Bringing up Donkey

Hi folks, going to start a new blog here for Shaemus. Little 14month old mini donkey that Freva found for me. Sooke and I went and picked him up at Vals and drove him home in the back of my pickup on friday. He is a replacement companion for Haimish my little mini horse.........He is a real character and not gelded. Not sure I am going to do anything about that yet, unless of course he gets studdy.



Freva's husband Fred led him to the truck, Val and I placed his front feet on the tailgate and lifted him into the cap.
He rode the 7 1/2 hours home like he had done it a hundred times. The cap is quite tall, but when measuring donkeys you should measure not to the withers, but all the way to the tips of their ears......adds an extra 3hands.hahah......
















The little fella was braying away and making friends when we stopped for gas and coffee., and by the time we got home he was ready to get out. Sure am glad we didnt have to open the cap while en route cause when we did open up he lept out like a deer with the tailgate still up.........he first met Sam my dog and wasnt too sure at first, but then Sam did his usual and was licking him all over.......they both did a few laps around the small field chasing each other, but were quite good buddies when they stopped panting.

Friday night I seperated Abbey and Haimish into the run in and put Shaemus in the middle aisle stall combo so he could meet and greet his new friends without anyone getting hurt



I left them like that for the night. Saturday, I put Shaemus in the little paddock by himself thinking that it would be less stressful as Haimish was acting like a lunatic towards him and was pretty protective of his place in the pecking order. Well, I didnt have him in there long before I looked out the bunkhouse door and there he was waiting for me to open up



I put him back out in the field after I tried to figure out how the Bleeding heart he escaped......still dont know.....but anyway, then he comes back with Sam not 2 minutes later




so, I thought I would just let him wander around the yard and keep an eye on him and see what he was going to do.

He comes when I call him, and seems to like to be around me (I dont kick or bite)......

Sunday morning the vet and the backhoe guy both arrived an hour early, we had Abbey laid to rest over in the hay field and I was not really up for doing anything or talking to anyone for the rest of the day but Gudrun was coming to do Haimish's feet and she also picked up Shaemus's just to see how he would react.....piece of cake., after that Haimish and Shaemus were left in the big field and when I heard screaming or braying I would go check it out,,,,I seperated the boys for the night and locked Shaemus in,..... I slept longer than I have in years and woke up monday at 8.45.....so today was a late start, fed the boys some breakfast. Had a real good heart to heart talk with Haimish about his behaviour and sent them out together.......Shaemus is some fast and really light on his feet......Haimish is trying to run after him(...its way faster than he has moved in the last couple of months since he suffered that cracked verterbrae when Abbey fell on him.....so I am thinking this is really good for the midget._
Its now 2pm and both boys seem to be almost resigned to each other hopefully as time goes by they will be great buddies.
Tomorrow, round pen work for the donkey..........woooooooh oooooooo

Haimish I guess decided to play nice and let Shaemus get closer......its really hard to get shots though, Shaemus just wants to come play every time he hears you......but here are a couple....

THINGS ARE GOING SO GOOD, I might just leave them both in the run in tonight together.....its not like I wouldnt hear them if there is a problem ahahaha......me being right here in the bunkhouse.

Thanks Joan for the update and pictures. Will be interested in how the training goes. I would love to someday have a min to drive but Jane don't tell my hubby.

Later

Last night was the first time I let the boys sleep together......I was still a little leary about Haimish giving Shaemus a hard time, but when I went out to check this morning, both were laying down in the same side of the run in and when feeding I had no meaness between them. Looks like its going to be a good match after all. Later on today I am going to do some round pen work with Shaemus and see how well Donkeys do with Bag monsters and tarps......

Love the up dates keep them coming with pictures please...

going to have to give Rain Cheques on the round penning literally........pouring out.....so not happening this afternoon....I did however get my gate moved to the outside door so I can let in air and still keep the little guys safe....it didnt occur to me till last night that they are LITTLE.........and there are tons of coyotes around....I never worried about them coming close before as Abbey and Sophie and Sam were great deterants......but now its just Sam and he wants to sleep on the couch in the bunkhouse...............Later for the bag monster.......sorry

ok, its still tuesday afternoon, and it quit raining, so inbetween raindrops and the mad attack of the huge biting bugs, I ran both boys out to the pen.........so first off they had to roll









then I tried to see how Shaemus would react to the bag monster....he only wanted to eat it and could not have cared less that I was touching him all over.......so figured I would at least get them moving in one direction together......







a little faster



with some inside turns Haimish looks like he is cutting a steer



and then Shaemus thought it was time to play



I;ve decided I am going to let Haimish beat up on Shaemus if he likes.....cause this is what happens






Sam breaks them up, and we are off trotting again



and HAIMISH HAS THE LAST WORD



AND I WAS GETTING EATEN......SO CLASS OVER FOR TODAY.

Cute, love the updates.

I board with two mini donkeys, Daisy & her baby Rosalie. They are sweet little girls... They get along very well with the horses although they are separated from them sometimes they get into the paddocks.

My dog is wonderful at the barn and goes out in the paddock with the horses ect and doesn't bother them but I won't let him off leash anymore because of the Donkeys. Unlike the horses, Rosa & Daisy are overly curious and chase him and have been known to throw a wicked kick... Because of that I just keep Wilson away from them at all times.

They are the funniest little creatures ever. Massive personalities. I've boarded at another facility that had a gelded mini named "Pedro" he was turned out with the horses 24/7 although he knew how to roll in and out of the paddocks so he was free to roam.. he never left the premises and came on entire trail rides with us. I actually sat on him once, I thought it was kind cute (I was much younger) the bugger bent down and I hit the fence face first, :)

ouch....sorry about your face......but I did laugh out loud...........glad you are following along......this is gonna be some fun :cowboyhound.gi

I really think that Shaemus is going to be the best thing that happened to Haimish......one way or another......He is too light to hurt him even if he does try to mount him....and that makes Haimish pissed off enough to move HIS buttercup. :cowboyhound.gi

Too cute!

You need to put up two more round pens though, how else will we hold the three ring circus? hahahahah

Dont you worry Fiere.......I will have something planned alright.....wait and see........

I'll start sewing the rainbow kilt!

do you remember the old saying........you reap what you sew.......hahahaha.....will mean a lot more come september

Can't wait!!

Will we all take turns snuggling your buttercup? Hhahahah!

with or without moss........yes I;m sure we all will. :cowboyhound.gi

Wednesday July 6. Boys seem to have settled into a mutual understanding, well at least for the moment. I am removing the old mats from the run in and re doing the gravel and levelling the floor today. Getting ready to install the new mats and put in another large stall, but still leaving them room to run in when they please. If yesterday was any indication of how much help Shaemus is, then I'm sure I will have lots to talk about later........ :cowboyhound.gi

C4B (Carol) came over for supper and to give Haimish his massage. Carol just completed her Equine Massage Therapy course a couple of weeks ago and is anxious to see how he turns out. Haimish is really quite happy with the attention from EVERYONE......











NOT a whole lot happening for Donkey though......but he did figure out how to crunch Ice Cubes......

till tomorrow.

Good Moirning Ladies, its Thursday July 7th......beautiful cool foggy misty NON BUG morning......letting the boys just munch on the nice dew covered grass. Was way too wicked yesterday for them to stay outdoors........so they are gonna eat grass while the sun dont shine.........

Shaemus has found a mud pile somewhere and obviously thinks he is part hippo......seems he really enjoys being mucky......have you any idea how much dirt donkey ears can hold.........when he rolled in the sand pen yesterday his ears scooped up buckets full.....try getting that all out with a spoon.

once they come back in I will work on picking up his feet and some more donkey grooming with my dog comb.
:cowboyhound.gi

ok..did the and still only get a box with an x in it............what the Bleeding heart am I doing wrong

Great story. Sounds like the little guy will be settled in in no time.

Copy the ADDRESS link and then put on either end of the link :)

gah! Nevermind!