Paulette Kaskinen
10-06-2010, 03:01 PM
At the August Advanced Training, Marty talked about using a toilet bowl brush to work with 1 of her llamas' legs and feet, since it lets her touch the feet and toenails without having to get so close herself, and the animal was less and less anxious about having the feet worked with.
I've been fretting about Pablo's nails, as they grow incredibly quickly and I'd really love to trim them, but he drops like a rock as soon as he catches on that that's what's going to happen (and boy does he catch on quickly - it seems like all I have to do is think about it!). Just now I tried stroking him with his own nice new plastic toilet brush, and not only did he seem to really enjoy the feeling of it as I brushed his back and sides (he was haltered but I wasn't even holding him, he just stood still), but he allowed me to brush and stroke his lower legs, feet, and nails with it, and the only time he even moved a muscle was to slightly flinch when I made contact with 1 of his back feet, but that may have just been that I approached it to suddenly and surprised him. I couldn't believe it! I didn't keep on for a really long time or try to go further by trimming the nails, but I'm hopeful that if we keep working on it, eventually I'll be able to trim them on the ground. I know they don't actually hurt him being kind of long, but I'd love to be able to just give them a little trim 2 or 3 times a year. Thanks, Marty!:)
I've been fretting about Pablo's nails, as they grow incredibly quickly and I'd really love to trim them, but he drops like a rock as soon as he catches on that that's what's going to happen (and boy does he catch on quickly - it seems like all I have to do is think about it!). Just now I tried stroking him with his own nice new plastic toilet brush, and not only did he seem to really enjoy the feeling of it as I brushed his back and sides (he was haltered but I wasn't even holding him, he just stood still), but he allowed me to brush and stroke his lower legs, feet, and nails with it, and the only time he even moved a muscle was to slightly flinch when I made contact with 1 of his back feet, but that may have just been that I approached it to suddenly and surprised him. I couldn't believe it! I didn't keep on for a really long time or try to go further by trimming the nails, but I'm hopeful that if we keep working on it, eventually I'll be able to trim them on the ground. I know they don't actually hurt him being kind of long, but I'd love to be able to just give them a little trim 2 or 3 times a year. Thanks, Marty!:)