Standing Appointments

Every eight weeks we have an appointment with the farrier.
A standing appointment.
(He works, the horses stand...or are supposed to!)


Yesterday as the sun rose on our thirty degree land (brrrr),
the farrier arrived to trim seven sets of hooves.


It usually takes him about an hour and a half if everyone is behaving themselves.


Yesterday was the first time that Moonbeam ever mis-behaved!
He just wasn't in the mood for a pedicure, I suppose.


Actually, he is a little spoiled....
mornings are his time out in the pasture and he was a bit ticked that that was being pre-empted
on this particular morning.


Each time the farrier would pick up his hoof,
Moonbeam would wrestle his hoof free and stomp it on the ground.

Stinker!

Eventually he acquiesced and the farrier got to work.


Luckily everyone after that held perfectly still.


We have the kindest farrier... with a very gentle way about him.


The dogs love these mornings...
there is something wonderful about fresh hoof trimmings.


Annie and Sam throw caution to the wind and sneak in under the horses to steal their tasty treats.


I only wish I had photos of the donkeys having their hooves trimmed.
Unfortunately, I was busy holding their lead rope and could not get photos.
I will try to recreate the scene with my words instead...

I had a halter on Daphne and was kneeling in front of her.
She had her head buried in my lap, while Chloe stood at my side with her head on my shoulder.
(It was a touching moment!)
At the same time we were having our sweet love-fest,
the farrier was trimming hooves with Annie and Sam stealing trimmings,
Moll-cat was wrapping herself around Daphne's back legs,
and one of the crazy roos was running in and out of her legs grabbing hoof trimmings as well!


It was quite the sight!
Perhaps next time I should just set the camera on a trip-pod and video the shenanigans!
There is never a dull moment around here!

Now that Halloween is over (the decorations are stowed for next year)...
it's time to start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Every year I set the lofty goal of finishing the Christmas shopping by the time
Thanksgiving arrives.
I have gotten close to achieving this goal.
This year I am going to succeed!
I guess I had better get busy....

Comments

Tricky Wolf said…
scary to think it's only about 6 weeks until christmas!!
Dawn said…
I would love to get pics of us doing the Alpacas feet, but we would need an extra body around, its marked on the calendar for this week end, some are really good and cooperative others are nightmare on elm street.
Lynne said…
Always interesting to follow the Haven shenanigans . . .
Early morning at that . . .
The JR said…
My old Aussie would sneak out to the barn to get hoof trimmings. She would not stop until she had found them all.

I LOVE the farrier we have now. He's wonderful.

Happy hump day.
Moggie said…
Moonbeam didn't like his routine disrupted! It's amazing that our animals settle into their comfortable routines...they know what is supposed to happen when, and they say please don't change it. For us (my 2 dogs), it's outside at 4:30am then back to bed until 6:30, then breakfast and out again, then after breakfast naps until I go to work. Even on weekends, the only difference is they get to prolong their after-breakfast nap to all day on the couch!
jaz@octoberfarm said…
i can hardly think about what i have to do between now and xmas. i'm doing thanksgiving for everyone again this year...all on my own. lots of work ahead.
This N That said…
Moonie says "It's hard for something my size and age to stand on three legs."..Can't break those routines..Love the Donkey story..I can just see them..