Pages

▼

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Saturday encore ~ Waiting for Shorty

A year ago this weekend, Lucy and the boys and I were waiting for Shorty, the farrier, to arrive. Not much has changed since then when it comes to farrier day. When I count my blessings, Shorty is still near the top of the list, particularly because of the extra special care he takes trimming the hoof attached to the bone attached to Hank's bad knee, which is only a tiny bit worse than last year according to yesterday's x-rays. More about the uneventful vet visit tomorrow. Thank you all for the moral support that helped get us there and back!

***

Lucy and the boys have a standing appointment with Shorty, our farrier, every eighth Saturday at 9 a.m.

So every eighth Saturday at 8 a.m., we go through the same drill.

George and Alan get closed in their pen and I put their halters on, since they've been known to play hard to get whenever they see Shorty's truck come down the road. It's not that they dislike Shorty or having their hooves trimmed, it's more the principle of the thing.

George: Has it been eight weeks already? 


All eyes and ears turn to the road to wait for the impending cloud of dust.


Alan: Maybe I don't want to have my hooves trimmed today.


Alan: Maybe I'll kick and paw and rear and give Shorty a hard time.


Alan: What do you think about that?


Me: I think your bray is worse than your bite.

When it comes right down to it, Alan stands like a little statue to have his hooves trimmed. It wasn't always that way –
Alan is a formerly wild burro afterall – but Shorty is patient and gentle, and Alan has grown to trust him.


Anyway, before Shorty arrives, I pick out everyone's hooves.
I think this might be the equivalent of brushing your teeth just before you go to the dentist.


When you're used to looking down at a horse's hooves, looking down at a burro's takes a little getting used to. They're so tiny!

Shorty always trims Hank first, then Lucy, then George, then Alan.
Hank's right knee bends a little less as every eight weeks go by, but Shorty is so very accommodating.
He kneels on the ground and puts Hank's hoof in his lap to trim it.
Seriously, when I count my blessings, Shorty is near the top of the list.
 
What's not to love about a reliable, competent, patient and understanding farrier?
at

12 comments:

  1. Anonymous10/20/12, 4:20 AM

    The heart is priceless...but at the same time EEEEEWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. MadSnapper10/20/12, 4:22 AM

    i had no idea at all that their hooves have to be trimmed regularly like this. learn something new every day. also did not know how much they like to play, as with bags and cones.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous10/20/12, 6:06 AM

    What happens to horses/burros in the wild? Do they just run so much more that their hooves get worn down?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Estella from Co.10/20/12, 6:21 AM

    You are blessed with having such a farrier, they are hard to find sometimes. Like the frog piece in the shape of a heart how fitting. How did the vet visit go? Have a good day and hugs to the kids.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cheryl Ann10/20/12, 6:33 AM

    Carson, I have a calm and patient farrier, too. He actually sings to Sunni and it calms Sunni down. Now he just sighs contentedly! :-) And, BELIEVE ME, he wasn't always like that. I think he reared the first time!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Leslie10/20/12, 9:13 AM

    I bet non-equine people look at that last pic and think what in the HELL is THAT?!?

    ReplyDelete
  7. OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts10/20/12, 9:25 AM

    It is always such a treat to see the different expressions that Alan can put on his dear little face. Hope all went well at the vet and that you and your herd are doing great today. Oma Linda

    ReplyDelete
  8. Gail10/20/12, 9:57 AM

    I think a photo book of Alan and his comments would be a best seller.

    A good farrier is worth more than his weight in gold.

    ReplyDelete
  9. janejane10/20/12, 10:37 AM

    A good farrier is worth his/her weight in gold. It's nice of Alan to make all his faces before Shorty gets there. Too bad you can't pay the farrier in cute little dung hearts.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sandy10/20/12, 11:23 AM

    Love reading the things your crew say in each photo...They are great and I am so glad that I found your blog here in bloggyville, so I can lurk..Not even sure how I found you....
    Glad the hoofy things went well....
    Love from NC

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jo's World10/20/12, 9:34 PM

    Your conversation with Alan is too funny! (Alan; Now what do you think about that?)The words and expressions give me the giggles.

    Are all of these animals wild, and if so how did you get them? Is there an older blog post that tells their story?

    Jo in MN

    ReplyDelete
  12. Strawberry Lane10/21/12, 10:49 AM

    A good farrier sure does belong at the top of the list! In our barn, between the vet and the farrier, Royal recovered from founder and is now a healthy boy, with excellent feet. Raise the flag to a good farrier! (and a year of intense worry and work).

    Your kids are a riot with definite opinions ... and you are one great mind reader.

    ReplyDelete