I can't believe it's been a year since I have posted here !
It's high time for an update.
I'm glad to say the donkeys are all well and we are having a good summer weather-wise so far. No hay yet because the spring was dry and the grass did not grow and now that the rain has come and we have grass it has been too wet to make hay. Hopefully it will settle down before long - fingers crossed !
In order of age -
Wellington (now 33) is in fine form and came through the winter well, his bad feet were looking really good until he went back out to the field. It's a difficult balance - he needs to go out and eat grass and be with friends but he also needs to keep his feet dry so that they do not fall apart. He does appreciate his leather boots although he does NOT look after them !
Noah is now 32 and is starting to look lovely again as he has got through his 'motheaten' period where he is half in and half out of his winter coat. He has been enjoying his retirement job of posing for photos .
Toby is doing well too. We thought he had lost a little weight over the winter so we got the vet to check him over and the vet recommended a few changes to his medication. He has a new fly rug but it is Devon earth colour now of course ! He too is enjoying eating hay and sunbathing on the cobbles as he poses for photos.
Jake and Eli,(aged 23) the two very fluffy donkeys are just starting to look summery. Jake has done some driving and had not forgotten how to do it even though it had been about a year since he had done any. Eli has been following visitors around the yard asking to be brushed and tickled because he loves it , and also helping out with the posing.
Jasper, Jake's friend, is as fat as ever but it doesn't stop him wrestling with Charlie our little Boss donkey.Charlie and Jasper are itchy donkeys who wear fly-rugs at night and use them like judo-wrestling costumes ! The flies have not been too bad so far this year so that has been good for those two and Toby.
Charlie has recently earned a blue rosette at the Parelli Games.
Sinead, our Mother donkeys also went to the games and did her usual bit of upstaging Sue and Charlie but rolling luxuriously in the sand and making all the audience laugh.
Kiwi, Sinead's first baby, is now 9 and is doing very well at the donkey rides.She can be a grumpy little Miss though. She is now just coming out in her beautiful black summer coat again.
Peter, our second baby, is now 6 incredibly handsome and stands 13 hh (52" at the shoulder) . We hope he will start work this year as he is ready and has had us sitting on him. So far he has only carried Bart across the yard but he was not at all worried so we it's just finsing the time to complete his training.
Sarah, our youngest, is now 4, stands as tall as her dad Sammy, at 13.1hh and is SO like Sammy ! She has his ears and soft lips. Her training is ongoing and she is gorgeous.
Sammy and his friend Pierre, our two stallions, still live 2 miles away. They have been doing more riding lately as Sue has been taking part in a Parelli riding course. (See our films on Youtube !)
Last but not least our new mule Rupert (aged 3) is his usual bouncy self.He has grown 3" in teh year that we have had him. He is very quick to learn and can be very energetic.
Let's hope i get back to blogging a bit sooner next time !
