We took Judy to the vet today to have blood drawn to test her for Cushings. She goes in the trailer just fine, but "walks" for the whole trip. And she is heavy enough that you can feel her back there moving back & forth. She was a good girl for her blood draw. We should have the results back in a few days & everyone that has seen her agrees that she looks like a Cushings type of gal. So we'll start her on pergolide as soon as we get the results & have some idea of how much to give her every day.

Came home & there was a rather large box sitting just outside the gate. We always ask that anything we order be delivered to my Mother's house in town. The UPS driver's try to open the gate, drive in, deliver & drive out, before closing the gate. I realize they are in a hurry, but if the donkeys got out, it might make for a fun afternoon for us & the UPS driver.........!!!! (G) I had ordered an insulated waterer for Sha'ba's pen. Unfortunately when we set up the pens, we put the oldest skinniest little guy in the coldest pen & his water will freeze first & hardest on a cold night. I guess the company didn't notice a different delivery address than the billing address.

The box was sitting outside the gate, but of course once it was discovered & deemed something worth investigating it didn't matter which side of the gate it was on, the donkeys could reach it, mouth it, grab the cardboard & rip off big pieces & throw it everywhere. The insulation for the waterer is foam, luckily they didn't have time to delve deeper into their project, so it was still intact.

This is the 2nd time recently they've found a package to play with. The other one was a box of home grown Pennsylvania potatoes from some dear friends . Thank goodness the donkeys weren't interested in the potatoes, but there was no box left & they had strung potatoes EVERYWHERE. I don't know what the facination for cardboard boxes is, probably the thought that it isn't suppose to be there. They are always in John's assorted piles of "treasures" up by the garage. If he adds one little item to a pile by the next day it will be moved or dragged far enough away, he has to look for it. They remind me of cats, when it comes to noticing something new or different.

Well today has certainly been interesting.............!!! When I got up this morning I went in the spa room to water my poor little gardenia that has managed to survive in spite of my brown thumb. I noticed the folding door that covers the washer & dryer was half cocked & I heard shuffling noises. My assumption was one of the cats was in there messing around. I smacked the side of the dryer & a cat would have come flying out.........hmmmmm! I headed for the living room & both cats were there..............hmmmmm! We had a skunk show up a few days ago to help Hobo the outdoor cat eat her dry food, if we don't pick it up when she is finished. For some reason John didn't believe me, until he checked it out himself & saw "something" in the trash can that was now laying on it's side facing the back wall. We didn't do a real close study, but did notice that it was black & white, & the dryer duct was no longer attached to the outside vent, so our assumption was...........SKUNK........!!!! Now what? Our answer to the problem was, shut the inside doors to the spa & open the outside door, hoping our little visitor wouldn't mind leaving in the daylight, even though they are a nocturnal type of weasel.

Martha came today to massage Chester & Max. Courtney came to trim feet on those that needed it. Chester was very good about his feet, & actually stood on his bad leg long enough for her to do a quick job on his other leg. This was the first time Judy the new mule had been trimmed by Courtney, & she did pretty good at least on 3 feet. She decided to make a fuss about one hind leg, but nothing dramatic. Courtney also thinks she is probably Cushings. We're still waiting for the vet to get the correct lab tubes to do the test to make sure before we start her on meds.

The last time Martha was here & worked on Max, he was a big worry wart & couldn't relax, because he didn't know her & wasn't sure what she was going to do to him. This time he relaxed & almost went to sleep on his feet. She said he has a lot of muscles around the area where his neck is broken that are rigid, poor old guy. She got them softened up, although I'm sure they won't stay that way very long.

Chester's primary request was to get his butt scratched, rather than have her work on his front leg & shoulder. If she would try to work on the front leg, he'd turn around & stick his fanny in her face. Finally they reached an agreement & he decided that it felt pretty good to have her work on the bad leg. He has a couple of spots that must be sore. When she worked in those areas, he would act like he was going to bite her.

We told Courtney about the skunk in the spa room, & she decided she had to have a picture of it. I told her if she set off a flash & the skunk REALLY didn't like it, the spa room would probably be off limits for a LONG time. I told her where we'd seen it last, in the trash can, so we all tip toed into the spa room, she took her camera, held it at arm's length in front of the downed trash can & took a picture. No skunk.........!!! Hmmmmmm, now where did it go? I got a step stool so I could look over the back of the washer & dryer. No skunk.......!!!! Courtney was so disappointed.

This morning John had set a live trap in the back yard. We didn't disarm it figured the skunk wouldn't be around during the day. Tonight after dark (we forgot about the set trap), John said the trap had been tripped & the packing blanket we had covered the trap with, so it would look inviting, (we're trying to think like a skunk) was jumping around. Couldn't see what was in there, but it was definately not happy. After a long discussion about, "now what do we do", we decided to just open the trap & let it go rather than trying to "take" it somewhere. Started to go out to open the trap, & there was a skunk walking around the packing blanket............... SO WHAT'S IN THE TRAP?

OK, we decided to "gently" open up the trap & set it, so whatever was in the trap could leave. I held the flash light & John set the trap, using the blanket to hide what we were doing. Went back in the house & flashed a light into the trap thru the door. Seems like we have 2 skunks instead of just one, & the one in the trap is perfectly happy in there I guess, because it "ain't" going anywhere. I went back in to try to finish supper, John comes in & says, "the door on the trap is shut again". I guess the little "stinker" jumped around enough to slam the door shut. New idea........... use a bungee strap to keep the door from shutting. So we went out again, opened the door & hooked up a bungee. Came back in & the other skunk was now finishing off Hobo's dry cat food.

John just checked & the skunk is no longer in the trap & there is no dry food left for them to eat, so they have both disappeared...................for now. John used duct tape to cover the dryer vent for now. If they really wanted in, the duct tape certainly wouldn't stop them, or even slow them down. But since they found no food in here, hopefully they won't come back.

This is the 2nd time we've had something come in thru the dryer vent. We had a momma mouse come in the vent, chewed a hole thru the duct & had her babies somewhere in the spa room or our bedroom. Not a good place with 2 cats patrolling, unfortunately.

COLD NIGHT = BLANKETS ON THE OLD GUYS

Much to Pepper's disgust, although I do think he is mellowing to the idea of staying in at night with a blanket on. He had eaten all of his hay by bedtime, which is unusual. John put some more hay in for him to munch on during the night. This morning it looked like instead of munching, he had fun flinging it everywhere. He's always been difficult to get extra calories into. It looked like since he wasn't hungry he decided to see how far he could throw it.

I've decided that rather than wait to see if it's going to be cold or not, I'll go ahead & put Sha'ba & Pepper's blankets on every night when we feed. Going out in the cold when it's dark to put on blankets isn't much fun, although I do think Sha'ba realizes the pleasure of a blanket. Not sure about Pepper.

DIFFERENT KIND OF DAY

Today we moved these 3 horses & their little friend "Hoppy" from their old home to a new home. We weren't sure about Hoppy & were prepared to have him ride in the van. He wouldn't be the first goat to ride in there, he wouldn't have even been the 2nd one....... (G) But their owner said he would be fine in the trailer with the horses. We stopped a couple of times to check on them, & he had staked out his place all the way in the front of the trailer, daring anyone to step on him. The 3 horses were riding facing the back of the trailer. We never tie animals in the trailer & have found out that every one of them, doesn't matter, horse, donkey, mule, or cow prefer to ride facing the rear of the trailer. Makes me wonder how uncomfortable it is for them to be tied, facing front sometimes for hours at a time?

We didn't get home until after dark.........to say we were met by an angry mob is an understatement. At least they were very interested in getting in their pens as soon as possible to help the feeding process move along quickly.

Last night Pepper had to stay in. It was suppose to get colder & he had his blanket on. Unfortunately it didn't get as cold as the weatherman said it would. Tonight it's suppose to be warmer & so far I haven't put blankets on either Pepper or Sha'ba. When John goes out at 10 pm to let everyone out, we'll have to make a decision on whether to blanket or not. They are both old & thin, but I hate to ruin any natural ability they have to keep warm on their own. Sha'ba stays in his pen at night, so being blanketed or not doesn't impact his life like it does Pepper.

Wish I knew where I got this drawing, so I could give credit....!!!

This is amazing when you think about it. This drawing shows when a horse's skeletal system is through growing. Think about how many are "started", at the age of 2. Think of how many older horses you see that are sway backed or have joint problems. Gee, I wonder if starting them at the age of 2 might have something to do with health problems in later life.

Standard donkeys mature slower than horses & mammoth donkeys mature a year or more later than standards about age 6 or 7. Our Jenny who is a mammoth, came here at the age of 9. She had already had 2 babies, one lived, one didn't. She came here with chronic infection of both front feet & had been that way for a year, which would put her back to age 8. They carry a foal for about a year, so she was pregnant for 2 years of her life. If you do the math, she was only a baby herself, when someone bred her. Tula also had a baby young, but she wasn't bred per se, she was running with a herd & was around 2 or 3 when she had Paloma, as far as we can tell. In a perfect world the jacks will not breed the younger jennies the alpha jenny won't allow it in a natural herd. But as man interferes with the natural progression of their lives, such as BLM capturing herds or part of herds, or owners not having jacks gelded & leaving them in with momma or other jennies, the jacks are determined to pass on their genes.

John is still dipping ice out of the buckets every morning. He got the new heated water tank set up & it seems to be a big hit with everyone.

Boy, Lucy doesn't like Judy at all. Yesterday afternoon as they were gathering to go in their pens, Judy walked in Lucy's general direction, & Lucy took off running. Believe me, Lucy does not run unless she thinks it's absolutely necessary. I haven't seen Judy do anything except pin her ears as she walks, which is normal behavior. But Lucy seems to have decided they aren't going to be best friends. Unless Judy is being mean when I'm not looking. She doesn't strike me as that type, she's very mellow. Besides if she was going to be mean, she wouldn't care if I was watching or not...........!!!!

Chester is still enjoying his morning massage. Wish I knew what I'm doing. But when he likes it, his lower lip twitches, & this morning he was leaning on me with his lip twitching. I can only assume that I had found "the spot". I don't know if it will help him walk better or not. Some days he walks with very little limp. Other days it's very pronounced. For awhile I was afraid the infection was coming back. But he hasn't had any antibiotics for weeks, & I would think if there was infection still in his elbow area, it would be showing up by now. So I think he might overdue it or maybe step wrong sometimes & make it sore.

UPDATE ON JUDY

Even John has noticed a difference in the way Judy looks compared to the first picture I took of her. Besides being more alert & interested in what's going on around her, the difference in her hair is really noticeable. I also haven't noticed her sweating like she was. The day after she got here I saw her peeing & noticed she seemed to be having trouble. She finally put out a little bit that looked really dark. I ran over & checked it, not only was it dark, it also was stringy & thick. YIKES! I ran in & hit the internet. Found out it isn't a crisis, but more liquidity & frothy is much better.

Yesterday she was in Max's pen when we drove in from town, & I noticed she was assuming the stance. Of course I jumped out of the van & watched. She started immediately, peed a good amount & as soon as she was done, I of course ran over to look. I hope no one except animal people is reading this, or they might think I'm a little odd........!!! (G) Had the texture of water, was soaking into the ground rapidly AND was frothy.........!!!!! YEA!

Still waiting for the vet clinic to call when they get the correct blood tubes for the Cushings test, but to say we are pleased with the changes in her look & demeanor is an understatement. The diet change of soaking sugar & starch out of the hay & adding a few supplements seems to have really made a difference.

Chili's interest has worn off already, but Rusty the white mule seems to think she's kinda cute. He seems to be in her area more than hanging with Max & Jack.

Everyone else seems to be doing good. Our nights are getting down into the 20's on a regular basis, & Pepper really should have a blanket on. But he gets so upset if he can't go out we have compromised. I put his boots on to help keep his scrawny legs warm, & turn him loose. So far he is doing OK, & usually when John goes out in the morning, Pepper is standing in the mini's shelter, which is where the sun shines when it first comes up. He may be old, but he knows where the warmest place on the property is that early in the morning.

Here's our little mini herd, Pepsi in front, Lynn on the left, Justin on the right & Cheyenne's back in between them. They are in Jack's pen "gleaning" hay scraps. You can tell from their body shapes they really need the extra calories......!!! Every morning when we open the pens they make a beeline for Jack's pen, since it usually has the most leftovers.

Judy has taken her freedom in stride. She eats, goes out & when it's time to eat again, she shows up with the rest of the herd & goes in her pen just like a lady. She does seem to enjoy walking up behind assorted donkeys & pinning her ears as she walks. Needless to say that gets everyone moving out at a brisk pace. She hasn't made a move at any of them, so I think she is showing off her mule sense of humor.

JUDY'S OUT & CHECKING OUT THE PLACE

We let Judy out this morning to check out the property. She has been pacing the corral panels almost non-stop since she got here & everyone that wanted to check her out had time to do so. I opened the gate between her & Jenny, thinking they might go out together. She wasn't the least bit interested in running with anyone. Although she gathered up an entourage following her, she basically ignored them. She went straight to the driveway gate, where the trailer brought her in & from there started looking for mesquite leaves on the ground. Hopefully she won't spend all her time looking for mesquite leaves.

We haven't let Max the horse out yet. Hopefully he will behave like a gentleman, now that she is out & about. From what I've seen, she can move faster than he can, & being a mule I doubt if she will put up with much of his nonsense.

She's on her insulin resistant diet, which includes soaking her hay to remove as much sugar & starch as we can. So far only one morning was cold enough to ice over the soaking water, for which I am very grateful.......!!! (G) Can't find a pair of gloves to fit my little hands, that are not only warm, but waterproof. The more I look at her, I am almost positive she is also Cushings, so we will have her tested, as soon as the vet clinic can get the proper lab tubes for the blood test. If I wasn't going to have her tested, I'd start giving her some of Pepper's pergolide.........BUT.......... a few more days hopefully won't hurt her.

I've been massaging Chester's leg every morning before he goes out. I don't know if I'm going any good or not, but he absolutely LOVES having his leg rubbed. He likes to lay his head across my back, which doesn't help me massage, but seems to be part of the deal. I have a little thing that looks like a spider that viberates for massaging. Thought about it yesterday, found out the batteries had died, so John started figuring out how to get to the batteries. He has a long history of taking things apart, in such a way they no longer work. It took him awhile, only stripped out one screw, got the old batteries out, new batteries in, & it started jumping across the table. So tomorrow morning we will give it a try.

Had some people call from Benson this afternoon to come out & see the donkeys. Almost everyone was already out of their pens, so I told the woman if she didn't mind walking around thru the brush looking for them, to come on out. It was her & her daughter & they seemed to really enjoy the donkeys. As we walked around, John tricked the pushiest ones into pens. They sometimes forget their manners & start pushing on each other around visitors. Chili was particularly incensed to find himself not only in a pen, but it wasn't even his pen. He just happened to be in BlackJack & Cisco's pen, visiting with Judy, when we went out to see who we could round up before the people got here.

Judy spent most of the afternoon running the fence with the dogs. She has such a heavy coat of hair, that she really was sweating, another sign of Cushings. Once she got thru running around, she started pawing at the gate to let us know we "forgot" to let her out like all the others. We'll keep her in a few days more, to give her a chance to get comfortable in her new surroundings. Max hasn't made anymore ugly faces, so hopefully he is going to behave himself when she goes out. Actually we'll probably leave him in his pen, so she can get a chance to explore without his silliness.

Then John decided it was time for me to learn to drive the Bobcat. We had some firewood to load into a trailer, so that was my assignment, "if I chose to accept it". It's not real difficult to do things with it, but it certainly does help if you can remember which pedal, moves the bucket up & down, or tilts it. It's a good thing the trailer has lots of battle scars already. If you are suppose to put the bucket up higher, but instead drop it lower & the side of the trailer is underneath it............well, the trailer has a few more dents & scars. BUT, I did manage to get the bucket stopped & raised before I destroyed the side of the trailer. Not sure I'm ready for running around in the corrals yet, I might need a little bit more OJT in wider open spaces.........!!!!

JUDY'S HERE

Not a real great picture, but she wasn't interested in interacting with the silly woman with the camera this morning. Besides Max the horse for some reason was running all around her pen making ugly faces & lunging at the pen. WHAT IS HIS PROBLEM? As far as I know he has never paid much attention to anyone we've brought in. I told him she's a girl & he should be more of a gentleman, but he continued to act stupid. A couple of times I thought he was going to fall down, since his hindquarters don't always go where he wants them to & he was so busy being, "big tough guy". She just looked at him like he was an idiot, & kicked at him a few times. We'll keep her in the pens for a few days until she gets use to the place, & "big tough guy" wears out or gets bored with the game. I think she's already bored with his antics.....!!! Guys never know when to quit do they? (G)

She seems to be a sweet girl, & is walking much better than I was expecting. But her Glucose/Insulin ratio is off the chart, so she is without question insulin resistant. Patti, is a whiz with nutrition. She has helped dozens of owners, balance their horses diets & brought the horses back to being useful, after bouts with IR, & laminitis. She has offered to help balance a diet for Judy. Well actually she was nice enough to help, when I asked.

Judy will be getting soaked hay tonight. Hopefully she won't think we have lost our minds, & will eat it.