I still strongly suggest that you pay a farrier to trim your donkey. Donkey Foot Anatomy and Trimming In terms of anatomy, Thiemann said, “Compared to horses, donkeys have a dorsal hoof wall that is slightly more upright, with a well-developed frog. Hooves & Lower Legs. Donkey hooves need regular care. It is not a best practice to hobble or hog-tie a donkey to trim its hooves. Hey y'all, not sure if this belongs in grooming so please let me know if it doesn't. When you clean the hoof out, I would just take the nippers and trim the wall all the way around, don't trim it flush with the sole though, you need to leave just a tiny bit of wall so that the donkey isn't walking on her sole. Besides, donkeys are fun, you should have a couple:) 26 November 2015 at 01:28 Regular trimming of your donkeys hooves are required for good hooves. Domestic donkeys; however, need their hooves trimmed every 12 weeks on soft ground, and twice a year on rocky ground. Vets usually do not have much experience trimming (or even want to do it), and unless you are a farrier skilled in corrective trimming for severely neglected hooves, don't attempt to trim him yourself. Anecdotally, it’s often said that donkeys possess tougher hooves, probably because their wild ancestor (the African Wild Ass) evolved in arid, often mountainous habitats. Extreme hoof problems are the number one cause of lameness and death in donkeys in the UK. This means, for donkeys and horses alike, the hoof is not wearing as quickly as it is growing. Unless you are extremely skilled with scissors or clippers leave legs well alone, allow the winter growth to fall out naturally. This is because the animals simply do not get enough movement on the right terrain. I would really love to see how a couple of donkeys would do on your tracks and if it would be enough for them. I aim for every 1-2 months. I've got a little donkey that really needs a trim, his hooves are super long and he's gotten to the point where he seems a bit uncomfortable walking. All donkeys feet grow at different rates and their diet can change the growth rate of their hooves. In the wild, donkeys knock-off a lot of hoof material with all the running and climbing they do. You'll want a trim every 6-8 weeks. Donkeys trim pretty similar to horses, they just typically have more heel. My farrier does not charge extra to trim a donkey, but does give a multiple animal discount. It is quite different from trimming goat's feet, it is hard to tell where you … Even if they don't need a trim, you should have their feet checked every 3 months, minimum. Hoof care and diet. Most commonly they suffer from laminitis and severe thrush. Pricing will likely be similar to horses. As with horses, overgrown hooves can be painful and cause skeletal changes leading to permanent lameness. Basically, I live with my parents. Donkeys should receive regular farrier care, like other equines. Most donkeys have very little in the way of feathers, but a hoof can look very much neater if you gently trim away any long hair that grows down over the face of the hoof creating a nice neat line. Goats do need periodic trimming, but that can be easily done yourself. Donkey's hooves are not quite the same as horses, so make sure you see how to do a donkey. Since donkeys are stoic they tend to hide problems until they are severe.