Ken Norman has been our farrier for as long as I have had donkeys – nearly 15 years. He is a good friend to us, and we value his visits, especially when he brings his wife Eli and his daughter Nikolene, the Bedlam Farm Barn Fairy. . Ken was called by animal control when Simon was taken off the farm suffering from extreme neglect and starvation, and he worked on his hooves, which had grown out six or seven inches – Simon was walking on his ankles. The work of a farrier is unbelievably hard, and Ken is dedicated to the horses he treats and to our donkeys. He’s worn his knees out leaning over and bending to trim hooves, in December Ken is getting two knee replacements, he has been in pain a long time.

Ken came by to do his end-of-summer hoof trimming, Simon’s legs are permanently twisted, the trimming is very good for him.

These two are connected in a lot of different ways, pain being one of them. I’ve asked Ken to come to the Bedlam Farm Open House on Columbus Day Weekend, a few days after my next book, “Saving Simon: How A Rescue Donkey Taught Me The Meaning Of Compassion” is coming out. Simon and I will be signing books together, I thought it would be fitting for Ken to be around, since he helped bring Simon to me, and has been a huge part of his life and mine.

Ken has a wonderful way with animals, Simon gives him a hard time sometimes – his legs hurt a lot, we think – but mostly, he stands still for him, and Ken plies him with treats and rubs his nose in the way equines love.