Starting the morning after we arrived in Colorado, I followed Mr. Ross Keller as he conducted the business of being a rockstar farrier….driving all over eastern Colorado with him for four days of long hours and hard work.
A farrier works on horses, donkeys and mules….a specialized farrier like Mr. Ross Keller works on mostly donkeys….spending long hours most days driving between regular appointments trimming and caring for donkey hooves. Ross Keller is a rockstar donkey farrier…lecturing at the annual Donkey Symposium at UC Davis, writing academic papers, giving talks about laminitus in hooves and working with EDSS Farrier School in Colorado to educate new and advanced farriers in the latest hoof care techniques. He has over 400 clients in Colorado and allowed little old me to tag along for a few days, giving me a glimpse into the life of a busy farrier. I carried his tools and helped with cleanup, doing what I could to assist him. I listened intently to whatever sage advice he dispensed and asked a million inane questions, peppering him with things I probably should have already known but wanted to hear his answers.
Here’s pics from working with Ross Keller over those four days:
One of the things that Ross Keller is known for is work on specialty hoof cases. In these next photos, you’ll see how much the donkey needs his care… and the specialty hoof boots that Ross made for the animal, working on getting it comfortable.
Ross Keller works with the farrier school at EDSS….using their products and teaching at their Farrier School to raise awareness involving donkey hoof care.
Camping Outside of Denver
During the four days I worked with Ross Keller, we were determined to keep costs down so we camped for several nights in the local area…at Cherry Creek State Park. This state park is in Aurora, just outside of Denver proper, surrounded by suburbs. The state park is flat and close to the city, but we loved it and loved the camping. Even in June, there were downpours in the afternoons (close to the plains) and we had to watch the winds, but we managed.
These days I spent working my butt off were instructive and eye opening. I learned that my tool technique was slow and sloppy and all the talk to calm down the donkey was really just to calm myself. I learned that mini-donkeys were not all that gentle and the largest donkeys were often the easiest to trim. I watched as Ross Keller trimmed horses, donkeys, mini-donkeys and mules. In the four days I worked with him, he went to over 30 appointments with clients (donkeys/mules/horses) and kept nearly every appointment on time with confirmation phone calls. This was a true professional at work, who clearly showed how much he loved and respected the animals. I can’t express in writing or words how much I appreciated working with Ross Keller during these long days. Thanks Ross.
Wanna read the rest of the trip series so far….click on the links below:
Colorado Road Trip W/ Kids 2025- Day 1
Colorado Road Trip W/Kids 2025- Day 2 On The I-40
Colorado Road Trip W/Kids 2025- Day 3 Colorado or Bust!
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