30 DEGREE MORNINGS ARE GETTING OLD.....!!!

Considering it's getting closer to winter I better get use to it.......but I don't have to like it.  At least the days are warm and sunny, so far.

Chores have gotten a lot easier, without all the hot weather, and flies to worry about.  Right now, Boaz and his proud flesh knee is about all I'm doctoring, except for Jack the mini mule's nose.  Boaz's came back from his "gig" at weed control with his knee bubbled up with nasty looking over growth.  Over the years I have tried just about everything they recommend for proud flesh up to and including surgical removal 3 times............except for xxTerra......!!!!  I hate this stuff, it's primarily used to remove sarcoids, a type of immune tumor.  I'm not really sure his knee isn't a little of both, sarcoids and proud flesh.  The vet has never really said and they look enough alike, that I sure don't know.  Don't know if the vets can tell the difference without testing either. 

So I have tried using xxTerra for a few days.  It's certainly made a mess, it basically "melts" the area, so you have all this bubbly gooey mess running down his leg.  I think I'll clean it off and see what happens.  I can always have the vet debride it again, but hate to put him thru that.  He's a good patient and the knee is never going to look normal again anyway.  My main concern is to stop the over growth of cells permanently.  So far they keep coming back.

Jacks nose looks like it's been peppered with a shotgun, little circles of hair missing.  It seems to itch because we catch him scratching it till it bleeds.  He'll leave it alone if I put Thuja zinc oxide or Banixx on it.  John came home with Banixx one day when I sent him out to find something for infection.  Recommended by the local feed store, because I already had everything else they sold I think.  

Anyway it does seem to work pretty good on Jack's nose, although I'm put off by the smell.  It smells just like Listerine.  Makes me wonder if it is just expensive Listerine.  Listerine is what Dr. Voss recommended for Gus' leg sores this summer, so who knows.  

Everyone else seems to be doing just fine.  Pepper has not been down on his right side in weeks, which is great.  He's also eating much better than he was this summer, that's not to say he's getting fat.  On a scale of 1 to 10, he is about a 2 and I'm not sure that isn't being generous.  Let's put it this way, if authorities ever saw him, I'd probably get arrested for animal abuse....!!!  But he is perky, alert, ears up and will knock you down with his favorite weapon, his head, if given the chance.  Hopefully he can put enough weight on to make it thru the winter without having to be blanketed.  If he has to wear a blanket he has to stay in the pens, which is a fate worse than death for all of them.  We tell them about equine that have to stay in little pens all their lives and they just don't seem to care, they want OUT....!!!! Pepper is one of the worst, he will dig caverns in the sand at the gate, deep enough we've all fell in them numerous times.  Last week John put a 4x6 stall mat at the gate and now the old buzzard paws at it so hard you can smell the rubber.  He can't hardly stand up, but he can use his legs to dig holes and paw rubber mats....!!! 

ANOTHER LITTLE VISITOR.........!!!

Patti and I went up to Phoenix yesterday to visit  Claire and David.  Had a great time,  lunch at Dillon's not far from where they live.  I don't think I've ever eaten before with an aquarium of 4-6 foot sharks watching me.  But they stayed where they were and we had a wonderful lunch.  

Got home late, John got to feed by himself, but he did just fine.  He doesn't like to mix up the feed bowls, but like I tell him, they don't care what they get, as long as they get something.  And if someone misses a pill or powder, it won't hurt them.

When we went to bed last night we could hear the dogs barking at yipping coyotes.  The only way we can shut them up is to shoot a gun up in the air.  Boy,  you talk about quiet.............it gets real quiet after that happens.  But neither of us was bothered enough to get up and do it.  Finally went to sleep, and woke up later with the dogs barking again, but couldn't hear the coyotes.  

This morning when John went out this is what he found up one of the trees.  We figure the neighbor's dog might have chased him up the tree.  Unfortunately the tree was right next to our dog's pen.  

Nicki is getting ready to go into the feed room, but if you look right above his body, you will see a blob in the tree.  Needless to say if the coon twitched an ear, Nicki was right there, snarling and lunging at the fence.  So the coon wasn't going anywhere.  We figured tonight we could lock our dogs in the feed room and the neighbor's dog in the the garage, until the coon came down out of the tree.  

When John started moving the golf cart towards the tree, the coon got very worried and actually moved down the limb a little bit.  The neighbor's dog was off someplace else, so I went to lock our dogs in and when I came out of the feed room, the coon was already gone.  John said he jumped down and headed towards the garage.  Later on the donkeys and mules were ears up, locked on the neighbor's property, so John thinks that's where it finally went.  I doubt that it will be back, although it might be the one that has been coming to the back porch and eating cat food almost every night.  That is when he doesn't have to contend with the skunk. 

THE FLIES ARE DISAPPEARING....!!!

Actually it wasn't Daisy in the Tula parade, it was Buddy Brat.  It's hard to tell who is who looking thru a camera.

Less flies every day, those less than 40 degree nights don't seem to agree with them.....!!!  I've taken the polo wraps off everyone that had worn them for most of the summer.  I've tried just about every thing I've heard about for protecting their legs, from sun screen to strips of material hanging down from above their knees to "scare" the flies away.  Actually they work good, but get lost in the brush.  Sun screen works good as long as it stays on.  But the polo wraps seem to be the best, for staying on thru the brush and not wearing off like sunscreen or zinc oxide.  Less messy too.  

We're still doing fly masks, there are some desperate flies out there.  Renee said my new supply of fly masks should be here soon.  I went ahead and ordered some to start out with next spring, so her little machine is working overtime this week, I guess. 

John had a jeep tour last night, so I had to feed by myself, and then let everyone out at bed time.  That's usually John's job.  We don't do it together because he hands out treats like a Pez dispenser.  My theory is, getting out is treat enough.  So consequently it would be very confusing for them if we both went out.  Usually when I let them out, I move so fast opening gates that they don't have a chance to gang up on me to see why the treats aren't forthcoming.  BUT, remember I mentioned we are still putting on fly masks?  So I had to open gates, take off masks and stay ahead of the crowd.  I was doing pretty good until I got to Miss PennyPacker.  She is still very leery of change or anything new.  I had never taken her mask off after dark.  Wondered for awhile if it was even going to happen.  She didn't really "let" me take it off, but I managed to snag it anyway.  When John got home and we were discussing our evening, he said it usually takes a lot of "foreplay" before she will stand.  That's fine, but in the meantime the treat crowd was getting bigger and louder...........SIGH  And she really thought she should get a treat after all that......!!!!  Didn't happen though....!!! LOL

SHE MADE IT..........!!!!

COURTNEY MIGHT MAKE IT THIS MORNING.....!!

KENTUCKY STAGECOACH BEING FERRIED ACROSS RIVER 1910

That girl has more car trouble than anyone I know.  It seems like she's always in crisis because of vehicles breaking down.  She says she'll make it, we'll see........!!! LOL

Don't like seeing ice on the bird water every morning.  Of course as soon as the sun gets up it quickly disappears, which is a good thing.  Still putting on fly masks, the flies that have survived are vicious and determined.

Pepper has gone quite awhile without getting down on his right side, thank goodness.  Not sure what the difference is, but he is laying down on his left side.  Saw him yesterday in the big dusting area by the pens, with his two girls, Coquette and Penny.  At least he seems to think they are his girls, although they ignore him for the most part.  They were all 3 laying down enjoying the warm sand I guess.  

I'm racing tonight, plan on wearing my long jons, I really hate to get cold, and as soon as the sun goes down it will get chilly.  Jamie Williams a photographer from Tucson is planning on coming to the races tonight and will be taking pictures and also riding with me in the heat race.  Don't know if she plans on taking pictures during the race or not.  I doubt it, even though the passengers are strapped in with a racing harness, they don't have a steering wheel, so they usually try to find something to hang on to. 

If anyone would like to volunteer to help during the Open House the 7th and 8th of December, let me know.  Don't need a lot of people, but if it's just John and I, it gets a little hectic. 

FLY MASKS ARE DISAPPREARING FAST.....!!!

I had to get in touch with Renee at Colorful Equine and place an order.  It wasn't too bad until Boaz and Wister came home.  Since then fly masks are getting torn up and disappearing at a rapid rate.  And the ones that aren't disappearing have holes in them usually right over an eye of course......!!!  I think the last I heard John said there are at least 7 masks out there somewhere.

He actually spent most of Sunday walking all over back and forth in a grid looking for masks.  Didn't find one mask, which was really disappointing.  But the good thing is, John got a lot of exercise...!!!  Not sure he would agree. 

John picked up Penny's feet yesterday morning and she was a perfect lady.  Except for not picking up quickly everything else went well.  She did pick up, but hasn't learned that when you grip the fetlock you want to pick up.  Molly learned that so well, when I was treating her thrush, that little foot literally flew up, which was rather surprising the first time or two.  

Courtney is suppose to come out Thursday to do some trimming.  Tomorrow morning Lysa is going to pick up Penny's feet.  If that goes well, I guess we'll see how she does with Courtney and real hoof trimming.  She really does seem to want to cooperate and since we've been very careful to try to make her feel safe and comfortable around us, I hope that will all transfer to whoever is working with her. 

ROUGH RACE NIGHT.....!!!

I had fun, but it was not without contact, here and there.  Managed to not ruin any tires, but the car doesn't look so good.  

As you can probably tell from the pictures the track was quite muddy.  Did find out I like a muddy track, I won my heat race, without damage.  John said the others were all squirreling around in the mud, while I had what they call a clear track, once I got past the 3 cars that started in front of me. 

All this is from the main event, doesn't even show the rear bumper that is being held on by the 2 "required" chains. If it wasn't for the chains, someone would have had a bumper to avoid, if they could.  Ripped the bolts right out.  The front damage happened going into turn 1.  One of the drivers that really doesn't like a muddy track, basically stopped going into the turn and I was right behind her.  Surprised the heck out of the guy behind me, which is what happened to my rear bumper.  

I fought the whole race trying to get around the mud hater, she has a bigger motor than I do, but obviously I was handling better than she was.  I could catch her in the corners and pull up on her side, but she'd power me down the straight away.  I could have taken her out, but I hate to do that.  One of the other cars spun her for me.  Unfortunately since I was on her bumper at the time, I got collected up in the mess with a couple of other cars behind me.  Think of the filling in a sandwich, that was me......!!! Of course when they got us straightened out, she and I were in the back and she started in front of me..........again.......!!! SIGH

The caved in rear door with the blue paint happened when I stopped a car coming back from the outside of the track at speed from ending up in the infield.  Wasn't really my idea, but it sure did straighten him out in a hurry...!!  A little farther back and I would have probably cut another tire, which really would have upset John, my crew chief.  He wasn't very happy with the 2 cut tires last race day...!!!!  LOL

I finished 6th.  Unfortunately the young lady that is behind me in end of the year points finished 2nd and gained 17 points on me.  We have 4 more races, so she might just catch me, if I don't start finishing better.  

John was thinking about using a new rear door, to replace this one that can't really be pounded out anymore and has a rip in it.  I told him just to do what he could and keep the new one for next year.  He's got new body panels except for the left rear door and front fenders.  These fenders ARE the new ones we had.  LOL  Time for another trip to U-Pull-It I guess. 

When we go racing the donkeys end up spending about 12 hours more or less in their pens.  OMG you would think they have been abused, to hear them when I get out to open the driveway gate.  John tells them a lot of equine spend all their time in pens, some that aren't even as big as the ones we have.  They don't really seem to care, they just want to get out and make up for lost time. 

38 DEGREES, UGH....!!!!

Glad to see his donkeys are appreciated

Well I guess we should expect "cooler" weather since it is October, but I don't have to like it.  The days are almost perfect, but as soon as the sun goes down, it gets chilly in a hurry.  I'll be racing tonight and am seriously thinking of wearing long jons.  I would rather sweat than shiver.....!!! 

Got a call from Mocha and Tucker's Mom yesterday.  They did live in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but have moved to Lordsburg, N.M. which is just about 60 miles from here.  January has never been here, said she plans on coming over to see our donkeys soon.  Of course we will go over as soon as we get a chance to see how much Tucker has grown.  She said they are spoiled rotten, which isn't a big surprise.  Tucker is 2 years old and still smaller than Mocha.  I don't know how much more he will grow, since he was premature he might always be small.  His daddy Beau, wasn't very big either.  They have the run of 62 acres of pecan orchards with great Pyrenees dogs as playmates and January to anticipate their every want or need...!!!! LIFE IS GOOD.......!!!!  LOL

We talked about not participating in the Open House this year, but have about decided to go ahead.  There's a lot of people that come back year after year and we hate to disappoint them.  We will need volunteers to help, Saturday and Sunday, December 7th and 8th, if anyone in the area would like to come out for a few hours to show people around.  If interested, let me know:  hiestand08@mtecom.net  This year if I can get the feed room cleaned up we're going to leave the dutch door open, so people can see the donkey's favorite room.  They all know where the "chow" comes from, if I have the door open, there are always heads inside watching me.  Max the big red horse was big enough he could take the lids off some of the cans, which added a sense of adventure to the whole operation.  

Penny did real good yesterday with her feet, I picked all 4 up and held them till I decided to put them down, while scraping with a hoof pick.  She was just fine.  I have been using a clicker and she really knows what that means, which helps I'm sure.  Tomorrow John is going to see if she is willing to let him pick up feet.  If that goes well , then we'll see if Lysa can pick them up Monday when she's here to clean pens.  Then the next barrier will be when Courtney comes to trim.  Will Penny let her pick up feet?  Guess we'll find out.....!!!

WELL LIFE IS JUST ABOUT BACK TO NORMAL.....!!!

     This is a photo of the White House stables that were built in 1857 and burned in 1864, tragically killing several of Lincoln family's horses and ponies. Following is an account provided by White House guard, Robert W. McBride.

"One night there was an alarm of fire. The White House stables were burning. Those of us who were early on the ground saw a tall and hatless man come running from the direction of the White House. When he reached the boxwood hedge that served as an enclosure to the stables he sprang over it like a deer. As he approached the stable he inquired if the horses had been taken out. On learning that they had not, he asked impatiently why they had not, and with his own hands burst open the stable door. A glance within showed that the whole interior of the stable was in flames, and that the rescue of the horses was impossible. Notwithstanding this, he would apparently have rushed in had not those standing around caught and restrained him. It suddenly occurred to someone that possibly the stables had been fired for the purpose of bringing him out of the White House and giving an opportunity to assassinate him. Captain Bennett, of the Union Light Guard, and some others immediately hurried him into the White House, while, by Captain Bennett's orders, with a detail of the men of our company, I took charge of the entrance, remaining there on duty for several hours. "

  * * * * *

The donkeys are very happy to be back on schedule, as far as Burroland is concerned.  After about a week of restricting their time over there, they had pretty much cleaned up most of the beans, so the gate is now open 24/7 and the only time they aren't over there is when they are in their pens eating hay.  We knew it was time, when they started coming over without having to be chased.

Ruthie, Wister and  Boaz fell right back into the routine, like they had never left.  I have noticed one difference, Wister seems to be officially weaned, although he still tries occasionally.  When he tries to nurse and there's nothing there, he kicks back at Ruthie with his hind foot, like it's her fault.  

Boaz also came back with some more proud flesh growth on his knee.  Sigh!  I guess that is always going to be problem for him.  I'm debating having it taken off again or just controlling it as it is.  I'll work with it for awhile and see how it goes.  

Everyone else is doing good as far as doctoring is concerned.  Pepper hasn't been down on his right side for quite awhile.  John saw him lay down yesterday on his left side and dust bathe.  So hopefully he'd gained enough strength in his right rear leg to be able to control which side goes down first.   

Yesterday I worked with Penny and picking up her feet again.  She is so sweet and really seems to want to meet you half way.  I picked up all 4 feet, even used a hoof pick on a couple of them.  The left side seems to be OK, she still has reservations about the right, front and rear.  But she didn't pull away or kick or anything like that, she was just reluctant to pick those 2 feet up.  Once they were up, she let me hold them until I decided to put them down.  Of course I didn't hold them very long, but I thought she did really good.  

 

BACK HOME AGAIN.........!!!!

WISTER DOESN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE A BABY ANYMORE

BOAZ HASN'T FORGOTTEN HOW TO LICK THE CORRAL PANELS

RUTHIE OBVIOUSLY REMEMBERED HOW TO BEG FOR TREATS

You know the old saying about the "best laid plans of mice and men, etc, etc"?  I guess that's why we try not to plan anything that has to be done in a certain way by a certain time.  

The plan was to "hop" over, pick up the little family and come home.  Ruthie and Wister came right up to us, put halters on them and they basically hopped in the trailer.  Karla has been working with Wister's leading and cooperation, so I guess he wanted to show he's been paying attention.  

Unfortunately Boaz was standing off, watching all this and made a decision that, he was satisfied where he was and didn't want to go anywhere else.  They have 5 acres over hill and dale and we saw most of it before Boaz finally gave up.  He wasn't the least bit interested in interacting with John and I.  Rodney was OK, as long as Boaz's "rules of engagement" were followed.  Basically, he'd come around the trailer where Ruthie and Wister were, while staying at least 20 feet from humans.  He's always been such a good boy and usually isn't any problem.  Rodney managed to get a rope around his neck, I got a halter on him, with a lead, and away he went.  It took about an hour before he decided we weren't going to give up and he let Rodney get ahold of his halter.  We walked him to the trailer with John and Rodney having a lead on either side, so if he decided to take off, they might have a chance of stopping him.  I came behind him, just to encourage forward motion, and once we were there, he went in the trailer pretty easy.  

John and I double led him to his pen, and he sulked until time to feed.  When we fed, he wouldn't eat, more sulking, wouldn't even look at us, just stood looking off in the distance.  He's always been a people donkey and this morning he's more like his old self.  I guess he just wanted us to realize running on 5 acres with yummy weeds to eat, was just fine with him.  John let them out at bedtime last night and they came right in this morning, so I guess we're back to normal.  

John noticed when all the other donkeys and mules came in yesterday afternoon, they all went over to greet Ruthie and Wister in their pen and basically ignored Boaz.  Not sure what that means but we did notice it.  In fact Rusty the white mule stood by Wister's pen until John finally "insisted" he go in his own pen.  He hung around Wister a lot when he was little.  I've heard of mules stealing babies, I don't think he ever tried anything like that, but he did like to be around a little baby.  

This morning I started doing a little clicker training with Penny.  I figured when she heard the clicker she'd take off, but it didn't seem to be a problem.  Since she hates ropes and halters, I tried using the halter as the target.  It didn't take her long to touch the halter, I click and John give her a cookie.  I usually use grain or something really small in my hand.  She is missing teeth and has a hard time grasping small pieces of anything, so it's one click, one animal cracker I guess.  

She's pretty good on her left side both front and back.  I picked both feet up and held them up for a few seconds.  Right side she kicked out with the back one.  Nothing like when she first came, it was just a warning, but I got on her verbally and she let me pick it up a little bit.  The right front is the one that she tries to collapse on me if I try to pick it up.  We got it done after 3 or 4 collapses, and she finally stood pretty good.  

I think we're making progress with her.  She seems very quick to pick up what we want to do.  I don't think it will be very long before she "gets it" and we can move on to getting her feet trimmed.  I hope she isn't going to only be good with just John and I and think of Courtney as a threat. 

THEY'RE COMING HOME......!!!

Got a call this afternoon, Ruthie, Boaz and Wister have eaten themselves out of a job and we'll go get them Saturday after chores.  I'm sure they won't mind helping the others, clean up the mesquite beans in Burroland.  Maybe 3 more mouths will make it go quicker.

John is doing Poo Watch 101 and says the amount of beans is rapidly getting less and less.  We've also noticed the mesquite are starting to lose their leaves. Maybe that mean we're going to have an early winter.

MISS PENNY PACKER IS SO BRAVE

No explanation needed, I hope....!!!  Spent a lot of my childhood watching Roy Rogers and Trigger, catch the bad guys.....!!!

This morning when we were doctoring I decided it was time to work with Penny on picking up her feet.  Although at first she was a fear kicker, she's really been good lately, no kicking.  Of course we haven't ask anything of her except to try to stand still, when I need to wrap her legs. 

Mark Myers from Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, the largest donkey rescue in the U.S. has recently put some "how to" videos on You-Tube.  One of the first ones he put up was how to pick up hooves on a reluctant donkey.  After watching it a couple of times I decided to try it with Penny.  It isn't anything dramatic, just put a rope below the fetlock and get them to raise the foot off the ground without having a hissy fit.  

Penny isn't a fan of halters and ropes, so we had to put her into the "redneck" squeeze to put a halter on her.  Then we tied her up short, and John stayed in position to feed animal crackers as needed.  She didn't seem to mind being tied all that much, which was a surprise as evasive as she is about ropes and such. 

The more I work with her the more I am sure her front legs have been roped.  I started with a front foot.  When I pulled up on the rope, she almost collapsed on the ground, I think she would have hit the ground, except I was in the way and she was leaning on me.  Back legs no problem, in fact she even let me pick them up by hand, not using the rope.  Other front leg, same scenario, almost collapse.  I did manage to get each one up for a second or two. 

The best thing out of the whole experience is, she never offered to kick at all.  Hopefully if we keep working with her we can get her desensitized enough that Courtney can trim her feet.  Because of her hunch back I guess, her rear feet grow pretty weird.  

We have a routine I guess.  In the morning when they go out of their pens, they head for the Burroland gate to wait as long as necessary.  They see John coming and they start milling around, trying to get the best position to get in there as soon as possible.  John opens the gate, and they disappear.  They are much easier to round up in the afternoon, although we still have to go over to get them, rather than they coming over on their own, which is how it's suppose to work.  John rings the bell before he goes over to find them, with the idea that they will hear it and come on over.  So far that hasn't happened. 

HERD MIGRATION

This is what it looks like in the morning after they are let out of their pens and have nothing to do except wait for that gate to open.  I guess they would stand there all day, if we decided not to open it.  

Mesquite beans are starting to show up in their poo, but John was over there last night doing round-up, and he said it's amazing how the beans are disappearing.  Of course all those mouths are doing their best, I know, to make those beans disappear as soon as possible.  John says he thinks it won't take but a week or so for them to have the majority of the beans scarfed up, even only being over there for a few hours a day. 

Last night's round up went much better, John went over there, found them, told them to go get in their pens, and for the most part, most of them got the message.  Well, except for Pepper, the rest came over, went in their pens, and still no Pepper.  We figured he was down someplace, so John took the ropes and went to look for him.  He wasn't down, he was under a "glory" tree picking up beans as fast as he could.  John had to put a rope on him, just to get him to move. 

It's still getting cooler and cooler, and the doctoring is getting a lot easier, but the flies are still out in force unfortunately.  We usually have to keep fly masks on until the middle of November, so it's going to be awhile.