# Hard hooves.



## jaytori220 (Mar 24, 2009)

My goats hooves are so hard you hardly cant trim them. Has anyone ever used a hoof conditioner that works that they can reccommend? I have access to Hoof Heal, Mane and Tail hoof conditioner, and Absorbine Hoof conditioner. Has anyone ever used these?


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## Thanatos (Mar 16, 2009)

Goat hooves are like fingernails, if you get em to walk around on moist ground they will soften up.


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## jaytori220 (Mar 24, 2009)

Thanatos said:


> Goat hooves are like fingernails, if you get em to walk around on moist ground they will soften up.


That would be nice but here in Florida we have had no rain. And if you wet the ground down its so dry the ground just sucks it up. I doubt my goats would let me soak them in a shallow bucket.


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## Thanatos (Mar 16, 2009)

I live in Az....rain in tucson is like snow in bermuda. but I do have grass in the yard so we wet it down let em wander and ambush em for hoof trims. if not then I would say any of the hoof treatments should work.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

that is a hard one... :scratch: ...they do soften up during the rainy season with the wet ground...never tried the conditioners ect....let us know if it works...because I have the same issue of hard hooves... in the summertime...... :wink:


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## jaytori220 (Mar 24, 2009)

toth boer goats said:


> that is a hard one... :scratch: ...they do soften up during the rainy season with the wet ground...never tried the conditioners ect....let us know if it works...because I have the same issue of hard hooves... in the summertime...... :wink:


I dont know yet as last year I had the babies so their hooves were never that hard. This is he first year with larger harder hooves. When I had horses I always used hoof conditioners but I really never noticed a difference in hardness. My farrier always said they had nice feet and easy to trim though. Ill have to pick up something and see.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

babies do have the softer hooves ...they are so much...easier to trim.. that is for sure....as they get older there hooves get harder....in which... if they stayed soft all the time ....it could be a bad thing...they would get tender feet or worse.....so we have to deal with the hardness....unless we can find a temporary solution.... to get them soft for trimming then let them return to normal until the next trimming time...... :wink:


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## keren (Oct 26, 2008)

I read a book once where a gentleman used to make his goats stand on wet carpet for several hours before trimming, to soften the hooves.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I found that good trimmers can trim through even hard hooves and to even it out use a hoof file.

I like the orange handled ones you can get just about anywhere. Jeffers calls them "shear magic hoof trimmers" but other places have a differnt name for them


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

here its wet usually... but i did have a problem like that last year. i just sprayed the hooves with water, then usually stick some baby oil on them 
i bet the absorbine would work well.


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## karmouth (Dec 1, 2008)

I am also in Fl and we have enough dew at night that if you trim in the am they are a bit softer . We use nipper's and a sur form. It's like a hand held grater . It works great .


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

We only have a couple that have hard hooves though.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

We like the orange handled ones to.... :thumbup: ...but when you are doing alot of goats..... it don't take long to dull....we use a file on them to sharpen......but they get to the point to where they will not sharpen anymore......Just did some trimming.... and it is time ...to buy new ones..... :help: :doh:


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

We use the orange handled ones as well and we keep a couple around!


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## jaytori220 (Mar 24, 2009)

I do have the Shear Magic orange handled ones. I love them. But its just the goats hooves that are so dang hard. I also have a Pedegg that I use that I like over the hoof plane.


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