This morning, we had a great volunteer crew on-site, which meant we were able to trim up some hooves!

Big Johnny Man had his hooves done first. He’s by far the tallest sheep here, and while he’s not a fan of crowds or being crowded, he did great! Good boy, Johnny!

Next up was Punky. Punky is pigeon-toed; she has been since a lamb, and bears a lot of weight on the outside edge of her outside claw. She’s also a breed that grows fast, unnaturally large in bone structure, and quickly develops arthritis as a result. Punky has been considered a medical case since her intake due to internal damage to her digestive system. With Punk, we always have to be extra mindful that she doesn’t get too stressed due to the risk of bloat or heart attack. A few summers ago, all it took was one apple slice for her to experience a medical emergency.

Punky’s hooves always take extra time, so we go at her pace. Today, that was one hoof, which is just fine. Better to go slow and steady than stress her out too much and end up regretting it. We’ll get her other front hoof trimmed up over the next day or so.

Finally, it was Moose’s turn! Moose is new to the sanctuary, and this was her first hoof trim here. Moose joined us along with the other “Bluenosers” (Charlie, Rory, and Claire) just before the holidays. You might recall that Moose was the sheep in the group who had a nasty UTI and, as a result, urine scald along her tail and backside. While she’s aloof and watchful, she’s a very sweet sheep. She leaned into us while she got all four feet trimmed up, and she has the tiniest little feet for her size.

After trimming up Punky’s remaining hooves, Emma and Rory will be next, then back to Merlin to continue corrective work on his wonky hooves. Bob will follow as his hooves grow fast, and he typically needs a lot of breaks like Punky.

After getting through those hoof trims, we’ll start working through the list of 23 sheep and goats all over again. 💪

Thank you for all your help today Robyn, Lindsay, and Michelle!