10, 2008)

The goat mentor hoof trimming video is very good, you can see what she's doing quite well


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

Abra said:


> Okie Dokie. Here is the link to the Video.


thanks for the video!!! i always start on the side!!! i think i can do this...i now know what i am doing wrong!!!!
babies arent limping as bad.. i think i may have over walked them and bruised their feet ..need to slow down on the walks and maybe not as far..they are walking on pea gravel and crossing the highway( 1 at a time, not brave enough to try all 4 yet) but will be checking toes again today to see if i need to trim up feet better!! thanks again for the video!!! you did an AWESOME job!! you make it look so easy!! i was wondering about the pad thing on their hooves..is it like the hoof itself or is it softer like skin? that part i'm kinda worried to cut..


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

PiccoloGoat said:


> The goat mentor hoof trimming video is very good, you can see what she's doing quite well


Yes! I saw that! I wish it would have been there when I was learning how to trim!!! LOL
Glad to see there are more videos out there now.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Nice job on the video Abra! I have a goat who's heels over grow all the time....ugh...I hate doing her hooves!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

still said:


> What trimmers are you using? They look like they work really well!


I purchased mine on eBay.
These are the ones I bought:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELUXE-Goat...208?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2563ebde50

I ended up getting 4 of them.


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## still (Mar 16, 2013)

Abra said:


> I purchased mine on eBay.
> These are the ones I bought:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELUXE-Goat-Sheep-Alpaca-Hoof-Trimmers-BRAND-NEW-/160590192208?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2563ebde50
> 
> I ended up getting 4 of them.


Wow!! They are sooooo cheap! I may get some too!


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## Abra (Aug 11, 2012)

Yep. I was a bit hesitant to buy at first, because of the price. So I only got one pair, but they worked SO well, that I ended up getting 3 more pairs!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Abra said:


> I purchased mine on eBay.
> These are the ones I bought:
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELUXE-Goat...208?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2563ebde50
> 
> I ended up getting 4 of them.


I use these clippers and highly recommend them! Made a world of difference, let me tell you!


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

So six months ago I was you, I would head out to the barn with hubby in tow to hold, and I would be nervous before I even started. Within a couple of minutes I would be shaking and hubby and I would be fighting. Goats don't hold still, hubby can't hold them, toddler crying in the background, other goats crying cause they are locked in stalls. I started doing it myself after a few bad experiences with hubby ending up mad at me for yelling at him. First I attached a eye to wall and I would harness them, that didn't go well lots of struggling 25 minutes per goat, very sore back from working on the floor, then I started trying in the shower after I had bathed them not bad they were quite calm but I was all stooped over and hurt my back, plus bad light and I would do a bad job. I finally got a grooming/milking stand and let me tell you I lock them in sit next to them on the stand and calmly do a great job,they will pull thier back legs but I hold firmly and after a moment or so they give up. Best trim job of my life, my back was fine, I was calm no shaking and I felt like a pro  trial and error find something that works for you,for me working alone with the stand was the golden ticket, I taught myself and I think I'm starting to do a great job!


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

Jodi_berg said:


> So six months ago I was you, I would head out to the barn with hubby in tow to hold, and I would be nervous before I even started. Within a couple of minutes I would be shaking and hubby and I would be fighting. Goats don't hold still, hubby can't hold them, toddler crying in the background, other goats crying cause they are locked in stalls. I started doing it myself after a few bad experiences with hubby ending up mad at me for yelling at him. First I attached a eye to wall and I would harness them, that didn't go well lots of struggling 25 minutes per goat, very sore back from working on the floor, then I started trying in the shower after I had bathed them not bad they were quite calm but I was all stooped over and hurt my back, plus bad light and I would do a bad job. I finally got a grooming/milking stand and let me tell you I lock them in sit next to them on the stand and calmly do a great job,they will pull thier back legs but I hold firmly and after a moment or so they give up. Best trim job of my life, my back was fine, I was calm no shaking and I felt like a pro  trial and error find something that works for you,for me working alone with the stand was the golden ticket, I taught myself and I think I'm starting to do a great job!


so did ya'll make a stand for them? or buy it? money is tight here, do you know where i can get a pattern to make a stand? hubby is a carpenter...


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

still said:


> What trimmers are you using? They look like they work really well!


i got a pair of hoof clippers online at premier 1 supplies , here out of iowa..think they were 15.00.. they are serated on 1 side and yes they are very sharp.. they are the cheapest 1's on the site...think i'll get a back up pair, so i'll have 2!!! they work fantastically!!!


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## Jodi_berg (Oct 29, 2012)

I got the stand as a gift it's folding and metal, I don't know of a good pattern but someone just built one that hooks to the wall and fold ups, if you star a thread asking about homemade stands I'm sure people will chime in!


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

hanna5977 said:


> so did ya'll make a stand for them? or buy it? money is tight here, do you know where i can get a pattern to make a stand? hubby is a carpenter...


Here is the one I made. I used scrap lumber, for my first effort. So, mine is not pretty. Also, this one is short enough for the mini goats, but, too short for me, lol. So, I raised it up about 12", I may raise it again. The small goats now need a "step" (concrete block), to get up, the alpine just jumped up. http://fiascofarm.com/goats/milkstand.html

However, someone recently put a pic up of a stand that folds up against the wall...that was pretty cool looking...I'll try to find it.


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## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

hanna5977 said:


> so did ya'll make a stand for them? or buy it? money is tight here, do you know where i can get a pattern to make a stand? hubby is a carpenter...


This is my stand that has a pallet at the top that was already covered in plywood. The head gate is made of scrap wood. The base is an old table I had from goodwill whose glass top broke a few years ago. the only thing I purchased was a rubber mat I put on top to make it easier to clean, I just wash it every few days to get hair, dirt, milk off. I had no plans, no money, no experience with goats and it works great. I think if you just look online at all the different stands out there and put together something with the things you have laying around you should be okay! Oh yeah, AND your husbands a carpenter...it'll be a breeze!


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## Gunsmith48 (Jan 27, 2013)

Abra said:


> Okie Dokie. Here is the link to the Video.


What a good video! I wish I had this available with my wife and I started trimming our NGs we were deathly afraid of making them bleed. I'm the designated Goat Holder! I have a small 6 inch rasp/bastard file we use it to even out any high spots & level the out as a final pass. We are starting to go to shows so it kind of sounds a little anal, sorry but thats me ;<)


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## hanna5977 (May 7, 2013)

lanafana said:


> This is my stand that has a pallet at the top that was already covered in plywood. The head gate is made of scrap wood. The base is an old table I had from goodwill whose glass top broke a few years ago. the only thing I purchased was a rubber mat I put on top to make it easier to clean, I just wash it every few days to get hair, dirt, milk off. I had no plans, no money, no experience with goats and it works great. I think if you just look online at all the different stands out there and put together something with the things you have laying around you should be okay! Oh yeah, AND your husbands a carpenter...it'll be a breeze!


thanks for the pic!!! i bet we can come up with something!!! i was checking out the extra 2x4's we have and i think we may have enough!!! found the base ( where they will stand) and a eye screw i can put on a post, for now!! thanks again!!


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## lanafana (Apr 22, 2013)

hanna5977 said:


> thanks for the pic!!! i bet we can come up with something!!! i was checking out the extra 2x4's we have and i think we may have enough!!! found the base ( where they will stand) and a eye screw i can put on a post, for now!! thanks again!!


No problem!! I use an eye screw as well and it'll work just fine. Some people have complained that the goat can get out of the hook when it bucks up on the stand, but all you have to do is "lock" it by twisting the eye just a bit. Never had one get out no matter how hard they tried. I have Nigerians though, so maybe a full size goat can idk. Let us know how it goes!!!

Here it is in the "locked" and "unlocked" positions.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I learned by watching all the videos and I could and having my vet show me tons of times  Then I was quite comfortable doing them.
I have made a doe bleed a little , but they are fine afterwards ,so don't beat yourself up if you do. I actually really like doing hooves but unfortunately my back doesn't . I use a milk stand , the exact one in the video ,and i love it  But I have done hooves on the ground too .
If the goat is more comfortable and stable on the ground , thats what we do. It might take a bit longer , but the less fight IMO the better 
Good luck , you will get better and become comfortable doing them .
It just takes time and patience  ***And a good clipper***


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