There are many paths to internet stardom, but there are only a few ways to correctly trim a cow hoof.
Nate Ranallo, a bovine podiatrist in West Salem, Wis., prefers the Kansas method because the trim conforms more organically to a cow’s claw shape. Graeme Parker of Wigtownshire, Scotland, is partial to the Dutch method, which follows a five-step system to keep cattle walking in full stride.
What Mr. Ranallo and Mr. Parker have in common are legions of fans on social media who may never have set foot on a farm, but find it unexpectedly calming and satisfying to watch them file, sculpt and mend cow hooves while narrating their methods and steps.
Trimming does not hurt a cow — it’s akin to clipping a human toenail. And it is necessary; farmers routinely hire skilled workers to pare back the hooves of their dairy cows, which, unlike wild bovine, don’t roam very far, so the natural wear and tear that keeps hooves from becoming overgrown doesn’t occur.
Mr. Ranallo and Mr. Parker began posting instructional videos to teach farmers and to advertise their services. But it wasn’t long before the videos found their way into the TikTok and YouTube feeds of casual scrollers, who found themselves mesmerized by the methodical, precise handiwork.
