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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1990-03-14, Page 47Eitait St FANO moms lot .1 ELECTRIC MOTORREPAIR, O repairs and rewinding to all makes O motors; welders, transformers O standby generators and alternators 4.n.%.. OFF ANY MOTORS ORDERED. Enter our draw on a e 1 H.P.,ELECTRIC MOTOR p- OTHER DOOR PRIZES FREE FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS 224 Suncoast Dr., Goderich (next door to Fisher Glass) 524-2869 OPEN: Mon. -Sat. 8:30-5:00 In Emergency Caii 625-8567 or 393-5955 HOOF TRINPMNG The animal is placed in the tipping table and twe bdts are placed around the belly. The table is slowly tipped OBill its dde, with the animals feet securely • Hoof trimming easy so says "The Hoofer" • . Twelve years ago, Lee Rintoul of St. .Helen near Lucknow was a herdsman and manager of two Toronto area ferns. He was very much involved with show cattle and this required a considerable amount of travel. He enjoyed his work, but with a wife and young family at home, Lee decided it was time to find an eight to five job, and this brought him oback to the Lucknow area. He was able to secure a factory job in a nearby town. ,There's an old saying that "you can take the boy out of the country, but you can't - take the country out of the boy." After three weeks in the factory, Lee made a decision that eventually would lead him into a very worthwhile limbless venture. Lee knew where he could find the essential piece of equipment used in hoof trimming. One phone can to an acquain- tance in Aurora after his daily shift in the factonr, and he was in business. Yes, the 'tipping table' was for. sale, and Lee drove to Aurora the next morning to pur- chase it. In one week, he had generated sufficient business to have the tipping table pay for itself. That was 12 years ago, and he had never looked back. Hoof trimming is a relatively easy task when you have the proper equipment. Theanimal is placed in the Upping table, and two belts are placed around the bel- ly. One behind the front legs, and one in front of the hind legs. The belts are tightened and as the table is tipped, the belts hold the weight. All four feet are tied, and at this point, Lee is ready to, being trimming. First, a. hoof knife must. be used to clean out `each foot. Then, the hoof trim- • Mer can be used to cut away the long toes. Depending upon the condition of the hoof, upwards to two inches Could be trimmed off. When this step is completed, coarse sandpaper on a four inch grinder is used to shape the hoof. Ten minutes and the job is complete. The cost to the farmer ... $15.00 per head. No job too big or too small for Lee. He has been called to farms where there are only a few animals with hoof pro- blems, and he also has been called to trim the hooves of complete herds of 100 or more cattle. Dairy farmers are probably his biggest ' Clients. They know the importance of keeping the herd in good condition. Lame cows result in lower production. Lee estimates that he trimmed the hooves on 75% of the show cattle at the 1989 Royal Winter Fair. In September of each year he trims many of the 4.11. calves that are being Shown at local fall fah% t Apart from these 4-N calves, 99% of his work is with mature aninaals. Veterinarians are requesting his ser- vifts on a more regular basis, .eoPecial- ly for the trimming of hooves on bulls before they are sent out to pasture in the spring. It is a relatively simple procedure to place a bull in a loading shoot, and, then send it into the tipphig table. This is an ideal situation when a bull has never been roped before. When the trim- ming- is finished, the bull can simply back out of the tipping table and walk out to pasture, This is a much safer pro- cedure, as vets have often had to tran- • quilize bulls before undertaking the task of hoof' trhnnaing. • • Purebred sales, dispersal sales, and consignment sales often present Lee with • the opportunity for more bushiess. This Month (March 1900) Lee will. be trimm- ing between 40 and 50' bulls for the Limoushi Association prior, to their sale. • As might be *meted, Lee puts in long hours. He covers an area from Coll- ' higwood to Owen Sound to Sarnia and Chatham, and from Woodstock across to Toronto. He often leaves home at 5:00 a.m. to begbi a day's work. It is,not un- COMM011 for him to have trimmed 35 bead of cattle before returning home. During his busy season, he does have an assistant. The workload is somewhat lighter in the whiter months. This is due in part to the fact that dairy cattle can- not be trimmed in the winter. While tied in stalls, the cement draws the moisture \ from the hoof, making it impossible to trim. Once the cattle return to pasture in the spring, the hoof trimming can be started again. Heifers; on the other hand, that are wintering in the barn in free stalls can be trimmed during the winter months. The • note packs makes their toes grow. In s case, it is advantageous to both the animal and the farmer to have these hooves trimmed before the animal is sent out to spring pasture. • Lee is affectionately known by his friends and his clients as The Hoofer'. Next time you are driving down the highway and meet a pick-up truck with the words 'The Hoofer' inscribed on the • hood, you'll know that Lee Rintoul is on his way to a farm or a livestock sale somewhere in southwestern Ontario. And that peculiar piece of equipment behig trailered behind is the 'tipping table'.