Flakes and shavings from a cow’s hoof fly through the air and ping off Max Boden’s protective glasses while he gives a bovine pedicure.

Guiding an electric grinder, he trims a Jersey cow’s hooves to help her put her best foot forward at Smith’s Cream Pitcher Jerseys, a dairy in Lewiston, Utah.

A cow hoof trimmer’s job is vital yet unfamiliar to most people outside of dairies. Viewers of the television show “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe” know about it after it was featured on an episode.

Boden loads each cow into a chute that can be elevated and tilted. A wide strap secures her in place. As the cow lies on her side, Boden trims her hooves.

“The young cows going into the chute for the first time aren’t sure what’s going on,” Boden said. “The older ones don’t mind and are relaxed.”

Since 2018, the Elba resident has been trimming cow hooves for appreciative dairy owners throughout southeastern Idaho and northern Utah.

“The hoof needs to be level and at a certain angle for the cow’s weight to be distributed evenly, so she’s comfortable walking around,” Boden explains. “A cow’s hoof grows about 2 inches a year, so it’s important to trim them two to three times a year.”

Healthy hooves are critical to the dairy’s owner, Jackson Smith.

“If a cow isn’t comfortable and has some lameness, she doesn’t feel like eating and drinking, so milk production drops,” Smith said. “Our cows’ hooves are in the best shape they’ve been in for years. Max does an excellent job.”

Within three to five minutes, a cow is done. Boden estimates he trims about 10 to 15 cows an hour and about 100 to 120 in day.

He comes to the dairy monthly to rotate through the herd of 1,600 cows. After trimming the hooves with a grinder, he inspects them. If he finds an abscess, ulcer, dermatitis, or foot rot, he trims away the infected tissue, then disinfects and wraps the hoof.

“If he finds a cow with a problem, he takes the time to fix it properly,” Smith said.

Milk from the dairy is made into Swiss Cheese at the nearby Gossner Foods plant in Logan. Smith said the milk from Jerseys is prized for cheese because it has high butterfat and protein content.

Vital to dairy industry

Boden estimates there are about a half dozen cow hoof trimmers throughout southeastern Idaho. They stay busy and are essential to the state’s dairy industry.

Hoof trimmers like Boden help keep Idaho’s nearly 600,000 cows at 450 dairies at peak productivity. Idaho’s cows produce more than 40 million pounds of milk per day or 15 billion pounds per year, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Boden points out how the dairy industry is a crucial cog of Idaho’s economy.

Dairy is Idaho’s most valuable farm commodity in terms of farm cash receipts — the money that farmers receive from buyers of their commodity. Idaho’s milk receipts totaled $2.85 billion for 2019, the most recent year statistics were compiled, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

Cow hoof trimmers like Boden help keep Idaho’s milk production at peak levels. In the past 30 years, hoof-trimming techniques have evolved considerably, so the job can be done fairly quickly.

“People used to use hoof knives and big nippers,” Boden said. “Now hydraulic tables that tilt are used, and the trimmers have carbide blades.”

Boden began trimming hooves after a friend offered him the job. Also a plumber, Boden trims hooves in his spare time on Thursday and Friday.

“A friend had the business and got a job at a big dairy in southern Utah and wondered if I would buy him out,” Boden said. “He didn’t want to leave his clients without a trimmer. “My slogan is “A standout from the herd hoof trimmer.’ ”

Growing up on a family ranch near Elba, Boden, said he always enjoyed working with livestock and was willing to learn hoof trimming techniques. He completed a two-week certification program with Randy Hettinga, a professional trimmer and educator in Kuna, Idaho.

Besides dairy owners, 4-Hers rely on Boden during summer to trim their steers’ hooves to be ready for livestock competitions at county fairs.

“Whatever animals I trim, it’s always rewarding to see them walk away and be sound and comfortable,” Boden said.