I joined a donkey forum 5 minutes ago because I want to do things right and I'm kind of clueless, despite all the PDFs from The Donkey Sanctuary I have that are really great.
For example, Bellis reluctantly responds to "over" and "back" commands with a finger poke, but when I took her to the hang to graze today, she tried to ram right through me twice and no amount of poking could get her to back out of my space. I think she's been allowed to push people aside and that is not something I tolerate. Then I read that donkeys sometimes lean on people to show affection (thanks for the Bedlam Farm reference). I was sitting with her later and she barged right into me and I jumped up and poked her and raised my voice and she scooted right away, realizing she'd done something wrong. I spent some time doing backing and moving over lessons with tiny bits of horse treats; I don't want to be all negative with her. She also has a tendency to pull really hard on the lead at times, and I set my feet and pulled back until she realized I wasn't giving in. I know I'm terribly spoiled with Baasha, he's as light as a feather to lead and would never put that much weight in my hands on a lead line.
It's tricky cuz when you hand graze a horse, you can let them choose patches of grass and generally you let them lead you around. But there is a balance, and Baasha knows it - he can slowly and gently move along but he cannot pull hard. I will see if this is possible to teach Bellis. Hand grazing is something I expect to do on our long walks but she has to learn my rules.
Baasha did that cute thing on the hang, he was loose today, where he'd eat and then come trotting over to check on her, never getting too close, and then he'd eat, and then come back, but this time something bad happened. He must have tripped over one of the multitude of stumps because I turned around and he was down and he couldn't get up. I clucked to him to get up and he tried a few times but I could see that his RH leg wasn't working right for a moment. Then he jumped up and trotted up the hill and he's fine, but that really shook me up. That's the second time he's fallen on our hang and now I realize it's just not safe for him to trot around down there, which he loves doing, brushing his sides through the tiny trees. I won't let him loose down there again until he's completely calm, but even then under supervision. I guess we'll move our daily grazing a step further - out into the pasture proper. I have the lower grazing strip set up and it's starting to come in. I'm doing this all in stages, slowly expanding Bellis' world, so that she feels comfortable.
Baasha was agitated after our walk, he did a lot of pawing even after they were both put away. I think it stresses him out even though he can go wherever he likes, he thinks I might take his new friend away, and he has good reason to think that from the past.
Tonight he was fine and I was happy to see him snaking his head at Bellis as he ate his beetpulp. She's not very food motivated, but that beetpulp must smell good.
The vet comes out Thursday for vaccinations and teeth checkups on both Equines. I look forward to getting his advice.
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8 comments:
lytha, is that picture photoshopped? I have never seen anything so lovely in my life! :O
PS yay Bellis settling in to your world!
It seems like Baasha & Bellis are getting along famously :)
funder, that's really nice,thank you! no, it's not shopped, but if i were to, i'd get rid of the green tarp over the manure pileon the left, and perhaps the steps.
i included this pic so you can see how steep the hang is. you can see he's stepping from one step to another, and i'm definitely not sitting on the ground for this photo, i'm standing behind him, downhill.
i wish our trees looked like that now but i'll have to be patient another month: )
this property is so complicated, what i thought would be good for keeping horses fit, and in reality causes me worry. i can see that it won't be long before i ask permission from the hippies for my horse to cross their land to get to pasture.
cdn, i think so...i hope so..
oh funder, i forgot - this was taken directly after a bath! his tail doesn't stay that clean for long. *lol*
It is cute that Baasha keeps checking on Bellis =) Is this Donkey ridable?
Whew! That tail is otherworldly ;) Glad he doesn't keep himself THAT clean all the time!
A donkey......... I had no idea. I've missed so much. :(
Wow Baasha falling must have been scary!! Is there a way to get rid of the stumps? My dad used to cut crisscross patterns in them. It's supposed to help them rot faster. Not sure. I'd have to look into it more. Poor guy!
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