Unfortunately as a hoof care practitioner you come into contact with a fair amount of neglected equines. A little over a year ago, one of my clients discovered a donkey that had been dumped on a ranch. The donkey had severely overgrown hooves and was lying down. After reporting the abandoned donkey to the ranch owner, the client contacted me asking for help. He was desperate to get some relief for this donkey and promised to pay for the trim on his next payday. After hearing this story I too felt compelled to help provide some relief. He walked in for the first trim and trotted out after it. It’s true, some of your best work is free.
Using a saw to remove excess hoof.
After trimming.
My client decided to keep the donkey and named him Jesus. I have been trimming Jesus regularly since then on an 8 week trim cycle and his quality of life has improved greatly. By all accounts, Jesus is a much healthy and happier donkey that when I first met him. Although all four feet still have challenges, he moves much more comfortably. Thanks to a consistent and balanced trim, his knees are now able to support him more effectively. Taking photos of Jesus’ progress has been a great learning experience in and of itself. I have learned the camera is a trimming tool and have decided to move Jesus to a shorter trimming cycle in hopes of making even more progress.
One year after first trim.
Happy Jesus.
Joe Kunkel, Joe the Barefoot Trimmer
