A Donkey Diary: My new little video!

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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A Few Great recipes: salves & soaks for hooves and sores, etc.

Healing Salve:
Steep 1/4 tsp. of golden seal powder + 1 tsp. of calendula (any part) in 1 cup of hot water for 1 hour. Strain and mix the "tea" with 1/8 Cup of aloe vera. Use as a healing salve on scrapes or sores.

Healing Wash:
Steep 1 tsp. calendula (any part) + 1/4 tsp. golden seal + 1 tsp comfrey (any part) in 1 cup of very hot water. Strain "tea" and cool. Pour into glass container and keep in the fridge. Use on a compress or soak for any type of sore or abscess or flush gums with the cooled tea in a syringe. I warm the liquid before using.

Hoof Disinfectant:
Mix together in a large bottle: 1 litre Listerine Mouth Wash (the "original" one) + 10 ml iodine or Betadine + 1 Tbs. golden seal powder + 1 Tbs. Gentain powder or root. Fill a squeeze bottle with some and apply to hooves after cleaning them first - white line area and frogs. You can use a toothbrush to work it in. Will cleanse, disinfect and encourage new tissue growth.

Siog

Siog arrived on Friday, November 5, 2010. She came from her home farm on Pender Island and has the same father as Dorica. Ebony is just as his name suggests, jet black and Siog takes after him. Mom, Sidhe, is a sturdy pure white donkey and Siog's only genetic inheritance from her mom is a splash of white hair, like the milky way, on her forehead.

How wonderful for me to be able to know Siog's parents, and her history and to know that she has never been mistreated or neglected. I will be able to continue to offer her the love she has grown accustomed to and to participate in her training and maturity.

Dorica

Inis Eile Dorcha (we call her Dorica) was born on Pender Island on the summer solstice,1998. She's a Mediterranean miniature donkey, sometimes referred to as a "Sicilian" donkey.

We bought her when she was 6 years old and brought her home to join her full sister Annie, who was two years younger.

Gorgeous Annie fell ill and mysteriously died after two weeks of intense care in 2005 - it was very painful for all of us.

Donkeys are social beings and should never be kept on their own. So we borrowed a goat named Syd to keep Dorica company until I found Deenah.
This little donkey has the sweetest disposition imaginable! She is curious and so willing. She and Deenah have become great pals and she and Siog play hard together.

Here's Deenah when I first met her in 2006.
It was winter and I was looking for another donkey. An ad in the Buy & Sell newspaper caught my attention and with my friend Jan in tow, we went to see this donkey who was living in a pulp mill town on Vancouver Island. It was a cold, drizzly day and the property was muddy and wet.

A collection of animals greeted us - goats, geese and little dogs escorted us to the mobile home, where we met the man who was house-sitting for the owners. He showed us a field shared by two donkeys and two alpacas. As the shy alpacas watched, the Standard donkey splashed through a fast moving creek to come and visit. Now, if you know donkeys, you'll recognize how unusual it is for them to jump into a cold creek! I was immediately impressed!

Although she had worn teeth and sores on her body, she seemed so friendly and sweet that I knew I had to take her home. I left a big note for the owner who was expected back in a day and as left my heart was racing - the arrival of a new animal is always a thrill!

A few weeks later ... it took us two hours to load the donkey into the horse trailer. Donkeys like to figure things out and this takes time.
I could see she had health problems due to a lack of shelter, dry land and proper care.

Her name was Deedee. I wanted to change it, and searched for a name that sounded similar. Deenah was chosen from the book, The Red Tent - the story about the daughter of Jacob and sister of Joseph, a talented midwife and proto-feminist - a suitable name, I thought for my brave donkey girl!

A Donkey Diary

Saturday, September 24, 2011

My new little video!

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Self portrait of Dewi & Dorrie

Winter 2008, something to remember!