Fun in the pasture

I was trying to very very carefully lead them through the treacherously muddy narrow path to the pasture - just leading Bellis and trusting that Mag, being nervous in a new place, would hang behind us (like Mara always did, she never had the nerve to go through the path first).


Well, about halfway through the path, Mag got excited and squeezed past us. Then he saw the pasture. First he went the wrong way, downhill. Then he found the way to the gate.  Bye bye!



The next video is messed up because the donkey was bumping into me and wrapping her lead rope around me.


Then he rolled.

6 times.




The donkey gave him a few little warning kicks to tell him not to get too carried away, but then she instigated some play herself.

Once he had run around a bit, he surprised me. He went back to the barn! Perhaps it's a novel experience for him to be able to go from barn to pasture and back on his own.  Anyway I'm impressed that he's so brave and independent to leave us. It frustrated me when Mara would stand at the path and refuse to go through it unless the donkey went first.







It was sprinkling out and grey, impossible to get action shots. This is his first run across the pasture.



I like that he doesn't go top speed like Mara - I was always scared she'd crash out there. The middle part of our field is a spring and that water/mud also slowed him down.







Clean for a few moments.



Last night when I checked him at 2 AM he was staring and snorting across the street, probably there were deer out there. At 6 AM he was a bit calmer. Is there so much more to see here?


You missed a spot, I told him.



Our pasture has never had so much grass in January. I'm sure they'll take care of that and it will be bare soon.



I only let them out for 2 hours because I'm not sure he's used to grass. What a bummer to have to come in after so much fun.

Then I photographed hooves (not easy because he doesn't know how to pick up his feet, and once you have a hoof he won't hold it for you). Then I betadined the rear hooves because of deep cracks into the heel bulbs. He also got tied here for the first time because he was fidgeting so much. It didn't stop the fidgeting, but it was a good first tying experience. He's gonna get a lot of standing tied lessons because he's impatient about it.  In the image below, note how the rope is on the wrong side of him. He eventually did turn a complete circle, and no freaking out, whew.



Then I washed his tail for the first time. After I dried it with a towel, he took the towel in his mouth and started flipping it around. What a fun personality he has.

Right now it's 2 PM and for the first time, he has a sleepy look on his face, he's exhausted from all the newness.