There are many paths to internet stardom, but only a few ways to properly trim a cow's hooves.
Nate Ranallo, a bovine podiatrist in West Salem, Wisconsin, prefers the Kansas method because it conforms more naturally to the shape of a cow's claws, while Graham Parker of Wigtownshire, Scotland, prefers the Dutch method, which follows a five-stage system that helps cows gallop.
What Ranallo and Parker have in common is that they have legions of fans on social media who may never set foot on a farm, but who find it surprisingly soothing and satisfying to watch them talk about their methods and procedures as they trim, shape and repair cows' hooves.
Clipping hooves doesn't harm a cow; it's like clipping a human's toenails. And it's necessary. Dairy farmers regularly hire skilled workers to trim the hooves of dairy cows. Because dairy cows don't travel very far like wild cattle, they don't experience the natural wear and tear that keeps their hooves from growing too long.
Ranallo and Parker started posting instructional videos to teach farmers their techniques and promote their services, but the videos soon found their way onto TikTok and YouTube feeds and went viral among casual scrollers, captivated by the methodical, precise craft of their work.
Ranallo, who posts under the handle “Nate the Hoof Guy,” and Parker, who is also known as “The Hoof GP,” have more than 6 million followers across the two platforms combined.
“I misread where the interest was coming from,” said Ranallo, 45, who has been trimming cows' hooves since college and posted his first video in 2020.
Many commenters described the video as “therapeutic,” he said. “Even though I was presenting it in an educational format, they were using it for entertainment.”
Ranallo, who trims about 10,000 hooves a year on a farm within a 30-minute drive of his home, said he's found viewers are drawn to the stomach-churning aspects of hoof-trimming, such as treating bleeding diseases.
His soft vocal tone often contrasts with the visuals in his videos, some of which are not for the faint of heart, including treating weeping lesions and removing painful debris.
“In Wisconsin, we don't put studs in cow tires,” Ranallo says cheerfully in one video as he cleans mud off the bottom of a cow's hoof. “I stepped on a screw.”
After watching this video, viewers feel like they too can help cows in need.
“From an evolutionary perspective, this is a trait that we can learn,” says Craig Richards, a professor of biomedical sciences at Shenandoah University in Virginia. “If they're not threatening you or changing you in any way, your brain starts asking, 'Will this help me survive?' Can I learn this trait from them?'”
But Dr Richard, host of the podcast Calm History, said seeing changes that lead to satisfying results is what keeps viewers glued to their screens.
“What's happening is that dopamine gets activated,” Dr. Richards says.
He said he finds the videos “oddly satisfying” and that they have a relaxing effect.
But for groomers, the job isn't necessarily meditative.
Parker used to start his day between 2 and 4 a.m., driving to the cattle ranch with his tools, sliding the cows' hooves down the chute and beginning to file and slice.
“If you have pain in your leg, the first thing you'll do is shed weight,” Parker says. “Cows don't do that. They're prey animals, and they feel that limping makes them prey.”
While most trims are similar to manicures and pedicures, sometimes they require more careful attention.
Parker started posting the videos primarily to help potential customers understand what could be done with specialized tools called angle grinders and hoof knives, and as more farmers watched the videos, “then the general public started watching, and we were watching from all over the world,” Parker said.
Now, he has merchandise on his channel and a dedicated fanbase who call themselves “The Herd.”
At a conference earlier this year, Parker said he met several people who had made the switch to hoof trimming and were inspired by his videos. “It changed my perspective on what a video can accomplish and what it does,” he said.
Ranallo, who has a large fan base, was once plagued by impersonation accounts that reposted his content and claimed it was theirs. The impersonations became so rampant that Ranallo hired a copyright lawyer. He described the process as a “nightmare,” but said the problem has since been resolved.
While Ranallo and Parker have been well-received by public audiences, their day begins and ends with getting cows to stand on all fours. Juggling social media videos with work can be a challenge, but the pair have managed to strike a balance between their internet fame and their honest day jobs.
“We don't want to make it seem like there are a lot of limping cows across the country, and that's just a small part of it,” Ranallo said, “but at the same time, as producers we're trying to give the audience what they want to see.”
