Molly's feet

We're still working on Molly's feet every morning & she's still snapping those feet to attention when asked.  Animal Crackers are the answer to the world's problems I guess, at least she thinks so....!!! 

 

Her feet are all nice & dry, although I have to pick them out every morning, she keeps everything she steps on, it looks like.  One of the rear ones had a flap of frog that was holding in moisture.  I could count the times I've tried to use a hoof knife on one hand.  I don't  have the strength in my wrists to use one effectively & I've also never learned how to sharpen one.  

 

 I finally managed to get the flap "gnawed" off.  She was such a good little girl, just stood there with her foot in the air.  I finally got the piece off, but not because I knew what I was doing.  Actually that's not true, I knew what I wanted to do, just didn't have the expertise. 

 

My order from Valley Vet came yesterday, so I now have No Thrush powder.  This is the first powder thrush treatment I've seen.  Most thrush medicine is liquid or a gel, which of course adds more moisture to a situation caused by trapped moisture.  Right now Molly's feet are all dry, so I think I'll just continue with my apple cider vinegar, or just pick out her feet once a day.  If they are dry shouldn't even need the vinegar probably. 

 

John had a jeep tour yesterday so I did evening chores by myself.  Not a problem except Red was an unknown entity as far as going back in her pen.  She had only done it once, & that was for John, not me.  She stood around, watched everyone else going in their pens, & when the time came, followed me into her pen, like she had done it for years.  She's really a nice mule, & seems to be settling in just fine. 

 

Tomorrow is the last day for Cheyenne's Naxcel shots.  I'll be glad & I know she will be.  So far there is no new discharge,  hopefully this will take care of the uterine strep infection.  If not, we'll have to do it again.

 

 

Racing tonight, in fact not only am I racing, my son is going to have his Super Stock out & hopefully my grandson J.R. will have his.  Last I heard they were working like ants trying to get it put back together.  He hasn't raced it in about a year, & since his Dad's car takes the same parts, parts had been cannibalized to keep Rod's car on the track.  It's never a good idea to let a race car sit for long, with good useable parts on it, because they will disappear........!!!! LOL

 

 

 

When we first let Red out yesterday

 

More of the parade

 

 

I tried to add these videos to yesterday's blog, BUT, for over a week Blogspot has had a problem, & adding a new post or like yesterday adding a video doesn't always work.  I've had to change from Mozilla Firefox to Internet Exployer to even be able to add a new post.  People all over the world are screaming like banchees, FIX IT...........but so far not much is happening.  Since it doesn't cost anything to use Blogspot, I guess we shouldn't complain.  But once you get use to something being there, it's rather grating not to have it. 

 

 

Red seems to be fitting in nicely, even if Rusty doesn't seem to realize she is here as his new friend.  She hangs out in the middle of the donkey herd & moves when they move.  Last night she came in limping on front let.  I wanted to make sure she didn't have a rock caught or something.  She picked her foot up nicely, no problem.  Her owner said she was OK with her fronts but not with the backs, so I'm glad that's true.....!!! LOL  Didn't find anything. 

 

This morning John wasn't available to help doctor, so Lysa got to help.  We did Cheyenne first, tying her with her butt in the corner worked out much better, although she still didn't give up without a fight.  But Lysa was up to the task.

 

I didn't know how Molly would react to someone other than John giving her cookies in exchange for her picking up her feet.  Not a problem, I don't think she'd care if it was Jack the Ripper, as long as the cookies kept coming.  She sure does pack poo & whatever, in the "caverns" along each side of her frogs, which of course would hold in any moisture.  So I think it will be important to pick her feet out on a regular basis.  Hopefully with regular trimming Courtney can get her feet more "normal".   

 

Got a call yesterday from a man interested in the 2 mini mules.  Said he was in his 70's, liked to train the little ones to pull carts & wagons & give kids rides for free, not as a business.  Hmmmmm, call me cautious, but I didn't get a warm fuzzy feeling talking to him.  I told him we required him to come out for a visit, which he said he lived too far away.  Hmmmmm.........then I told him we did a home study & he said thanks & hung up.  Still don't know, but my antenna was twitching.  Jack needs a job, but not that bad.  

RED IS OUT AND ABOUT..!!

 

This morning after chores we let Red out.  She came out, calmly walked down below the house where the majority of everyone was, & started "hanging out" with them.  Of course when she moves they move, but so far no ear pinning or squealing.  The last I saw of the herd they were headed over to Burroland for a day of fun & frolic I guess.  Rusty was no where to be found, don't know if they are going to become an item or not. 

 

She went in Rusty's pen this morning when we came thru with the hay cart & sorta challenged me when I told her to get back where she belonged.  Nothing mean, just "I don't think I have to do that".  Mules seem to have attitude when they get moved.  When Jack the mule that died in November came, we thought about calling his former owner to see if he had a special friend he was missing or something.  He was ALL attitude.  The mini mules are just now settling down, in fact this morning after I cleaned Molly's feet out, she & I visited on the feed room porch for quite awhile, just hanging out together.  I might add, I cleaned & sprayed all 4 of her feet at liberty this morning.  John stands by the head with cookies & a lifted foot gets a cookie.  You better be ready, because those feet fly up in the air.....!!!  Didn't take her very long to equate lift foot with getting cookies. 

 

John remembered to not let Cheyenne out this morning before she got her shot, which worked out MUCH better.....!!! (G)  Not that she cooperated anymore, but at least we could cram her up to a corral panel.  Unfortunately she might be little, but she is stronger than John and more determined.  We got it done, but I think next time instead of tying her with her head in the corner, so she can back up, we'll tie her with her butt in the corner.  Should cut down on having to contend with a moving target.  At least in theory......!!!

 

 

HERE'S RED THIS MORNING......!!

RED

 

 Red has settled in nicely, although she has already figured out, everyone else is going out and she isn't.  We'll give her a couple of days in before letting her out to roam.  She's pretty bomb proof, so it probably wouldn't be necessary, but this way she gets a chance to look around without "eyes" & "nosies" everywhere......!!!

 

WHERE'S BREAKFAST AROUND THIS PLACE?

FOUND IT.....!!!

HAD TO HAVE A PICTURE OF THOSE PRETTY FEET...!!

 

She's a lucky girl to get to 28-30 with such pretty feet, judging from the feet we usually get in. 

Well as they say "one door closes, another door opens"  or something like that.  Red puts us up to our self imposed limit of 20.  Got a call this morning, looks like we'll be taking in at least one & possibly 4 donkeys........!!!! Don't know all the particulars yet.  John's already been out trying to figure out pens.

 

Poor Buddy Brat, his pen already got halved so the mini mules would have a pen.  Now John is talking about taking another half of what he has left to make a pen.  At least he still has a shelter, which is important to him.  He seems to think he will melt if he gets wet.....!!!

 

Still giving Cheyenne a shot every morning.  This morning John forgot & let her out before her shot.  We went out & found the herd, got a halter & lead on her & she preceeded to pitch a "mini" fit.  The thing about a mini fit is, they are about as hard to control as a "big" fit...........!!  Didn't have anyplace to push her up against, so had to lead her all the way back to the pens where there are convenient corral panels.  Even then she was a little pill. 

 

Molly's thrushy feet seem to be doing good.  I didn't even soak any of them this morning, I dug around & couldn't find any nasty smelly stuff, so I crammed Banixx soaked cotton into the nooks & crannies & turned her loose.  Last night I picked her feet up to make sure they didn't have any manure embedded in the frogs, & the cotton I had put in that morning was still there.  Now that is some deep crevices.......!!!!  If they look good in the morning I might just wet all 4 feet down with apple cider vinegar.  I think it will be important to check her feet every day in the future & make sure she doesn't have manure or dirt packed in her frogs to hold in moisture.  Most of the donkeys don't have the problem of deep crevices if anything just the opposite, flat feet. 

RED IS HERE.......!!!!

Not a very exciting name, but it suits her, she is RED...........!!!!  She got here right before dark, so I didn't get a chance to take a picture, maybe tomorrow morning.  

She's just about the same size as Rusty, BUT, she is much larger boned, & has gorgeous feet.  Considering most of the ones we get  have lousy feet, it's exciting to see good looking ones.  It doesn't take much to entertain me I guess.......!!! 

BlackJack got thrown out of his pen, so she would have access to a shelter, and she is sharing a fence with Rusty.  He seemed quite interested in her, so hopefully they will bond.  We'll keep her in for a few days, until everyone gets a chance to gawk at her. and she can gawk back.

We found out she doesn't like her ears messed with, or her hind legs.  Fair enough, hopefully she'll self trim her feet, so it won't be a problem....!!!!

 

Pictures tomorrow.