We began the day at the Barton Inn again to learn more about the specifics of trimming donkeys and mules as our destination today has 2 donkeys, Ernie and Benny and Penny the mule.
Little Benny (the chocolate donkey) has had a very tough background of abuse and felt a little unsure of all the activity and so we only worked with Ernie but stayed close by his friend. Ernie had lovely feet and a good example to see the differences to a horses hoof.
Mules hooves also differ to horses but it can vary anywhere between predominantly donkey to predominantly horse. Penny's hooves were quite a good 50/50 split with the heels and frog of a donkey but the sole and wall more like a horse. She's a very quick, smart girl and it was especially important to make friends with her (as it is with any donkey or mule) before starting any trimming.
We also practiced more gait analysis, usability scoring and mock consultations in preparation for our exam tomorrow
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