Hoof Trimming

Equipment needed:

•  1 goat in need of hoof trimming
•  1 pair of hoof trimmers (straight edge pruning shears work great)
•  Blood stop powder (flour and cornstarch work too but not as well as blood stop)
•  1 helper

The trimmers we use are actually sold as pruning shears and they were purchased at the hardware store but any good straight edged trimmers work well.

First you will need to secure the goat either in a milking stanchion with a small amount of grain (especially if they are not in the habit of getting grain) or you can provide them with hay. This will keep their mind off of what you are doing with their feet. If you don't have a stanchion this is where the helper comes in.

Begin trimming the hooves by picking up whatever hoof you want to start with.

Clean the hoof with the tip of the trimmers.

Next, carefully trim only the part of the hoof that has grown, like your fingernail, up from the hoof base. Be careful not to trim too much as that could cause bleeding. If you do cut too deep make sure to put blood stop powder on the hoof immediately and then hold the hoof up for a minute or so to make sure all bleeding has stopped.

It is better to take a little off at a time so as not to cut too deep. You can always go back and take a little more off if need be. Your goal is to level the hoof out and make it a flat plane or walking surface.

 

The main objective is to create a level serface for your goat to walk on, without trimming into the soft flesh of the hoof.