Who gets left at home?

 
Initially I got three donkeys so I would be able to take one out walking, while leaving two at home, thinking that as long as the ones at home had company, they wouldn't care if somebody went out for a walk.  Walking with donkeys is my passion - I love nothing better than roaming the island in the company of a donkey and my main goal has been to get to do some hiking, camping and trekking with them.

This didn't work at all when Ringo was here!  If I took Ringo, the jennys were fine together, but Ringo was so hard for me to manage on the road that I only took him out if I had a friend to come along.  If I took Deenah out, Ringo would get so frustrated that he would take it out on poor Dorica who had to run for cover and all along our walk, I could hear Dorica back at home, squealing and grunting as she ran from Ringo or tried to kick him in self-defence.

Deenah just didn't care that she had Ringo for company, she was hysterical when Dorica left.  I worked at this problem carefully through clicker training ... working with Dorica where Deenah could see us, moving her farther away bit by bit and returning to Deenah if she stayed calm.  But it never worked.  Deenah could remain calm for a few minutes, then explode and try to run through a fence.  She injured herself in places I thought were safe.  Also, she has an ulcer problem and I hate to add stress to this condition. I left her with hay to eat but although she has a great appetite, she didn't care a wit about food if Dorica was gone.

Dorica became reluctant to come with me - now I think she was picking up Deenah's panic and felt anxious.

I felt trapped and discouraged ... who could I take out without worrying either about my own safety or the donkeys back at home?  This was no fun.

When Ringo left, Deenah and Dorica showed no signs of caring ... no calling, no running, no looking for him (poor Ringo!)  So when I brought Siog home, I was curious and interested to see if I would have the same problem with a new herd of three.

I have taken Siog out three times now and she is brilliant on the road. Deenah and Dorica: fine at home together, Siog: fine to come out with me.

Today I took Dorica out.  Interestingly, it was Siog who seemed upset but not Deenah!  Could it be?  Dorrie was a tad reluctant to walk uphill and I used my outstretched hand as a target for her to follow from time to time and Clicked/ treated for her for walking farther.  Coming home, she decided to break into a nice trot and we jogged a ways together.  Deenah only brayed once but we were nearly home and she could see us.  Seemed fine being left with Siog.  Tomorrow will be Deenah's turn and we'll see what happens!

At last - some pictures of Siog!

We had a blizzard here yesterday that plunged us into frigid temperatures.  So I'm in winter mode in the barn, which means, deep bedding, lots of small feedings, toting water from the house (barn pipes are frozen) lots of cleaning too!

But today is clear and I did manage to coax the donkeys out and into the snow which isn't too deep.

Deenah

Here is an unusual picture of Deenah, just taken.  She is representing the quintessential idea of quantum physics here ...  matter and energy at play!

Welcome Siog (She-OH-g) !

Phew - I'm back to blogging after a couple of hectic weeks.  Funny - writing has often come easily during times of angst in the past - but not blogging.  Blogging for me needs a happy frame of mind!  So with Ringo's move behind me and the safe transport of our new little donkey from a southern gulf island nearly a week ago, I can rejoin the mysterious world of blogging with focus and a positive attitude!


First about Ringo:  we trailered him across on the ferry to where he was picked up by the person who owned him before I did.  She is terrific with him and it was good to deliver him to her.  He'll stay at her farm until his new owner is able to make the journey with her trailer to take him home.

All will be well for him once he settles.  He's got a lot of living to do and will no doubt enjoy his new companions.

A few days later, a friend and I headed out on a little road trip to pick up Siog.  What a sweet young fairy she is!

But leaving home for a young donkey is a big deal (in my opinion) - she doesn't "ask" to move but we humans make so many decisions on behalf of our animals.  She traveled well but it was a huge relief to park the trailer at our farm again and let her out!

We had about an hour and a half of daylight left, so she was introduced to Deenah and Dorica through the fence and spent her first night in a small paddock that opened into a new stall we created in the barn.  The next morning, I brought her into the barn paddock and parked Deenah beside her slow feeder while Dorica and Siog got acquainted.

It was so interesting!  Siog immediately started making mouthing gestures as though she was in heat and backing up to Dorica, inviting her to mount.  But when Dorica approached, Siog let her hooves fly!  Eventually, Dorica did mount Siog and after some neck biting and squealing, they broke apart and chased each other around the paddock at breakneck speed.

I wish I'd had my video camera, but couldn't tear myself away from the spectacle to go and get it.  Dorica and Siog will be good friends, I think.  Deenah has been slower to welcome Siog.  She has been making grumpy faces and was chasing her away for the first couple of days.  I had hoped she would play "auntie" to Siog, especially since she's only 3 years old, but I think she was annoyed.  Perhaps she felt jealous by Dorica's interest in her new buddy.

Nearly a week has passed now and everyone is getting used to each other.  I observe small layers of "settling"  day by day but I know it takes a long time.