As hoof trimmers, we rely on the cooperation of dairymen to make our routine visits effective and efficient, and there are a few simple things you can do to make this possible. I have often thought the reason professional hoof trimmers have a niche occupation is because it is a difficult job. While this might be partially true, I believe I speak for myself and my hoof-trimming contemporaries when I say it is a combination of several unique challenges that make it a love-hate occupation.

I don’t want this article to make me out to be more important or any more special than any other person who visits your dairy, but I have been invited to quite a few dairies over the past 14 years as a hoof trimmer. I enjoy seeing what families can accomplish through the dairy business, but I’ve also seen the financial hardship that can result when dairying does not go as planned.

It doesn’t matter how you explain it away, it just comes back as the most irritating thing about the business of hoof trimming. Whether the farmer decides to retire and sell out or the young man ran out of financial options and his path out of the dairy business is chosen for him by his banker, it still personally bothers me way too much. However, if Dairyman Smith decides to switch to another younger, faster trimmer with a new chute – LOOK OUT! – I will be out to lunch (so to speak) for a week and a half. My mood will be less than positive (to say the least) and I will always be looking for something sweet to eat.