Meeting my donkey

Bellis is bigger than I expected, her back comes up to the center of my chest. Her head is huge. I think it must be bigger than Baasha's! But she's got that typical donkey coloration and is really a picture-pretty thing.

As we approached, she recognized her owner and started making this really weird sound. I didn't know donkeys did this. It was an inhalation sound, like an "indoor voice", or "polite neighing" - with no actual sound, just the breath gasps. What is that? I think it means, "So happy to see you!"

The owner led her out and tied her and asked if I wanted to groom her and I said I'd rather watch he she does it, I have no donkey experience. She said it's the same as grooming a horse. I said I'd like to see her clean the hooves, and she did. All 4, no problem. Whew! That was a big worry for me after getting kicked yesterday.

I was drawn in to her unique markings and coat. Her Jesus Cross. Now, I ask myself, have I ever touched a donkey, I mean, really stroked one? I don't know. It's true, their coats are totally different. But when I picked up her feet, all 4 of them, I was amazed at how delicate and flexible her legs are. I cannot explain it, you have to try it.

I also put my face against her back and tried to figure out what she smelled like. The owner laughed, "Yah, they smell different." I guess it's not just the ears then, that scare horses with their expressiveness, it's the smell of the animal. I thought she smelled like my cat, after rolling in grass.

The owner showed me her Equidenpass, which shows she has a microchip, and which vaccinations she's had; her entire medical histoy. I found it interesting that she was born in October. She also had some nice dental records, with images of each tooth, just like what I had back in the States with our good horsey dentists.

We took a nice walk, the owner's sister coming along with the owner's baby in a stroller. Bellis kept stopping, and it gave the owner a chance to tell me, "Donkeys are seen as stubborn, but the truth is, they're simply not flight-animals, they stop and think. You cannot whip them forward, you can only talk to them and convince them it's OK." At this time her sister and the baby caught up, and it was obvious Bellis was waiting for them. This went on for our entire walk. Bellis would stop when the baby was too far behind, and make us wait. I draped my arm over her back as we walked. I realized how pretty her huge ears are. Although she's grey, her ears are brown and black, mottled. I wanted a photo but when I held the camera behind her head as we walked, she'd flick her ears back to the camera, every time. I think I got one good photo by chance.

Here it is.

I asked all 25 questions I had about donkey care.

The answers reassured me she will do fine here. She seems fat to me, but they said she eats 1 flake of hay, twice per day, and sometimes doesn't finish it. When she's full, she stops. That's a very good thing for a donkey who will live with a horse on free-choice hay. We discussed the grazing muzzle, what will be important in Spring, at least.

I know Baasha will be terrified at first.

He proved it tonight when I returned home. The first thing I did was go visit him to let him smell Bellis on my hands. He went into alarm mode, and started blowing on my hands with his nostrils almost angrily. I actually thought he might rip one of my hands off, to protect us from this alien smell. Then he started trumpting his alarm-call to the hills. He was trembling all over. He kept swinging his head back to me and forcefully blowing on my hands and soaking up the smell.

He started looking around, sure there was a donkey here, where he couldn't see.

He wouldn't go in his stall when I opened the door, he was sure he had to be outside to be safe.

I eventually brought Baasha his dinner, and after whuffling loudly at my hands again, he ate his mash.

Tomorrow we'll make that 7 km walk to that mean donkey who kicked me, but who lives in a stall so it's perfect for introductions.

I've been putting up an extra line of electric fence for her, and my man ordered the lumber to make a stall divider next week. Exciting!

Bellis will come here to live on March 31. I cannot wait! Now I can be like 7MSN when Lucy arrived - nothing but excited.

Then I realized I'd forgotten to ask the most important question:

Can she talk?