A picture a day is a worthy, wonderful, awesome blog project.

But that's not what I'm going to do. :)

I already have a ton of pictures. I don't think I need to take more just to have them on a blog. So, I'm going to take a different approach. I'm going to post pictures I've already taken and tell the story behind them.

I love pictures. I love people. And I love writing. Hopefully, this will work out well for all of us.

My goal is to publish one post a day. Some of the posts will be long. (I am prone to verbosity, after-all.) Some of them will be short. My wish is that each picture-story will help me share the ongoing story that is my life.

That and you'll think I'm cool. :)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Day 190 - Making Friends with a Miniature Donkey

Dr. Tatjana Lukes visited with us for 3 weeks just this month - a recent veterinary graduate from Croatia.  One of the things she wanted while with us here in VA was more horse experience.  We did not get to do a lot of horsey things - but one day we went out to vaccinate this little miniature donkey.  

He is 5 months old and has only been off the farm where he was born for 1 week at this point.  He has just gotten used to a halter and his new owner - an 11 year old boy who adores him.  :)  

I show up and stab him with 2 sharp needles and he pretty quickly determines that I am not friendly.  I always make a point after I vaccinate a horse that doesn't really like it so much to make friends with them afterwards.  Leave them with a good memory, ya know?  

Poor little guy.  He SO did not trust me after his vaccines. He SO did not like getting vaccinated!!!  

The only reason I'm not wearing coveralls, btw, is that it was really, really hot and I did this farm call in between small animal appointments and it was a mini donkey in a clean lot.  No boots or covies needed.  

I hope that it helps him in the future when I am in coveralls to not be scared of me.  Who knows?  

This first picture is me trying to use grain and get him to come to me.  He did, but quickly backed away. Strategy # 1 is not a success. 

Strategy # 2 - try to get him to let me just touch him.  Not going so well in this picture.....

Strategy # 3 - Get him moving.  If he won't let me touch him, I'm going to use that forward energy to make him move.  Horses are lazy and don't like moving so eventually he stopped.  (All of this is stuff I've learned from observing very talented horse trainers.  Which is something I am NOT.)

And after about 5-7 minutes this was the result!  He likes me!  (Well, he at leasts trusts me.)

Yay! How adorable is he??? 

I, unfortunately have to go give him booster vaccines in a few weeks.  I've asked the owners to try to prepare him by gently poking him with a toothpick in the neck so that he doesn't get so upset this time.  It's hard being a baby!  :(

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