[AlpacaTalk] trimming feet etc

hi all - we've run into a problem that is causing me to lose sleep - we've had our alpacas for a year now - up until may, the folks we bought them from came over and helped us with our small herd, and we went over to their farm and helped them with their very large herd, teeth, toenails, shots etc
now, the other folks (sellers) have decided they are too busy to help us - i had been led to believe "we all help each other, i'ts a small community" etc etc - now my husband and i find ourselves on our own - there are no other alpaca farmers in our community to form a co-op with, we haven't lived here long enough to know anyone well enough to ask them to help - and our alpacas need their feet trimmed - the older ones have never been on a halter - the process the previous owners used was to heave them on to a shearing table, tie them down and do feet, teeth, shots etc all at the same time - apart from the fact that i hate this rough way of treating the animals (and they hate it too) - my husband and i are a little too old to be wrestling terrified animals - but their feet need doing and at least two of them have feet that look painful

i have ordered Marty's book and bodywrap to enable trimming feet from a standing position, but don't know how long it will take to get here - my question: should i wait til the gear for the gentler method gets here (and leave the feet go til then)? or should we attempt to do what we can and hope no one gets permanently scarred?

I am feeling really frustrated as the sellers made it sound like there was so much support "after-sales" - perhaps i have annoyed them somehow but we've never turned them down when they needed help for toenails or shearing, including working New Years Eve day, and Mothers Day at their farm - but we find ourselves on our own with 14 animals that are depending on us, and that "we'll help you and you help us" attitude has disappeared. No matter what the reason, we are newby's on our own, and i am really worried.
any suggestions out there?
Wendy
DreamWeaver Alpacas

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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