Farrier visit and covid 19

[Cortrasna]

Any helpful suggestions please. My farrier put himself and family on lock down about one month ago - just when my lot were due a visit. He is now visiting customers again and hopes to get to me next week. which is very good news particularly as I have a lammi inclined elderly Bertie donkey who grows misshapen hoof at an alarming rate, so needs doing regularly.

so far so good - now the problem. I am in my 70s and amongst other health issues i do have emphysema - so obviously up until now I have been safely cocooning myself along with Mr Jingle and two of our adult children. The horses probably not an issue - I can bring them into the yard - tie up and walk away to a safe distance while they are done.

The donkeys however are both very nervous of strangers handling them and I know they will not tie quietly while they are trimmed, they need to be held and reassured by someone they know and trust..me. so - question is how do I do some damage limitation for my own sake. so far I am thinking face mask, glasses on, old clothing. Dip all lead ropes and head collars in bucket of anti viral disinfectant. Rush indoors, strip off and shower and wash hair the minute he has gone!

 

[Jessey]

I would also ask the farrier to wear a mask as they do next to nothing to prevent you catching it but do prevent it aerosolising if the wearer coughs. And have hand washing facilities available for him to use on arrival. If he's been isolated for a month he's obviously conscious of it too so I'm sure he will be happy with any additional precautions you request

 

[Cortrasna]

I take your point about the mask Jessey - but latest info (well I read it yesterday updated somewhere or other) is if both parties wear a mask then yes it does offer a fairly good degree of protection though obviously not fool proof. Yes we luckily have large bottles of sanitiser on hand for any and every one so will encourage him to use those, I am sure he will - hopefully - well if he refuses then out the yard gate he goes PDQ!

 

[carthorse]

The only thing I would add to your and Jessey's ideas is if the donkeys are nervous it might be worth a trial run first so they don't think you're a dangerous monster!

 

[Cortrasna]

@ carthorse you are a genius - never gave that a thought and smallest donkey can freak out if you reach out to fuss him with a normal winter glove on. So yes, some desensitising before next week I think!

 

[carthorse]

I've dealt with quite a few welsh cobs over the years, I've learnt these things

 

[newforest]

Check payment, most are not accepting cash.
Lunge rope, so can be there but distance beyond the six foot.

 

[Cortrasna]

Hadn't thought about payment - usually give him cash but can see he might prefer cheque this time - will have both at the ready. I am satisfied that both horses will tie ok and I can walk away and then leave him to it. Unfortunately either of the donkeys on a lunge line with a man they do not know (he has only done them once before) will be similar to flying a very hairy kite lol! thanks for the idea though

 

[Jessey]

I take your point about the mask Jessey - but latest info (well I read it yesterday updated somewhere or other) is if both parties wear a mask then yes it does offer a fairly good degree of protection though obviously not fool proof. Yes we luckily have large bottles of sanitiser on hand for any and every one so will encourage him to use those, I am sure he will - hopefully - well if he refuses then out the yard gate he goes PDQ!

Yep I meant in addition to your plan to wear one

 

[chunky monkey]

I had the farrier Monday and did leave him to it. We had a quick discussion at distance and i went off for a hack on bikly. I did pay cash. It was money that has been in a tin for several weeks and i tried not to handle it too much and i put it in a bank plastic bag so it could have been disinfected if he wanted. I have a place where i put it for him if im not there so i didnt directly come into contact with him.

The only thing you can do if you need to hold them is stand on the opposite side to the side the farrier is working on and try to look away as much as possible and yes go strip off and jump in the shower after.
I had to hold billy the other week for the vet so he could sedate him to treat his leg. We were within a metre of one another, no way could we be completely distant. But we had a horse neck and head in between us. I also looked towards billys nose holding some food for him to eat whilst the vet got the sedation in. After that we stayed well away from one another.

 

[Trewsers]

Some excellent advice on here and all of what I would do as well. Only thing that I could think of so you don't have to be too near with the donks - could you give them some kind of mild sedative? Then they wouldn't be so worried about being handled by the farrier alone? I don't know much about donkeys - can they be given things like a mild dose of sedolin? Is that even something you have access to?

 

[Cortrasna]

thanks chunky monkey - my OH has suggested we get the cash for him from an old stash of emergency cash we have here that has probably been there for over 2 years! good thinking.
Trewsers you can use sedalin with donkeys but one in particular does not react well to it - his bp drops frighteningly low even on a low dose that does nothing to sedate him. I have used Valerian root in the past with some success so I might give them both a good dose of that the day before and top them up in the morning - they like Valerian and beg for more lol!