Luigi Finds Trouble

Its a darn good thing donkey grain resides in a metal garbage can with a bungee cord 

tightly securing the lid!

Luigi is bound and determined he can snap the cord off and reach that gloriously 

delicious grain.

Donkey Love

Koren has been the donkey's farrier for most of their lives with us.  The first farrier I used was a sad case, and that's being nice.  So when Koren first came on board, the donks were a little rambunctious and holding them still for her was a problem.  Now, however, the situation has changed, an understatement to be sure.

They adore her.
This was from her most recent visit last week.
Koren is attempting to work on Fran (with the halter on) while Luigi (on the left) gets closer and closer.  He frequently likes to pull her apron and steal her tools.  As he does this he moves very very slowly so as to be invisible.
Gabby is literally in her lap.

Fran is the only one in the group who would have preferred the work at hand take priority.










Whenever its a farrier day, I tell the donkeys in the morning that their favorite Koren is coming and they cheer and sing her praises.

Typical Summer Day with Three Donkeys

Now that warm-to-hot weather is upon us, the new pasture regime is mornings only.  During the week, I let them out into the pasture in the morning before work and Rick retrieves them after about four hours.  This allows our pasture to thrive for the entire duration of the summer.  Surprisingly the donkeys are nearly always ready to come in; doesn't usually take much coaxing.

Here Fran and Gabby willingly come in with only my call to beckon (noontime).

  Everyone immediately went to the water trough and I turned on the box fan in the shed 

(which you can barely see behind the divider)

Then it was a hay snack.  What a life!

Let the Shedding Begin!

I was concerned the first summer the donkeys lived with us as their "shedding out" calendar was remarkably later than the horses.  Now I'm used to it and we now begin the comb-and-brush-like-crazy routine.

Well, here you get to see how silly three little faces look as they begin the shedding process.  Faces only a mother could love.

Here Gabby is modeling for you.
See how the area running down from her eye is not bushy and thick...

















A little harder to see on Fran but the different colored patches on her face are peeking through.

And here's Luigi.  You can see he's lost a lot more of the eye covering than Franny.  

It will be a while before they achieve their sleek summer look.  But its the look I love best.

  

Natural, Thy Name is Mud

Right now, dear sweet Natural's name is MUD.  Oh yea.  And he knows it too!

I got to the barn armed with a new pain relieving topical product to try. This is what the farm looks like when there's no one there (taken on a different day).

As you can see pastures are huge and lovely for a horse to be a horse.  But when a certain horse doesn't want a certain human to catch him, large pastures are not handy.

I trudged out with pain gel, halter, carrots and fly spray.  I got close enough for the devil horse to get one piece of carrot and then he ambled off.

He started playing this game with me a few summers ago so I know how it works.  I've tried cajoling and sweet talking and offering other horses his treats and shouting and yelling.  It doesn't matter what I do. As soon as I get close he trots off.  Sometimes after quite a bit of time he'll allow himself to be caught.  Other times, I say enough is enough and throw in the towel.  Today was one of those days.  I particularly hated to have him keep moving off when its clear he's still in pain. (although someone who works at the barn said she saw him tearing around with two of his buds Justin and Apollo shortly after his first massage two weeks ago.  Hmmm...)

So today the boy won the skirmish.  Donkeys will be glad -- they'll be enjoying the bag of carrots I brought back.

By the way, massage #2 is scheduled for Wednesday.  Cross your fingers.  

Sweet Sweet Boy's continuing saga

Trying to determine the best course of action for my 30-year old horse, Natural, has been a short course full of hairpin curves and emotional hand wringing.

He's on a regime of Bute-less, an herbal supplement with devil's claw, yucca and B-12.  When the vet came out to see him and was told of the herbal route (as opposed to a pharmaceutical) he was a bit dismissive.  I anxiously turned to my naturopath, Suzy Sikora.  (The universe connected the two of us about four years ago and I am grateful down to my toes.)  She helped me put my jumping bean thoughts together about Natural's care. Thank you, thank you Suzy.

The boy has had one massage and I'm planning another follow-up session.  Interestingly, the massage therapist believes he may have suffered a trauma this winter -- either a fall or a hyperextension from a near-fall.  The plan is to get those muscles loosened up enough to introduce him to an equine chiropractor.  I was slightly more hopeful after the massage session.  The therapist reminded me we have the whole summer to see if the boy can recover.

No, dear readers, I'm not expecting a miracle, but at the very least will do everything in my power to give him some well earned relief. The vet called him stoic and the massage therapist agreed.  When she hit those tender spots he didn't buck or bite or try to race away.  He just stood there and said, "yea, that hurts".

That's my boy.

Shed Buds

A garter snake took up residence in the hay storage area of the donkey shed a couple of years ago.  I wasn't sure he had returned to his summer hangout until this morning.  I was mid-bend, almost reaching down to pick up some loose hay on the floor when I saw him all stretched out using the hay as a fluffy bed.  Usually he's coiled up atop a hay bale taking a snooze.  This morning I was worried about him. I politely asked if he was OK, but no response.  So I had to nudge his bed with the pitchfork and he stretched and said good morning.

All's right with the world.