Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Welcoming a new farrier

Excitement was in the air this morning:

Chester was excited because I put his halter on and he thought I was taking him to graze on the back lawn:

Kai was excited because the donkeys were locked in the barn, allowing her to eat her breakfast without any d.d.d.'s (doofy donkey disturbances):

George and Honey were excited because 1) George had just filled his belly with some delicious kibble and 2) Honey was finding some enormous, juicy worms right outside the barn door:

Beau, who hadn't been paying any attention, was wondering why everyone was so excited:

And I...well, I was excited because I was finally able to find a new farrier (who just happens to have his own donkeys) to replace my other farrier who quit very unexpectedly on me:

Honey positioned herself as close to us as possible without actually being in the stall with us:

Justin-the-farrier was absolutely amazing with my boys. He insisted on "introducing" himself to the donkeys first, talking with them and giving them pats. He even brought his own bag of baby carrots.

Beau and Chester were in the same stall when he got there and, when I went to move Chester out so he could work on Beau. he said, "Aw, leave him. He'll be fine." And you know what? The donkeys LOVED being together for their trims. This was easily the most mellow hoof trimming experience since I have had Beau and Chester:

Granted, I've spent more than a year working with Beau to have him comfortable with foot work, but Beau was so incredibly relaxed the entire time. Justin clearly had an air about him that the boys felt very safe with. Another noteworthy point is that Beau didn't need me to stand and comfort him. I was on the other side of the stall pretty much for the duration - a milestone:

I have to say, if I gauged the atmosphere correctly in that 12x12 stall, I might go so far as to say the boys enjoyed today's pampering:

And look at these good-looking feet!
Beau's front feet:

Back feet:

Before Justin left, he pulled out his calendar book and scheduled our next appointment. He was calm, he was kind, he was knowledgeable, and he was organized. Yay for new farriers who have all the right stuff!

24 comments:

  1. Yea for the new farrier !!!! he done a great job & the boys look like they really liked him A big plus in my book.
    Loved all the photos.

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  2. DEFINITELY sounds like a winner!

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  3. Isn't it lovely when you find a farrier that is so naturally great with the animals and truly likes them? Congratulations to you all! Everyone looks very happy. My lady thinks Honey has one of the nicest, fluffiest Orpington bums she's seen in a while. Hee hee.

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  4. One door closes and another opens, and look at the bright ray of sunshine it let in. What a lucky find Justin is, he was meant to be. So happy you have found someone who can take good care of your boys, and that they are so comfortable with him.
    LiBBiE in Oz

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  5. Ain't that the truth. The same with vets. Some people just looooveee animals, and the animals know it.

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  6. Look at how calm they are with this gentlemen! I believe they can sense if they like, or dislike, a human immediately by the good and loving vibes they give off.

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  7. I don't suppose he would come all the way to Indiana? The girls at the village where I volunteer need theirs done in a bad way.

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  8. what good news! it is always such a relief for us worrying mamas when we find someone who takes care of our kids!

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  9. They say the health of a "horse" (but I guess any animal with hooves) is in its feet. Finding a good farrier is like finding a good man...if you find them, NEVER let them go! I love your blog. :)

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  10. I just want to give Justin a hug. Can only imagine the angst you went through when P quit...the nerve! But that sure was a blessing in disguise. I can't believe Justin even has his own donkeys! You'll have to let me know if his trimming philosophy is any different than Shorty's. From the looks of your neatly arranged row of trimmings,I'm thinking it's the same.

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  11. Does your new farrier also work on the East Coast? My farrier unexpectedly moved!
    Lisa

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  12. I didn't know your farrier quit. How perfect that your new one has donks of his own. Its so cool how different this trim was versus the first trim. Quiet and calm! Hooray!!

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  13. That is wonderful. Congratulations! :)

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  14. Such good news for you and the boys! They need someone special because they are!!
    It's amazing when you find people who have such a gentle touch with your critters!

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  15. CONGRATULATIONS! As a former horse owner, I know the value of a good farrier and it sounds like you've found yourself a real GEM! I can't imagine any equine actually relaxing and enjoying trimming day...

    ;-)

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  16. Oh congratulations! Sometimes it's hard to see the silver lining that a cloud has, huh? I'm happy for all three of you.

    And now I must say: buff orpingtons have the cutest chicken butts in all of chickendom. The cutest!

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  17. Yay, indeed! He's a donkey whisperer. I love how all your animals support each other and hang out together.

    I also loved the welcome sign. I'll be Justin had a laugh over that.

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  18. Your year-long workout with Beau to be comfortable with foot work certainly paid off ... or maybe the boys have just grown up and matured a bit? Congrats on your new farrier-find in Justin, he's a keeper for sure!

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  19. I just found a new farrier also. He's so good with my mini-mare, who hates having her feet messed with. It costs the same as a big horse ($35) but that's less than the $45 I'd been paying. Glad to see everyone looking so relaxed.

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  20. Hurrah! It's like spa day for the boys now, instead of "Trauma On the Farm"!

    Thanks for all your kind words and commiseration over at "my place"...it means a lot. Both for the quirky farm life stuff and the mom (to kids and animals) stuff.

    Sure appreciate you!
    Teri

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  21. Isn't it so nice to find a great new member of the team.

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  22. my goodness, never a dull moment at your farm. those feet look great. and yay for finding a new farrier!

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  23. A good farrier iswell worth their weight in gold!
    @Christine - Where in IN are you? We have a great farrier in central IN I would be glad to recomend.

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