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Are you warm yet? It is so cliche … but we Canadians can switch from complaining about the cold to complaining about the heat in no time flat. Phew! Hot and muggy with unrelenting sunshine. It was amazing to watch Rosie cozy into the sandy paddock and soak up that sunshine. HOW was she not melting! We watched the storms float past us to the north on their way to Ottawa and south of us on their way to Brockville. We went flower shopping yesterday. A birthday tradition I quite enjoy! Looks like our front porch will be pink this year. Looks like I will need to remember to water them if I want them to last!
Jeff, our farrier extraordinaire, and myself had lunch together today while we checked out a DVD by Peter Ramsay. It focused on the difference between donkey and horse hooves. We had noticed that our jennies’ hooves were developing long toes. I admire the heck out of that guy. He is so open to learning and so easy to talk to. It isn’t only the donkeys that are fond of him. He arrived at noon and we finished up out in the barn just after four. I know he was a little nervous about cutting into the first hoof using a new approach. I think it will really pay off. Even with this first trim back Bella seems more comfortable. She isn’t flopping in ‘clown shoes’. And now our area has a farrier with that much more expertise. Thank you donkey network for leading me in the direction of Peter Ramsay’s material.
I had to include two of my birthday cards in today’s post. Isn’t it hilarious that you can buy birthday cards with pretty much any theme? Check out the two donkey cards! Ha! Thank you Kathy, Tony and Cindy and crew! Hugs from the Meadow Critters coming your way.
The Meadow View 
Happy Birthday Wendy!! Glad to hear you had a good day. Even in this heat( from one Canadian to another). I had Flo all day. They are always good days! She is having her first over nighter with me tomorrow. Britt is going to help with the evening routine.
Cheers, Barb
Thanks Barb! First over nighter … good luck!
That foot looks much better. I’m so glad you have a farrier who is willing to learn and work with you – worth his weight in gold. Believe it or not, that toe could probably still come back a fair bit, but better to do it in increments than go too far. Especially when trimming into the sole like that for the first time will be causing the poor farrier heart palpitations:) Now that it is shaped right, she might even wear it down on her own in all that sand. I think you will see that their feet start to shape up in no time now and your farrier will have a much easier time of it with the next trim.
Hi, yes I think so too. And I can also see there is more that needs to come off the toe. Rosie was the first of the three Jeff did that way. And you are right on … his poor heart was a bit trembly. What about the bars? Peter Ramey seems to knock them right down to the sole level. Do you do that with yours?
I do trim the bars as they too will get overgrown and fold over onto the sole. I generally try to get to a point where I am trimming everything evenly. If one thing needs a lot more work than the rest, that tells me that I have not quite got the balance right. It takes some trial and error to get it right for each animal, they are all a bit different. Your farrier did a nice job here, he is certainly on the right track and once the trauma wears off and he sees that it works, it will get easier. You’ll have lovely little donkey feet in no time:).
Happy Birthday for yesterday, many more 🙂 Check out Celi’s post 28 May, she has her DE bags up for Lady A. Laura
Thanks Laura! Our fly trap shade contraption is really working well too. And … I think all of the sand is somehow cutting down their numbers. Every little bit helps!