Her Animals Hoof Care - "Mini" Pig Trimming

12/26/2024

Holidays can bring out the worst in piggies. Especially if they aren't used to the people that are coming and going in THEIR territory.

Adding a new member to the family doesn't just apply to other pigs. It can apply to other people, animals, and sometimes even things like new chairs or couches.

Any change in routine CAN bring out the worst in our piggy pals. They simply don't understand change the way we do. Which causes a lot of disregulation among their environment.

We know that our family is only visiting our space. That our stress levels may go up with the excess of people or critters.

They don't understand why there are new people in their space. Newness or new members typically mean that they need to challenge their spots in the herd. That their place is now unknown, and in order to calm down, they need to figure out where they stand.

Expect more challenges, upset, and even some temper tantrums if you're the house hosting and it is out of the norm for your routine.

Pigs exposed to changes regularly are less likely to have the outbursts that the solo, strict routine having piggos are subject to having.

This paired with the terrible two/three year old stage makes for an interesting time in both of your lives.

Please be patient with your piggy pal this holiday season. This is about the time most people jump to rehoming when it's really just a lack of comfort being had on your pigs part.

12/25/2024

Excess sugar in the diet is often the main culprit of laminitis, a very painful and chronic condition. Once an animal has a bout of laminitis, nutrition is super important to help lessen future flares.

Diets high in fruit, corn, and human foods such as rice, spaghetti, cookies, and potatoes (like those leftovers after dinner 😬) can lead to laminitis.

The other most common culprit of laminitis in pigs is what equine specialists call overload laminitis. This is where a limb (or all limbs) has been overloaded. That another limb was injured and was taking too much of the weight baring load.

This most often happens in pigs who are overweight or who are morbidly obese. Their limbs are already at a disadvantage with the way they are built naturally. The more people have selectively bred, the more the weight is distributed oddly. Any excess weight that is added to their already small legs can create issues further down in their toes (hooves).

Since pigs hide pain well, it can often go unnoticed until a hoof trim uncovers the yellow to orange striations—not to be confused with discoloration caused by litter box users.

12/25/2024

You may not be around our tree, but you guys are in our hearts. It is not without you that we do what we do.

I find so much joy in what we do. I'm not only good at it, but it's one of the things that make every hardship worth it.

The differences in pigs before and after trims. The parents' relief when they see their pigs walk better. The bonds we create with humans and animals alike.

It all means so much to me. To us. This, what we do, is so fulfilling. Thank you for allowing us to do what we do for you.

We appreciate the support, the kindness, and the gratitude. It all makes even the bad days good.

Happy Holiday's to those who celebrate others and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. 🥰

♡ Tori & Michael
Her Animals Hoof Care

12/24/2024

DFW + OK/West TX
January 10th-13th

Ft. Worth - January 12th
> 3 slots left
9a | 11a | 3p

McKinney - January 13th
> 3 slots left
9a | 1p | 3p

Red Oak - January 10th
> 3 slots left
9a | 1p | 3p

OK/ West TX - January 11th & 14th
> 4 slots left
9a | 11a | 1p | 3p

Trip fee due upon booking. If you are interested in this route; please text 737-235-8072 with the following:

✅️ Your name
✅ # of sheep/goats/pigs needing services
✅ Your address
✅ An email for booking
✅ Recent images of your critters’ hooves (or the one you feel needs the most work out of your crew)
✅️ A screenshot of the trip fee paid in advance to secure your spot on our books.

Trip fees can be paid either via PayPal ([email protected]), CashApp ($heranimalshoofcare), Venmo (), or Zelle under Michael Salinas 713-818-8033.

12/23/2024

Good morning! 😊

As most of you know, I fractured my wrist, like the teeniest tiniest fracture, nearly 2 weeks ago. While annoying enough to cause pain, not enough to require a cast or long-term rest.

I was instructed to rest the arm, wear a brace, and ice/heat with Tylenol as needed for two weeks. I'm coming up on that two week marker, and I can admit that I'm not as pain-free as I would have hoped.

She did say it would get worse before it got better because the rest would atrophy the muscles a tiny bit and that the rebuilding following would hurt.

I had a check-in, and she's said to take it easy. Admittedly, I don't know what that looks like because for the last year, we've been doing as little as 3 pigs and as many as 12 pigs in a day.

What we do is our livelihood, and any injury seriously sets us back by quite a bit. I want to say that I'm ready to jump back in, but we have all agreed it needs to be 1 day of work to 2-4 days off or less than 4 trims total spread across a couple of days for the first week back.

This is going to be a bit difficult, but I'm willing to do what I can. We greatly appreciate the flexibility and patience of everyone. This has been a difficult period to navigate.

I'm notoriously horrible at resting and taking an off day, but you would be relieved to know that I have royally screwed up my sleep schedule with how much I've been resting off and on.

We can't wait to see everyone, and we will have to continue to play it by ear. I apologize ahead of time for that. We appreciate everyone's patience and flexibility. We hope the holidays are filled with all the joy. We have a few more scheduled posts going out this week. We will be in touch with those scheduled at the end of the year.

♡ Tori
Her Animals Hoof Care

12/22/2024

Could you all do me a HUGE favor?

Like/Follow The Traveling Trimmer: Goat/Sheep Hoof Trimming & Share this post to your local groups?

He has no idea this is happening, and I would LOVE to skyrocket his following and maybe even his bookings.

Triston will be coming through Texas starting in January!

Herds as small as one and as big as 60+ serviced. The first full week in January starts his Texas travels.

He will work his way from the Panhandle through the Central Texas area, down to Houston, back up through West Texas, and around the Dallas-Fort Worth area on his way back through Oklahoma.

Text or email preferred. Let's give him a warm welcome to Texas.

12/21/2024

Live Drawing of the Giveaway for 1k followers.

12/21/2024

We're going live in less than 20 minutes to draw names. If you haven't yet, add your name below!

We aren't entirely sure when it happened, but we can't say enough to thank each and every one of you!

In honor of reaching 1K followers, we would love to do a giveaway of one trim! That is either 1 maintenance level pig or 3-9 head of goats or sheep.

▶️ The stipulations are:
> You are in one of our established service areas.
> On a route that is already scheduled or willing to share a post to build a route.
> Following the page.
> Additional animals will incur regular charges.
> Overgrowth is exempt from the free trim.

▶️ To enter:
> Comment your name & general location (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, etc) below.

▶️ A name will be drawn on December 20th 2024 at 7pm CT on Live!

12/20/2024

Real reviews from real clients. Check out our reviews tab to view our happy clients and what they have to say.

Please leave one of your own if you've met us along our travels. Your review could be featured as a post! 🥰

12/19/2024

Some of you may have noticed the name change for the page. As of January 2025, we will no longer be offering services to goats and sheep that
A. Haven't been trimmed by us before.
B. Don't have a piggy sibling on property.
C. Emergency trims are taken on case by case basis.

Though, we won't leave you without! Behind the scenes, we have been in collaboration with another traveling hoof trimmer.

His name is Triston, and he operates under The Traveling Trimmer: Goat/Sheep Hoof Trimming on Facebook. We've been helping him with graphics, route planning, and scheduling for the Texas areas we service for goats and sheep.

For smaller than 10 head of animals in a herd, he would need a minimum of 5 stops in a 30-mile radius. Herds larger than 40 animals would be split between multiple days.

Price per head starts after 6 animals. Trip fees are paid per household and are adjusted based on mileage. The base rate for travel is $75/household in the state of Texas.

He will be traveling throughout Texas in the areas featured below every 4 months. That is the minimal recommended cycle for most cloven toed rumenent animals that don't wear themselves properly.

His travel plans will be planned for January | May | October in an attempt to avoid the heat of the summer. Dates with locations will be announced before January 1st.

There will be an additional post made about the changes this means for the clients that choose to stay with our services. Bundled prices for those with pigs and goats/sheep on the same property as a preview.

Please follow & share his page!
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565703823212&mibextid=ZbWKwL

12/18/2024

We have no idea where life will take us.

At 15 I wanted to be an equine massage therapist.
At 20 I was deep diving into the world of rescue.
At 25 I was operating my own private rescue.
At 30 I am operating a mobile hoof trimming business.
At 35 I could be teaching a class of people how to trim their own pigs.
At 40 I could be a mobile veterinarian or a psychologist.

Don't let age be a factor in what you love to do. Pay Uncle John from The Mini Pig Farrier a visit over at The Twisted Woodland. Shop for personalized gifts. Wire wrapped trees, jewelry, crystals, and accessories.

John recently said if someone had told him when he was younger that in his 40’s he’d be a full-time artist, he’d not have believed them. It’s been a wild ride, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Creating art is a form of therapy. It keeps the hands busy and the mind off the darker thoughts that creep up. Art has a way of transmuting the pain, anxiety, hurt, and anger into something beautiful. Time and time again artists bare their soul, publicly expressing one’s emotions frozen in time. Art connects, and we are grateful to have become a part of this community by taking a chance and starting in 2021. 🌱

12/18/2024

Thinking about adding another piggy to your established herd? Here is something you'll need to prepare yourself for.

Fight for top hog.

A kind of fight that is crucial for a healthy herd. Not only does this determine where someone sits in the herd hierarchy, but it also reassures the pigs that the one at the top spot is the best for the herd.

I know this looks brutal, but I can assure you that it's not as rough as it looks. Especially if you add Vaseline to ears and tails, little scrapes and scratches are most common to see after a top hog spat.

No matter how much you might want to, do not separate after this has been started or finished. This sets the tone for the herd until something changes. If separated, this starts all over again.

Herd hierarchy can change at any time. More often, if any of the members think that they can establish themselves as a better leader or if new members are added.

The first pig to walk away is the lower member. They concede to the stronger, better suited member of the herd to lead or differ to.

It's common that once the herd is of a larger size that a newbie would only have to test their ability against the top few pigs. Many times, lower members are content with their position in the herd and won't want to engage with a new member.

Pigs create lifelong bonds. Some will bond with only one other pig, and others will bond with four or more other pigs. Though, it's unlikely that two dominant personalities will stay in their same roles long-term in their bonded groups.

It was incredibly common for a group of four to pair off into the shelters at night in the general population herd I had. In that herd, we had a fluctuating number of 18-20 pigs dependent on adoptions, caloric needs, and health needs.

It depends on the individual pigs' personalities, but it was my experience that if a top hog or dominant personality was removed that they didn't usually have to reestablish their rank. Though, lower members had to establish where they sat. The higher ranking pigs usually have more say in who gets what space, food, bed spot, etc. that the rest get.

12/18/2024

12/17/2024

Checking in between scheduled posts. 10 more days

• 😁

1. Time off is bologna. I don't know what to do with myself. 🤸🏻‍♀️
1a. I had no idea how much I used my wrist until told to rest it. 😅
1b. The "pain" has been mostly annoying rather than painful, but I understand why time off was recommended. 🙃

2. Please text 737-235-8072 with all booking inquiries. I cannot access messages on Facebook.📱

3. Trip fees are due upon booking & are paid per household. 🫡

4. If your neighbor down the road would like to be trimmed as well. We need their information too. 📝

5. Posts are pre-scheduled from now until January 15th. ✍️🏻

6. We appreciate the support, the recommendations, and the love. 🫶🏻

Enjoy my couch potato friends. 🛋 🥔 🧡
♡ Tori
Her Animals Hoof Care

12/17/2024

2 Day Event

Starting in Folsom, LA, working our way back towards Houston.

Day 1 - Folsom & Baton Rouge with surrounding areas
> 2 slots left
3p | 5p

Day 2 - Lafayette & Lake Charles with surrounding areas
> 2 slots left
11a | 3p

Trip fee due upon booking. If you are interested in this route; please text 737-235-8072 with the following:

✅️ Your name
✅ # of sheep/goats/pigs needing services
✅ Your address
✅ An email for booking
✅ Recent images of your critters’ hooves (or the one you feel needs the most work out of your crew)
✅️ A screenshot of the trip fee paid in advance to secure your spot on our books.

Trip fees can be paid either via PayPal ([email protected]),
CashApp ($heranimalshoofcare),
Venmo (),
or Zelle under Michael Salinas 713-818-8033.

12/16/2024

Let's discuss what overgrowth can do.

A healthy animal starts with the hoof. When they have healthy hooves, they process food better, have better circulation, increased activity levels, stronger immune systems, and a better range of movement.

When an animal has overgrown hooves, it affects the tendons, joints, and can lead to bone damage. Overgrowth can stretch the tendons, permanently harm joints, and alter the way the bones stack inside the animal.

All of these things can compound previous injuries, increase future problems, and lead to long-term health issues. Arthritis and other permanent joint damage is a likely outcome for under treated overgrowth.

A single trim is not usually enough to repair all of the damage that overgrowth can do to the animal. It is typically recommended that goats and sheep with overgrowth are trimmed every 4-8 weeks until a "normal" hoof shape is achieved.

This can take up to 3-5 cycles of trimming with regular maintenance trims following to prevent excess growth and loss of progress. A normal recommended maintenance trim for most animals experiencing overgrowth is every 4 months.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

12/14/2024

I've been in a group called Hollistic Goat for a little over a year. This group preference is the holistic approach towards caring for mineral intake & mineral requirements for livestock.

In the year that I've been in this group, the more I've seen increased reviews for Little Avalon Farm's mineral buffet being the thing that changed the health of the herd for the better.

Now, I no longer have my goats, but the chronic fish tail I dealt with among the does in my herd even with free choice mineral tubs, really makes me wonder if they were lacking more of something than the standard copper answer.

Below I've copied from the link and have given credit to one of the members in the Hollistic Goat because I believe in this approach for helping animals on their journey to health.

P.S. did you know that most sheep don't need excess copper because the food that is regularly fed contains more than the average that they need? They're on the verge of copper toxicity because of most pelleted foods already containing it.

• •

What is Mineral Buffet?
Put simply, mineral buffet is a concept that gives our livestock the gift of choice. Each mineral is fed in a separate container instead of blended together so animals can self select what they need at any given time.

https://goatcare.com/pages/mineral-buffet

• •

"We began using the Mineral Buffet around the beginning of October. I could not believe the amount of minerals they were consuming, especially the Silicon. We have 9 standard size dairy goats and they have eaten approximately 60lbs of Silicon since we began and still going strong. We dubbed the daily mineral refilling session "The Silicon Wars" because the girls would go crazy trying to be the first one to get the Silicon and grab huge mouthfuls. I don't know what it is doing on a cellular level but their coats are much improved. I don't remember the last time they looked so sleek and shiny."

The concept of mineral buffet is taking the internet by storm. You may have heard it called "cafeteria style" minerals as well. This system works for all major classes of livestock: sheep, goats, horses, cattle, rabbits, swine and so on. I've personally used it with sheep, goats, chickens and rabbit...

12/14/2024

Comment on the original post to enter! Drawing happens on the 20th.

We aren't entirely sure when it happened, but we can't say enough to thank each and every one of you!

In honor of reaching 1K followers, we would love to do a giveaway of one trim! That is either 1 maintenance level pig or 3-9 head of goats or sheep.

▶️ The stipulations are:
> You are in one of our established service areas.
> On a route that is already scheduled or willing to share a post to build a route.
> Following the page.
> Additional animals will incur regular charges.
> Overgrowth is exempt from the free trim.

▶️ To enter:
> Comment your name & general location (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, etc) below.

▶️ A name will be drawn on December 20th 2024 at 7pm CT on Live!