Welcome to my blog - a diary about living with donkeys, notes about care, my training sessions and the absolute pleasure of donkey companionship.


I continue to be amazed and enchanted by donkeys, since I got my first two in May, 2002. I'm not sure why! I mean, why not llamas or pot bellied pigs for instance? For awhile I thought maybe it was because of some connection to an ancient time, a past life, a wandering through desert lands ... maybe I knew a donkey way back, maybe the donkey and I shared some amazing experiences ...?

Well, I have given up on trying to unravel those fantasies and now am just happy to have fallen down this rabbit hole where my whole life has been redefined somehow by the presence of donkeys.

But, like any life-changing experience, it hasn't always been easy! I've been kicked, bitten, knocked over, jerked around, bullied and intimidated sometimes. Stepped on... did I mention "stepped on?" Other times I have been charmed and amused, delighted and totally absorbed, my heart almost breaking with love and compassion for these critters.

My mother used to ask, sweetly "why donkeys?" She was always amused (of course I never mentioned being kicked, bitten or stepped on!)

I won't tell you that donkeys are the perfect family pet, like so many web sites want you to think. They live a long time, they get sick, they have "issues" ... maybe, depending on whether or not they were raised lovingly, with respect and care, or abused, neglected and misunderstood as many donkeys are.

But, my oh my, donkeys are charming! Maybe it's the ears, I don't know. My donkeys and I have embarked on a lifelong friendship. This blog is a way for me to write about this journey.

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Thursday, September 1, 2011

Dee's separation anxiety

Here's my problem:  Deenah goes crazy if I do anything with Dorica, like take her for a walk or even do a lesson with her on the other side of the fence.  Deenah will try to jump fences that she can't clear, push through fencing, get her head stuck, cut or scrape herself ... get the picture?  And she has hurt herself.

She has an ulcer too and I don't want to exacerbate that.  She hyperventilates and really gets worked up.
So I have been very careful and reluctant to do too much with Dorica, thus avoiding upsetting Deenah.

But Dorrie needs exercise and stimulation and she's so keen to do stuff one on one with me.  She seems sad to always be left behind if I walk either Deenah or Siog.  And she's overweight and needs at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.

So tonight by some miracle, she separated herself from the other two and I was able to close Deenah and Siog in the barn paddock.  I'm not at all confident that Dee won't "try" to jump the fence but I struck off with Dorica, leaving an anxious Deenah trotting and braying.

Dorrie and I had a blast, skittering down the dark, steep path through the forest to the marsh and up again.  When we emerged, Deenah must have been in the barn (I always leave her with hay) and didn't see us, so we crept by and through the gate to the road.

Dorica is so well trained - she is soft, alert and attentive.  She softens her neck in a lovely lateral flextion towards me.  Off we went up the road in this fashion to the halfway crest of the hill.  She offered a trot a few times (lovely girl!)

And then turn and back down, the two of us jogging together in tandem.  It was so much fun and I long to do this with her every day - she is so wonderful!  It was late in the evening, near dusk - Deenah was okay when we returned but oh my, it is so hard to do this!  I have witnessed Deenah jumping gates, catching her leg and landing on her back, slicing her nose on fencing, ramming through stock fencing as well as our portable fence panels ... all very dangerous and worrisome.

What can I do so that Dorica is free to work with me, come for walks and have her time out and make sure that Deenah is safe and doesn't cause too much anxiety for Siog either?

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