I'VE HAD BETTER DAYS.....!!!

 Nigel watching an unhappy male tarantula yesterday

Jill settled in nicely last night, enjoyed her supper and was busy eating her hay when we came in from chores.  When John went out to let everyone out, didn't have to let her out, she had taken care of that little detail herself.  

The 6 panels John used to make her pen were mismatched and it isn't easy to get them put together at the corners, when they have different types of latches & hooks.  

She didn't go anywhere, she was standing beside the pen and came right up to John to see what he was going to do interesting.  He came to get me, I put a halter on her (thank goodness she is a very well trained young lady), we threw Boaz out of his pen.........well he was going out anyway and put her in there for the night.  

I went back in the house and a few minutes later, John came to tell me little Wister was 3 legged lame.  Sure enough, not putting that foot down on the ground, lame......!!!  Since he and Ruthie had been in their pen, and he was just fine when he went in, I think she probably stepped on his fetlock, when he was laying down.  He expects everyone to walk around him when he's "resting", and doesn't bother moving at all.  I guess she miscalculated her step, poor little guy. 

This morning Jill was still in Boaz's pen, which is good, but Wister was still 3 legged lame.  I put a halter on him & checked his leg out better than I could in the dark last night.  There's no swelling but it is definitely sore.  

I wasn't sure about giving him Banamine since he is just 7 months old, but as usual if anyone of them are going to need a vet it will be on a week-end or holiday.  It didn't take very long before he was walking almost normal, which can be another problem.  If it isn't bothering them, life goes on & more damage can happen.......!!!  So he is having to stay in the pen today and for the 1st time in his young life momma isn't with him, we let her out.  She comes by every once in awhile, which stirs him up.  But as long as she is out of sight, he seems to forget about her not being there.  

Remember the 7 donkeys we hauled from the auction area in Buckeye?  One of the jennets has not done well.  She was the one that was definitely PG & had not been eating or drinking much if at all.  Thursday they got her to a vet & she had internal bleeding, infection, high fever really a horrible situation for all involved.  She was euthanized yesterday.  What a sad ending for a very pretty girl, that up until a month ago was running wild & free with her family, until the state decided they knew what was best. 

When the workers were trying to load the donkeys in our trailer, they had them all crunched at the back of the trailer, with a gate closed on them, so they couldn't even move unless it was to jump up into the trailer.  One of them went down on the ground and stayed down for awhile.  I'm wondering if it might have been her and while she was down, she got kicked or stepped on by some of the others?  I was not impressed with the way the state people did their jobs up there and this just adds to my displeasure. 

One little ray of sunshine was Lynn, Jeff and their daughter and grandson came out this morning to groom on the donkeys. They've been coming out about once a month and groom anyone that wants it.  They walk thru the pens with grooming supplies, if the donkeys walk off, so be it.  Most of them not only don't walk off, but will stand really still as long as someone will groom.  BlackJack almost fell over he was so "into the moment"........!!  Tula of course never participates, Penny wasn't interested, but most of the others thought it was great....!!!  They even brought apples & animal crackers......!!!  

Everyone is getting their rations cut, except for Jill, because she's not going out.  The others are all eating mesquite beans like there is nothing else on the planet to eat.  John has cut a pound of hay each day for each and everyone of them, much to their disgust.  Judging from their poo I don't think they are quite as hungry as they would like us to think they are.  Sure don't want to have to pen them.