I took this before we loaded the girls this afternoon. They were in a very small pen, so it would be easier to load them in the trailer..........hopefully.
Today was the first time I had ever hauled the stock trailer, except for a couple of times John insisted I drive in case of an emergency some day. I guess this was the emergency, since he's still in a sling, & his therapist always asks if he's been using his arm. So right after his therapy this afternoon off we went, with me driving. I really had no problems, although once we got there & it was backing up time, I turned it over to the expert. I would probably still be trying to get it backed up thru the gate & lined up with the pen. Even with one hand John did it in one try.
Lined up, opened the trailer, opened the corral panel, they looked at it for a couple of minutes, the woman & I flapped our arms, made some noise & in they went. I do believe that is one of the easiest loads of unhandled donkeys we've ever had. Obviously they didn't know their driver had never driven a trailer with donkeys in it. But I did just fine, according to John. I do need to work on stopping at lights & stop signs smoother. It wasn't too bad, but John is much better at it. And I'm sure the animals would appreciate a slower stop. I forget to start stopping sooner than necessary with a car or van.
When we got home it was feeding time & everyone was milling around in the driveway. Michael, our neighbor that's been helping with chores was here, so we hit the ground running, & left the girls in the trailer. Once everyone was busy eating, John & Michael built the pen around the back of the trailer, we put the hay & water in, opened the trailer & out they jumped. They have no problem with taking treats from us & seem very curious & have even nibbled at my fingers. So I think they will be very easy to work with.
They have a date with the vet & trimmer this Friday. I'll try to take pictures of their feet as soon as I can.
2 comments:
You were brave to drive. Good for you!
It wasn't really bravery, it was determination to get them out of the mud.......!!!!! The actual driving wasn't as bad as the anticipation of having to drive. I still wouldn't want to drive in heavy traffic, so many times cars will pull right in front of you, not realizing how long it takes to stop all that weight.
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