How to Trim a Goats Hooves

Learn the EASY way to trim your goats hooves. Make them ready to show at fair!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hoof Trimmers
• Pedegg
• Shoe polish

1. Restrain your goat: Use a head stanchion, or have someone else hold their head. Allowing them to eat grain from a bucket also helps keep them occupied while you groom them.

2. Where to stand: Stand at their side, facing their tale end. Bend their front leg so their knee so you can flip their hoof up and see what you are doing.

3. What to look for: Goats have horizontal growth lines on their hooves (look closely... they are there). You will try to trim on these growth lines so your trim is even and allows the goat to stand correctly.

4. Trimming: Use the trimmers to gently scrape away dirt and debris. Begin trimming a small amount from the outer edge of the hoof. You will see a pinkish color appear on freshly trimmed hooves. (If you snip too close the goat may bleed, so proceed with a little snip at a time until you gain more experience) Move to the center of the hoof and begin trimming in order to make the trim even.

5. Take your Pedegg and begin rubbing it across the hoof front to back and back to front (not side to side) This will shave off the hoof smoothly with much less risk of hurting the animal. It works GREAT! We keep one in our grooming box for showing at the fair!

6. Finishing touch: We only do this for showing at the fair. You can just dab some dark shoe polish on an old towel. Rub it all over the hoof. Buff to shine! Fast and easy!!!

7. Repeat on other hooves.

Tips & Warnings

• Allowing your goat to eat some sweet grain from a bucket may also keep it occupied enough so it is easier to handle while you groom them.
• Always use caution when using a sharp object around animals. They WILL move without warning! Keep first aid supplies handy for you and your pet.