About a decade ago, before I had my daughter, I very very briefly considered going to farrier school, but opted not to for a variety of reasons. I have been curious in the past about the ins and outs of the business, and have had many opportunities to talk to farriers before, but could never quite get over my shyness to ask. So when it came time to trim our donkeys, Casper and June Bug, I jumped on the opportunity to learn something!
Let me tell you, it can be actually quite gross and way more work then I would have anticipated. Well maybe not so much "work" as more labour intensive then anticipated. Mostly because you are in a back bent position the entire time, while this big beast of burden is leaning on you to keep its balance. Gross because step number 1 is cleaning all the crap and gunk out of their feet and looking for any potential problems, like infections or abscesses etc. Plus, you are basically just clipping the dirtiest, nastiest toe nails imaginable, and the clippings s-t-i-n-k!
Our donkeys are guardian donkeys, meaning they live with the sheep and guard them from predators. What that means for our donkeys is that they are on premium feed all of the time which increases the growth on their hoofs exponentially. Also, at the moment they are in a nice cushy pen for the winter and not out to pasture, so their feet are not getting the natural pedicure they would from rougher, rockier ground. So their feet need a little more extra TLC more often then regular equine would.
Basically, I was just the tool hander-overer and eager pupil. It was really quite interesting to see what needed to be done. Donkeys are especially tricky because of their dispositions (I hear they are known for their tenacity) and with June Bug, before we got her she wasn't handled in the nicest manner, so she is very distrustful and wary, especially of men. Over the years though, she has apparently come to recognize that Partner #1 is more tenacious then she is! When she saw us coming with the tools and rope, though! She was so offended! She took off Hee-Hawing and tried to hide behind a fence, long ears flat back and a dejected look on her face. Because of that we ended up tackling Casper first, so by the time her turn came around she had resigned to the idea, albeit, begrudgingly.
Perhaps it is not everyone's cup of tea, but I found it fascinating. I knew the basic anatomy just from my years working in the barn at a kids camp but I had never actually seen whats underneath the exterior that everyone knows and sees. Also, just learning to read the mannerisms of the animal, and seeing Partner #1 read them and interpret for me. And seeing the level of respect and understanding he had for his animal, that is perhaps lost on some people who are simply performing their jobs on animals not familiar to them.
Plus, Partner #1 likes having someone show an interest in what he does, so it was fun having him explain things to me.
The grossest part was the fact that we had several dogs looking on and whenever Partner #1 clipped a new piece he would throw them to the dogs to eat! Apparently, the clippings are packed with minerals and vitamins, but still they are disgusting and they smell awful, and the dogs were fighting over who gets to eat the choicest pieces! I am gagging just thinking about it.
So in conclusion, I learned:
- Donkeys have huge personalities and hilarious faces.
- Dogs are still disgusting.
- Horse toe nails smell like rotting septic tank.
- I am grateful for my decision not to become a farrier 10 years ago, and I am better suited to a life of luxury...
June Bug in the fall. Apparently I don't have any picture of the 2 of them, and I need to rectify that.
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