# Hoof knife



## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I've been looking into getting myself a hoof knife to help out on trimming. I know a few of you on here use them, and was wondering what knife you thought was the best quality for the price.
I'll probably end up getting mine off of eBay once I find what one I like, so I hope they're not any hard to find brands! 
Thank you.


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## crocee (Jul 25, 2008)

My neighbor uses a hoof knife on her horses and I think she only paid a couple bucks for it. Its made in china and is SS. It seems to work well on those tough horse hooves. It may be cheaper for you to get one from a farm type store by the time you add in all the shipping. Buying in person will also allow you to get what feels comfortable in your hand. They have righties, lefties, and combos.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I prefer shrub shears or snips myself, as I have more control over how much I'm taking off. I feel as if the knife for me was uncomfortable.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Well I have the regular green handled hoof trimmers, hoof nippers, a rasp, and a grinder.
To me I feel that the trimmers full quickly and can't cut well with thick hooves like my doe has. I dislike using the grinder because I feel it's pretty easy to slip up, the nippers are large and awkward to hold, and I love the rasp, but it's so slow!
I did look at our local feed store but they were all thick wood handled ones, and I know I've seen smaller ones, I just don't remember the brand names :/


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

Feel the trimmers dull quickly *


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## seren (Jan 28, 2012)

KymberLeAnn said:


> Feel the trimmers dull quickly *


I love my red handled nippers for trimming shrubs I get them at Ace Hardware and last time I found a sharpener that you run the blades through it seemed to be easy and sharpen them pretty easy! I like the control I have with my small nippers even on the thicker hooves.


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

I don't use a hoof knife because I just know I would slip up and cut a toe in half or something. I use one of those orange handled goat hoof trimmers. Mine only just got dull after two almost three years because I cut up a bunch of hay strings for tying up the tarps on my barn. I guess the dirt on them or just being plastic it dulled them. Before doing that I could cut paper with them and thats after cutting three to six goats hooves for two+ years nearly every month. You really have to keep them clean to keep them sharp. Clippers left dirty will dull quickly. If your goats also have lots of debris in their hooves I would use a brush to get them clean before cutting. I also use a rasp to clean up the cut afterwards.


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

I have had my trimmers sharpened, and I try to clean the dirt from hooves the best I can, I have even used water and a scrub brush to get them clean. But one of my does has bad feet, that are thick and very hard.
I do use my trimmers on most of my does and they work well, but I mostly just need something that will work with the thicker harder hooves my one doe has.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I feel a hoof knife could possibly slip and really hurt yourself bad and 
if you slip and cut too close or too deep on the hoof , your stewed .
No matter how careful we try to be , mishaps happen.
Just my :2cents:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I use pruning shears as well. Mine are red handled and they last Oh maybe a year. Not bad when i was doing 20-30 goats a year.

 I have thought about getting the knife but OH I am so accident prone it will either be me or the goat that is going in for stitches. 

 If you keep them out of the weather, and I use like a WD 40 on them they last a long time. Now when i was a space and left them outside and they got wet, or I used them to cut stuff yep they would dull easier. 

 I can get them at like Wal Mart. Mine are kind of curved, I personally do not like the straight ones, but my daughter would only use the straight ones. onder:


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## KymberLeAnn (Sep 16, 2012)

My plan is to actually just use the knife to cut the bulk of the hard hoof off, and then use the trimmers once it got closer to the pink, so I won't have to worry about cutting too deep with the knife.
I've grown up using knives pretty frequently, so I'm not too worried about me cutting a whole hoof off.
I'm just wondering if there's anyone who has experience with them, and what brands they feel work best.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Whatever you do use, be sure to wear thick leather gloves, at least on the hoof holding hand.
See I wouldnt be comfortable with a knife either but since you are used to them just remember at the first twitch to move whatever you are using away from your face & goat.

We keep all hoof care products in the laundry room during all times except summer.
Cleaned off with alcohol when we're done & sharpened every session. Our orange handles ones have been faithful for 7 yrs.
We still have a pair of green handled ones; they are like 30yrs old.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I have those green handled ones too


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