Naughty donkey!

[VerticallyChallenged]

So Gracey has only been here a week. The donks seemed miserable with the flies bothering their ears....I was putting Swat in the ears and wiping flyspray on the outsides of them. Grace has had me messing with her ears with no trouble! But I was warned of this by her previous owner, and I have seen it...she has a naughty streak in her! So I got the Crusader masks in the mail today, and went to put them on the girls. Grace has had one on before, and her previous owner told me she didn't stand for it well when being put on. Well, I figured she couldn't be TOO difficult...and just walked out there with the masks. Put Chia's on, no problem. Went to put Gracey's on...and boy did I eat dirt! I'm STILL sore! I just had my right arm around her neck and my left hand trying to put the mask on. She fought me hard. Trying to drag me around, stepping on my foot, rearing up, then I was tripped by her foot and down I went! Figured I'd never catch her now.... well, I did, had my son get me a lead rope, I was just going to hang it around her neck for somehting to hold on to. It took me 15 minutes to get this mask on her! And...I finally got it on only because my friend, whom I was waiting for, showed up and helped me out. I held Gracey, she got it on over her ears. I'm very happy for the girls, they are no longer constantly shaking their heads....they seemed miserable! But Gracey has a naughty streak I'm going to have to work on....

Again, she's 6, been a pet all her life...

That same friend who helped me today came to meet her for the first time on Tuesday and Gracey JUMPED on her! As in like a "donkey hug"!!! She wasn't striking out or anything....but made me think I can NOT have my 5 year old son out there if Grace is going to do THAT! That is the first and last time I saw her do that....I was pretty shocked!

I have been putting Swat on their legs, and I also see she is going to need work with her feet. Her back ones she will not stand still with. I was just putting some Swat on them, and it turned into a lesson of not pulling away...because she'd pick her foot up and kick out with it.

This girl's gonna give me a run for my money...I can see it now! I think she'll be ok...she just needs to realize that she's not going to be walking all over me here! Kochia, on the other hand, is the sweetest, most gentle donkey there is, I swear!

Angie

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

Yup~~ it sure sounds like she is going to give you a run for your money

: just be careful in the process. I ate alot of dirt when I had my zedonk, he was a pistol and a half to handle in the beginning, and he really gave me a run for the money too, but he was a horrible kicker, and would just let lose out of the clear. He was actually dangerous to have around, which is why I gave him to a friend who has exotics.

If yours has been a pet all her life, she is probably just spoiled, and her "new" Mom can work thru that, so she dont walk all over you

: Just remember that donkeys are great at reading body language, so keep elbow at your waist level, or if you just reach out to your donkey (with your elbow above your waist) you will be coming across to her aggressive, :no: and she will be so much harder to work with. Donkeys also read alot into the hand position when your working /training them Got to LOVE these longears!

: . Corinne pss~~ I had to go back and edit this after I realized he is a she :bgrin

 

[VerticallyChallenged]

Thank you! Being new to donkeys, I was hoping someone would tell me how to handle her better. I'm used to horses....but donkeys just seem to be so much smarter!?

OH BOY am I sore this morning! LOL....didn't realize my shoulder hurt until I went to bed last night....but at least I'm laughing about it!

You gave me some great tips to start with, I appreciate it! No, I don't think she's mean at all..she is just spoiled! I'll be appreciative of any advice since I'm a donkey newbie!

Angie

 

[HobbsFarm]

[SIZE=14pt]Angie, I don't really have any more tips for you, but I can make you feel better about your incident...lol I have a 7 year old jenny named Maggie that has taken me for two rides. I'm sure it looked like I was skiing through our garden and left me with rope burns on my hands and bruises on me knees and chin.

: It's just so hard to "let go" of the rope... Not anymore! If she does act like she might bolt, I just let go. Then it's back to work, work, work!

: [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Donkey are smart and cautious. Once they realize what you want them to do and that it's not going to harm them, they should do it for life![/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Good luck, Shannon

: [/SIZE]

 

[JumpinJackFarm]

I think we all have stories of being knocked around from our longears. LOL...I know Julie has :bgrin

:

Bunny once stepped on my bare foot...and Ohhhhh it hurt so bad :no: It hurt for months!

And another incident was when E'ore was being trimmed ...I was giving him like a hug around his neck to settle him down and he lunged up knocking me in the jaw.....that really HURT

: My jaw hurt for many months after that especially in the morning. I can move my jaw around right now and still feel where it once ached soooooo bad.

If you think about it Gracey is still getting use to her surroundings and learning to really trust you. It will come in time. The BEST thing that you did though was to not give up and get it on her...you really did win the battle ...she didn't

:

 

[VerticallyChallenged]

Thanks for the replies! I was being stubborn...and I was NOT willing to stop what I had started....I figured if I gave up...just like a horse, it would only teach her if she puts up a fight, she'll win, and I didn't want that! I was amazed how strong she is!! I am so happy to have my donkeys now...Kochia is so laid back and easy (4 was her FOURTH home in a year!), and I knew Gracey was going to keep things interesting....her owner told me so, and I saw it just having her on the lead when we went to see her....but we'll get there! I'm really bummed...the weather is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL this weekend and I have a family reunion/camping trip...I'd so much rather be home to play! LOL

Angie

 

[FlatCreekFarm]

Angie, good luck with Gracey!! She does sound a little naughty, but very cute and lovable too

: Keep us posted on your progress with her.

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

i have the MOST fun trimming my donkeys... actually i must say that Peggy Sue is a doll, she stands so patiently. the rest of them get tired of waiting for me (i am slow) and start kicking out the back leg i am working on because they are tired of standing on the other one... and i am stubborn too, i will NOT let go, i clamp down with my upper arm and hang on, get tossed around in the dirt and get nasty bruises on my biceps... but as you said, you really can't let them win, so...

:

just being gone for 3 days though it was so nice to come home and get my donkey hugs

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