Time for My Donkeys to Get Their Hooves Trimmed

September 12, 2022

Time for My Donkeys to Get Their Hooves Trimmed

There's always something going on down at my stable - this time, my farrier is here to trim the donkeys' hooves.

Every six to eight weeks, my farrier, Marc Hill, comes by the stable to check the donkeys' hooves and give them a good trim. Their hooves are constantly growing, and they support the entire weight of a donkey's body, so if left unmaintained, they can split or get too long causing uneven strides and soreness. Marc is an expert in shoeing and trimming equine hooves, and doesn't take long to get all five of my Sicilian donkeys done.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: The donkeys know visitors are in the stable. Here are the girls – Billie on the right and Jude “JJ” Junior on the left watching all the activity from their heavy-duty steel half-size stall gate by American Stalls in Fairfax, Virginia.

: Here’s my stable manager, Helen Peparo, watching the donkeys as Marc tends to the girls’ hooves. These donkeys are very well behaved and easy to work with – they are accustomed to these routines because they are groomed and handled every day, but don’t underestimate the strength of a donkey. Donkeys have powerful rear legs, which they use to kick when they feel threatened or nervous.

: Marc begins by using a hoof knife to remove any debris and to trim the hoof sole. Donkeys are adapted to dry climates so their hooves have a higher water content and are more elastic than horse hooves. Donkey feet are also thick walled. Donkeys also don’t typically wear shoes.

: A farrier’s hoof knife is made of high quality stainless steel and has a sharp blade. It is used to clean up the exfoliating sole, to trim the shedding frog, and to cut the bars.

: This is called a nipper. It is used to cut and remove any overgrown hoof wall.

: The next step is to clean up any rough edges around the hoof. Marc does this with a filing tool called a rasp. Rasps are made of high carbon steel and chrome.

: Truman “TJ” Junior watches from the step in his stall. He is always watching out for his girls.

: The finished hoof should look neat and well-rounded, and be free from any diseased tissue. Trimming them should be done often enough, so they don’t overgrow and cause issues with walking.

: The girls are all done. Helen walks them back to their stall in tandem. Donkeys bond very closely with the horses in their herd. Both Billie and Jude “JJ” Junior enjoy having full sight of each other during all their grooming treatments.

: Now behind the stall gate, Billie looks on with curiosity as the boys are taken out for their hoof trims. Do you know… a donkey is capable of hearing another donkey from up to 60 miles away in the proper conditions? They have a great sense of hearing, in part because of their large ears.

: Rufus and Clive are ready to come through their gate – who wants to be first?

: Marc talks calmly to Clive to reassure him that this is a quick and painless procedure. Donkeys are generally calm, intelligent, and have a natural inclination to like people. Donkeys show less obvious signs of fear than horses.