Bellis gets a trim - by me!

Since witnessing the wrestling match between Bellis and the farrier, I have been treating her as if she's a baby and doing lots of short little hoof cleaning/holding sessions with her. I even would rasp her toes a tiny bit.


Today I asked my man to help me with her as I did a first "real" trim. I guess I can't say real because I did so little, but it was using a hoof jack with her the first time and rasping all 4 hoofwalls, not just toes.

My man was nice enough to hold her leadrope and feed her treats during the rasping so that she thinks being trimmed is something nice. She was good - not as easy as Baasha, but she didn't pull her feet away from me at all. I was also working in very short spurts so she didn't become uncomfortable and pull away.(I'd trim half a hoof at a time and praise her and rub her a lot.)

Baasha was on the other side of the wall in the shelter and he kept picking up his front legs for my man, trying to shake hands and earn a treat that way. Then he tried doing carrot stretches for me, even though I didn't have any treats.

We're feeding these herbal treat things that smell up our home like all the yummy herbs they put in them. Both Baasha and Bellis lick their lips a long time after eating them, enjoying the flavor. They're also only 6Euros for a 5 pound sack, not too bad. I normally feed carrots as snacks - healthy and cheaper than anything else, but I like these herbal things and they don't go bad in your pockets.

Baasha is an untouchable mess right now except under his fly mask. It's been so horribly humid out, he's been rolling in the one mud patch and turning himself sticky and black. His mane has oily medicine in it so he won't rub it, and it is disgusting. He has a combination of mite medicine and horsefly spray on him, making him no fun to touch. It was pouring rain all morning so the mud washed off, but I'm sure he'll reapply soon.

His eyes look great, what a relief. He's worn a fly mask nonstop all week and that really helps. Well, mostly the medicine helps.

I wish I had a photo of Bellis' summer coat, she is almost elegant, if a donkey could be. She's a mix of brown and grey and since she stays clean, she's the touchable one out there. Her manners are improving as she learns what I expect. She very very slowly will back her rump up to me until she's just barely touching - her hocks just brushing up against my knees if I'm sitting down, and she just stands there to request butt rubs. She doesn't push though me with her body, and she even moves over, reluctantly, when I ask her to get out of the way. I've learned that poking her does nothing, but simply waving your hands gets movement.

I think with lots more short trimming sessions, she'll get the hang of it and I'll be able to trim her myself.

OH great, thunder is rolling, and I wanted to work out there. I actually prefer to work in a downpour than the horrible hot humid weather the last few weeks, with relentless horseflies putting welts on my arms and legs.

I love the rain! This is coming down sideways in sheets and the trees are whirling and twisting in the wind. The hayfield is loving it!