# Best hoof trimming tool



## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

I have been trimming my goats hooves with basically what I have on hand. An anvil style secateur (pictured) which does the job but makes it very difficult to trim the inside of the cleft and can only do very small snips at a time. I often end up having to trim it similarly to if I had a hoof knife. This makes me wonder why I don't just go and get a hoof knife ;-)

Do hoof knives work well with goats? What would the (or your) ideal hoof care tool collection look like?


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

No opinions on this?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

What I do is use trimmers basically like yours but but made for trimming goats hoofs. I was having the same issue, couldn't get the inside down and it wasn't totally even so I got a grinder. LOVE that thing. 
I can't use a hoof.knife lol I've tried and I thought about using a pocket knife but afraid ill go down to deep so the grinder forms for me. I do a few passes check for pink and go till I see pink. I thought hard about one of those electric hoof knifes but when watching the video it seems to take a good amount of time. I have a lot of goats so speed is something I want


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

The green handled "hoof rot" clippers from Tractor Supply or any of the livestock supply places works great. Small, sharp and last a long time. (wear light leather gloves). These are from another supply place, but they are basically the same type. If the hooves are really hard, try soaking them for a bit in water.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes those are like the ones I use but I get the ones without the strap. It seems those seem to stay sharper longer, but could just be me


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Jessica84 said:


> Yes those are like the ones I use but I get the ones without the strap. It seems those seem to stay sharper longer, but could just be me


Goats ate my strap! All it does is get in the way!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Lol no I meant there's 2 different orange handled ones, one with the strap one without. But I agree about the strap, when I used those they would grab them by the strap and take off with me chasing them lol


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I understand! Yes, the ones without the strap do work better! I should have mentioned that!


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

I could just picture my Jane Austen taking of with the trimmers, hahaha.

I really like how less bulky they are in comparison the anvil style ones I've been using. Does anyone find that the point poses a risk at all if a goat kicked or was particularly fussy?


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

I've cut myself with my trimmers before with a particularly fussy goat we used to own, but not badly. The point is somewhat sharp, but not dangerously so. I think that a hoof knife would be more of a risk. I usually wear a pair of light work gloves when I trim just in case though, because I'm notoriously accident prone.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I don't think the top would hurt them. I'm bad lol and I use the tip to pick all the crud out of their feet before trimming.


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

Ah, okay. They look so angry, lol. I've picked up a pair of 'delicate pruning shears' which look identical and were half the price. The local ag store didn't have any hoof trimmers in suitable for goats. They tend to focus more on horses though they are slowly getting better about that.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I am more prone to poking myself rather than the goats, hence, the leather gloves! :lol:
The important thing is what you are most comfortable with, as hoof trimming is such 
an overlooked but necessary chore in goat health.


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## Westcoaster87 (Feb 6, 2015)

I actually use the new tool today and think it is fantastic as getting at the inside wall but prefer the anvil-style tool for the toe. Especially on my large doe. It didn't take long to have visions of slipping and stabbing myself between my thumb and pointer finger, hahaha


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## top_goat (Sep 16, 2014)

I use the orange handle jobbies along with a hoof rasp. I have one doe that turns into the Tazmanian Devil at the sound of an electric motor, so the manual rasp gets the finishing work done without detonating her!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Jessica84 said:


> What I do is use trimmers basically like yours but but made for trimming goats hoofs. I was having the same issue, couldn't get the inside down and it wasn't totally even so I got a grinder. LOVE that thing.
> I can't use a hoof.knife lol I've tried and I thought about using a pocket knife but afraid ill go down to deep so the grinder forms for me. I do a few passes check for pink and go till I see pink. I thought hard about one of those electric hoof knifes but when watching the video it seems to take a good amount of time. I have a lot of goats so speed is something I want


Jessica do you have a link or a pic to the grinder you got?


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

I was trying to find that thread from yesterday where someone posted a youtube video of a guy in a white leisure suit trimming hooves with what looks like the best tool ever. I would love to know what it is & how to get one! Hoof trimming is my downfall--I'd love to see the grinder too. I suppose it's electric & noisy though, & my goats are so spazzy anyway. I'll continue to follow this thread with hopeful interest. Has anyone ever hired a farrier to trim their goats? Would they even do it?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I just got a cheap one from Walmart. If you go to any place that gets one just get the lightest they have. The wheel for it that I used is like small pieces of sandpaper stacked together. I'll look around and see if I can find both today. Sadly I can't use the grinder any more  I pulled something in my shoulder while pounding a T post and now it pulls easy and I can't move my arm or head for about a week every time I do it. I mean I probably could use it but only on a goat a day.
I now have a electric hood knife. Maybe that's what your thinking of Catharine? I have serious mixed feelings about that thing. I like it because it doesn't weigh much, don't let the ads fool you it's still loud though. I got the most course wheel they had and it still takes awhile. I just tried it for the first time during winter, the feet were very soft and it didn't really do anything so I just used the trimmers and did the best I could. Honestly if I wasn't so worried about my shoulder I would still use the grinder over this tool, but it still does a nice job of shaping the foot all nice and pretty.......when the feet are hard lol


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## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

I started out with the basic orange-handled hoof trimmers (probably from Hoegger Supply), and they were fine. After I managed to lose them somewhere in the barn, I replaced them with the ARS hoof trimmers from Jeffers. The ARS are amazing. So sharp, and so easy to trim even my boer's hooves with. 
https://www.jefferspet.com/products/ars-hoof-trimmers
Mine have the red handles. It looks like there are different blade lengths to choose from.
I have one boer doe who has had major hoof problems - it turns out that her super-fast growing heels and my inexperience were a bad combination. I invested in the electric hoof knife, and that has been the only way I've been able to get her feet back in shape. Like Jessica said, it still takes a while. If I'm working on a goat with normal feet, the trimmers are much faster.


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## Udder Folks (May 24, 2013)

Oh! And I just had a thought come to the back of my mind. 
I may have actually purchased those ARS trimmers through Amazon, since they were less expensive there. I remember that I had a conversation with ARS, to ask if the trimmers in the "Hoof Trimming Shears" package were any different from those in the multi-purpose package. The answer was "no different." You may want to check out Amazon, if you're interested in that brand.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I just used those for the first time!!! I agree so far I am totally impressed. I usually get the orange handled ones but valley vet was out so I got the red and I won't go back. Even with the electric hood knife I use trimmers because it's so much faster to get the growth off and then come in with the knife and makes sure everything is nice and flat and pretty. But my Nubians feet grow like crazy and hers were pretty over grown and those red handled trimmers just sliced right threw it.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

So not the Shear Magic sheers? Like these?

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/shear-magic-trimmer

Or if I go for these ones, what size blade?

https://www.jefferspet.com/products/ars-hoof-trimmers


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Jessica84 said:


> I just used those for the first time!!! I agree so far I am totally impressed. I usually get the orange handled ones but valley vet was out so I got the red and I won't go back. Even with the electric hood knife I use trimmers because it's so much faster to get the growth off and then come in with the knife and makes sure everything is nice and flat and pretty. But my Nubians feet grow like crazy and hers were pretty over grown and those red handled trimmers just sliced right threw it.


So the ARS red...so what size blade? When I click on them..it shows white ones...guessing the color doesn't matter??


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I got mine from valley vet and they just have the one. Here is what it says if that helps :/


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Oh and they are on sale $28.95! I need to order some tack so maybe I better get another pair while it's on sale!


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## heidivand (Aug 17, 2015)

I love those ones! Mine just bit the biscuit so I'm going to go check out the valley vet website!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Ok...gonna try them


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

I order mine on line from one of several goat supply places. There are sharp tips and a rounded tip. My hubby likes the rounded tip. I like the pointed tip. Just have to be a little more careful.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

The ARS red handles hoof trimmers are BY FAR my favorite as well. 

I have quite a few different pairs and my husband does sharpen them for me with a file - last weekend I thought I grabbed the ARS but grabbed an orange handled pair instead and boy was I sorry when I got to the barn. I forgot what a different those make!


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

The ones from Jeffers got really good product reviews! I was wondering, is there some way I can sort of bookmark threads here, so I can find them again later?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Are you on a phone or the computer? I use the phone so I can tell you how to find it there but it should still be the same idea on the computer as well. If you find subscribed it should pull up everything that you have posted under. 
But yeah I didn't think these would be that much better so when I grabbed them the other day to do feet I was just in total awe over them. I have two goats that I was dreading doing, their feet grow so long and thick but I was impressed. Husband doesn't even do feet, he just basically keeps me company lol and he even saw the difference in them


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## redpines (Oct 3, 2015)

Just going to second (third? fourth? fifth?) the recommendation for the ARS trimmers, I've been using them for almost five years and they just now need to be sharpened (and I may or may not have snipped square bale twine with them as well...oops). They're comfortable in the hand and cut hoof nicely.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

lol that's what I use to open hay too but I wait till they get dull lol


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