Jim Hinton started hoof trimming in Oregon, USA 40 years ago. He learned his trade from another hoof trimmer in that area. Jim called the family hoof trimming business the Happy Hoofer all those years ago.
The Happy Hoofer business started out working in the Oregon, California, & Montana states of the US.
Son Kevin Hinton started his training at the age of 12 in the United State of Oregon.
When asked why he wanted to be a hoof-trimmer? What appealed to him? He says “I fell in love with it after two hours working when I was twelve. I loved being outdoors, working with and healing animals, no suit and tie, and not answering to the man/being my own boss.”
Before the move north Kevin & Jim trimmed hoofs in the States of Oregon and Montana, and in Canada on Vancouver Island & in Salmon Arm.
After seeing on a Fraser Valley map how many dairy farms are congregated in such a small area Jim & Kevin set out for Canada. They were blessed with multiple letters of support from Canadian Farms/Businesses supporting their application to immigrate to Canada & to bring a service that was not currently available in CANADA.
Ten years after The Happy Hoofer immigrated, making Canada their permanent home, Jim Hinton retired in Florida USA, and son Kevin Hinton remains as sole operator & head hoof-trimmer running the business and hopes to do so until he retires. He works all over B.C. and is also called in to assist/work in some areas of the Pacific Northwest.
The Happy Hoofer has trained/apprenticed over a dozen hoof-trimmers over the years, some of which have gone on to own their own successful hoof-trimming businesses all over Canada & the US.
The Happy Hoofer Chute keeps cows standing upright while supporting their belly and legs. At the time some people thought there was no difference, and most at the time thought we were nuts. Not long after immigrating everyone started switching over to this method and it became adopted as the main way to trim hooves in CANADA
Our current chute is twenty years old, and has another twenty left. It has been modified and added to over the years but has been a very consistent sturdy vessel for our services.
It was the first of its kind in Canada. The rest were previously tilt tables.
The Happy Hoofer also uses manual clippers, and not the more popular grinders newer hoof-trimmers have chosen. That is the way Kevin has always done it, and says that he prefers the more natural technique, it keeps him right in there with the hoof, and he can feel everything he's doing.