Wednesday Update

Courtney was suppose to come out today to trim, but isn't going to make it.   So Wister has a few more days to put off getting his toes trimmed for the first time.  I have a feeling he is going to really be a little pill.  

I just noticed a big piece of one of Rusty rear hooves missing, so he'll have to be looked at when she does get out here.  He usually self trims, in fact I don't think she's ever trimmed him.

We are suppose to haul a donkey from a rescue in Tucson, Monday for a woman that owns a very interesting book stores in the Benson area.  It's called the Singing Winds book store & is known all over the world, which is amazing comsidering it's in what use to be her garage, at least that's what it looks like.

She lost her old horse a few months ago, & has been looking for a donkey friend for her old jenny that is really lonely.  I didn't have anyone for her, but after getting a phone call from her granddaughter, & a friend, I went out & started seriously looking for one.

Put out the word & a woman from D-S Horse Rescue in Tucson got in touch with me.  She has 4 donkeys right now & is over full as most of the rescues are.

So we will be the designated hauler to rehome one of the donkeys.  I always say we more than willing to haul.  We get to help rehome, BUT, don't have to bring them home with us...!!! LOL

Heard from Eloise's new mom, & it sounds like she's wiggled right into the herd with Tio & Jackie, already knows the routine, & what buttons to push with Laura to keep things going her way. 

Happy St. Paddy's!

Unwrapped Boaz's knee this morning & was met with the sight of proud flesh...!!!  SIGH!  Thought maybe this time would be it, but guess not.  So I covered it liberally with Wonder Dust, which I do NOT like & re-wrapped it.  Hopefully it will control the proud flesh & get some good scar tissue growing.  He's such a good boy to work on, doesn't care what I do as long as there are animal crackers being offered.  

Heard from Laura & Eloise is settling in nicely & Tio is still behaving himself.  I guess seeing Eloise for the 1st time, short circuited his brain at first.  Typical male I guess, even if he has had "brain surgery". 

Everyone seems to be doing pretty good, enjoying the gorgeous weather right now, & running around trying to find poor little green sprigs that attempt to sneak above the ground.  Not much green out there, except for the cactus & even it gets molested quite a bit.  

Courtney is coming Wednesday to trim those that need it.  Gus is walking carefully, like he's tender, so hopefully a little trimming will help.  Now that Jenny is gone, Courtney doesn't have to come so often, but we still have bad feet that need to be trimmed on a regular basis.  And then there is Wister.........it's time for his "first" time.  I'm dreading it, he doesn't mind the halter, doesn't mind being messed with, doesn't mind his feet picked up, if you don't hold them too long.  BUT putting all that together & adding trimming those little feet, is probably going to be "interesting".  He is so independent, in fact Ruthie acts like she is trying to wean him & he won't be 3 months old until the 25th of March.  I guess she's decided if he's not going to listen to her, then he can just feed himself. 

Eloise

This is Eloise looking over her new home yesterday.  It wasn't easy to get her to hold still long enough to get a picture.  She hit the ground almost running, trying to see everything at once.  

We had her on a lead & almost had a wreck with Tio.  He got so excited when he saw her he started acting like a silly little boy.  Laura said he's usually pretty mellow, but he was bound & determined to see her up close.  She pretty much ignored him, but I didn't, since I was the one doing the leading.  The idea of getting caught in the middle of an excited little boy & a girl that was trying to ignore him, & see all the new stuff, really didn't appeal to me at all.  John & Laura were trying to catch up, all in all it was probably one of those "video" moments, but we were all too busy...!!!!  We stuck Tio in a pen, much to his disgust & gave Eloise a chance to investigate.  Laura said after we left she let him out & he behaved himself.  

Jackie has a sore foot, so he just watched for the most part thank goodness, don't think I would have enjoyed trying to foist off another one.  

Today we took little Cheyenne to the local vet clinic.  Her teeth were just floated in February, & already are starting to wear funny again.  Dr. Voss up at Gilbert said she might have some TMJ.  Dr. Megan said she also might have some arthritis in the jaw joint, not a whole lot can be done for either one.   So we will continue to feed her mush & feed her by herself, so she doesn't have to compete with the other minis.  She also probably is not emptying her bladder completely, & ends up dribbling.  Not much to be done for that either, Dr. Megan would also like a urine sample like Dr. Voss asked for.  Probably not going to happen until, pigs fly......!!!!  I have seen her pee once since we brought her home from Gilbert in February, & there was no way to "save" any of it.  John said we could put her in the garage & wait for her to pee on the floor & suck it up in a syringe.  No telling how long that would take, she'd have to get comfortable in the garage, she's never been inside that I know of.  Then she'd have to be comfortable peeing on a concrete floor, that is going to splash on her legs.  All in all I don't think so.......!!!

Well, she's out & about & moving at a pretty quick step.  She has been very upset that she couldn't go out with the other donkeys.  By the time John let her out this morning, they had all disappeared, so she is running around trying to find them.  John just went out to see if he could find HER.....!!!  LOL  I have a feeling getting her back into her pen this afternoon MIGHT be a little bit of a challenge.  She doesn't take directional signals very well, & moves fast enough that us lowly humans probably won't be able to keep up.

Tyler is going to try to come out Tuesday afternoon to trim her feet before she goes to her new home, Thursday.  Yesterday I haltered her & tied her up to see how she is with her feet.  Not too good, in fact I was trying to pick up a front foot & she is kicking backwards with a hind foot, basically having a temper fit.  I let her know that I really didn't appreciate this behavior, & we came to an agreement, that she would let me hold up a front foot for a second or two.  

I decided I wasn't that interested in picking up a back foot, but would like to see how sensitive she was to being touched.  I got a stick about 4 feet long, put a glove on it & touched her everywhere, she didn't even cringe or move.  So I guess everything is OK, except picking up feet.

Last night when John shut her pen off from the other 5 pens she had access to all day, she spent quite sometime banging the gate hard, & kicking out that hind foot.  I guess that's her temper foot........!!!

The people said she's been eating bermuda hay, but so far she isn't much interested in it, although she is eating the Lakin Lite & beet pulp mush.  I even tried her on a little alfalfa this morning, which she picked out of the bermuda.  We've had a couple of incidents of hyperlipidemia over the years, & Louise died unfortunately.   It isn't normal for an equine not to eat if food is available, so I hope she eats tonight after being able to run around all day.

This morning John played "musical pens", much to the confusion of Frijolita, Daisy, Jack & Molly.  Gus & Quilla are coming back tomorrow after being up in Phoenix since last fall.  Gus likes structure in his life, which equates to having a shelter.  We decided to put Gus & Quilla in Frijolita & Daisy's pens, where there are permanent shelters.  The 2 mules went to a pen John & Steve built last week out of half of Buddy's pen.  Frijolita & Daisy, went into the 2 pens the mules had been using.

Needless to say they were all confused, since they had done their part, by being in their pens when John went out this morning, waiting for treats & breakfast.  It went OK, but I'm sure they thought he'd lost his mind.  Probably won't go any smoother tonight, & then we'll have the added fun of getting Eloise back in her pen.......!!  I think we'll start early.....!!! LOL

Her name is Eloise instead of Heloise

I don't hear that well I guess, sure sounded like Heloise to me.....!!! LOL  Anyway she got here about dark, hopped out of the trailer & went with her Dad to her pen, "ie" BlackJack's pen.  

I asked them if she led, they said yes & she certainly does..... she "led" him all the way to the pen, at a pretty good pace...!!!  (G)

She's a little "short for her weight", but not bad.  I always prepare for the worst & hope for the best.   I had been told she was a little bit overweight, didn't know what to expect, so was pleasantly surprised. 

But these feet weren't as pleasant a surprise.  

Granted, they aren't the extremely long "elf" shoes that a lot of untrimmed donkeys have.  The woman said her feet eventually break off.........but that doesn't do anything for the frogs, that you might notice are peeking out from under both the front & back feet.  Or the ligaments & tendons running up the legs. 

I have a call in for Tyler to see if he's feeling brave.  She's very friendly & loves attention.........BUT..........if she hasn't had her feet worked on, it's probably not going to be her favorite thing.......!!!   

She goes to her new home Thursday, so hopefully we can get them done before then.  

Monday we are going up to the Phoenix area to bring Gus & Quilla back for the summer.