At our recent on-farm lameness training sessions, we’ve been inspecting some live cows’ feet – and also looking at some dead cows’ ones!
Being able to look inside a cow’s foot really helps grow your understanding of how to trim a hoof. Done right, trimming helps restore the balance of the foot, but done wrong, it can cause more harm than good.
Here’s what a cow hoof looks like inside:
You can see how the bone sits with even pressure over the sole of the hoof. Being able to examine this really helps you see how hoof length can affect the balance of the foot and what can go wrong. For example, an overgrown toe would tilt the bone backwards, putting pressure on the heel.
You can also see how easy it would be to over-trim the sole, particularly when using a grinder. Taking a couple of millimeters too much off could leave a very thin sole, with more potential for stones to penetrate through to the sensitive tissue underneath.
Our on-farm training days are a great way to upskill your team in a very practical way. They’re all about building on what you already know and picking up tips – in this case helping you to get lame cows back on their feet quickly.
Call the VetSouth Winton Farm Services team on 03 236 6090 ext. 8054. for more information or to book.
