new donkey

[ookpik]

Hello everyone,

I came across this forum shortly after I got a mini donkey. We have a ten acre hobby farm and three horses. Two didn't get along at all so after six weeks we had to separate them. We started looking for a companion and I decided maybe mini was the answer. I easiy was swayed by mini donkey vs mini horses

We looked around locally and found a farmer who had a eight month old male ready to go. His mom and dad were on site. Dad was grey, mom brown. We named him Simon. He's now nine months old, was gelded three weeks ago. Seems to have recovered nicely.

He was supervised for two weeks outside the paddock of the horse we were trying to bond him with. Slowly we'd let him in the paddock with a watchful eye. She's a gentil horse and a fairly small quarter horse. Two weeks ago we put him in her paddock for both days over the weekend. The following day when we went to take simon to the barn (he stays in over night) she started to scream and freak out. Now she comes in the barn at night as well

Looks like they bonded faster than we thought!!

Here are a few pictures of him from the weekend we got him (nov1) to recently. He has a warmer full jacket on the mail with a tail flap and neck area, but in the mean time I got him a dog jacket as they didn't have any foal coats in stock. He keeps it on all day, has a shelter, which I also lined with plastic (will remove in summer for more of a breeze).

I really enjoy owning a donkey. He's quite smart and has been an excellent addition to the hobby farm. I live in Ontario, Canada. Two links for pictures of Simon below:

first weekend:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10446625@N04/...424339139/show/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10446625@N04/...346531181/show/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10446625@N04/...406990325/show/

cheers.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

WELCOME from Wisconsin, and also to the new world of being owned by a lovable longear.Simon is ADORABLE. He looks so sweet. I am so glad you found us, my suggestion to you

would be to go and grab a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy a few hours on the forum, just reading through some back posts and getting to know us. We're really a great group on here and we all try to help one another out.

PLEASE be so very careful, keeping him in with a standard size horse, so many accidents can happen, even if the horse is so gentle, all it takes is a kick from a horse to injure a young one like him or even a adult mini, but it does sound like you are keeping a close eye on that. Donkeys do the best when they have one of there own to bond with, so who knows maybe in your future you will be adding a second longear pal. Mini donkeys have a personality all there own, and I just keep telling everyone...to know one is to love one. If there is anything we can help you with just ask. Corinne (Ce)

 

[ookpik]

We will definitely be cautious. Rayne (the horse he's with) as I said seems to be very, very good with him. When they tiff over hay (he likes to be dominant and stand on her hay pile) she does a swing of her head and a slight stamp of her front foot, and Simon moves. After a week I've noticed they eat from the same pile. She's very loyal, when he's in his shelter she stands in front of it. Before we got Simon she would stand in one corner of her paddock staring at the other two horses. only used about one quarter of the paddock. Now they roam together, exploring the entire thing. She likes to dig for grass, moves on and Simon take the older whole she made...why work yourself I guess

Rayne was being ridden this weekend and I put Simon in the barn. He was freaking, she was freaking, finally I tied him on his long lead rope just outside the riding area and everything was fine. No doubt Simon will be going to a few horse shows this summer

I don't really ride (I trail ride) but my partner does ride western...which is why we have a hobby farm now since August.

The other two horses visit Simon over the fence. The huge white one likes him a lot but the size difference is a bit too crazy. She sticks her head over, he nibbles her nose...she screams and comes back for a second round. It's quite comical.

I have read a lot of the forum, but will continue to try and read more to catch up. I agree, you all seem like very nice informative people. Oh, we had a cytech farrier come out to do the horses and he did Simon's as well. He's sporting spiffy little hooves now

I don't think he had really had them done before. He was quite good!

Cheers

 

[dmkrieg]

Welcome from Missouri. He is a cutie!!! I haven't seen a donk yet that i just didn't love.

 

[FlatCreekFarm]

Another welcome from Missouri!!

Simon is just adorable, and I so enjoyed reading about him and the horse... how sweet that they are buddies already

p.s. our son used to play a fiddle tune called "Ookpik Waltz" ~ a beautiful Canadian waltz. Thanks for bringing back that memory

 

[JumpinJackFarm]

. I easiy was swayed by mini donkey vs mini horses

Me Too !!!

Welcome from Washington State

Simon is a sweetheart

I have such a soft spot for the Chocolate boys

It sounds as if you did everything right in introducing Rayne and him (love the name Rayne)

Maybe Rayne ? might like another Donkey companion in the future

How is Simon with your dog? Was that a goat I saw too?

Aren't you glad you found this place/us

I have learned Soooooooo much here and still learning.

We are a great/silly bunch of people whom have a*sses as best friends

Welcome again ~ Teri

 

[ookpik]

Simon seem ok around the dogs. The farm he came from was like a bed and breakfast petting zoo sorta deal. Emus, goats, standard donkey (different area), chickens, ducks etc, etc. No horses though. The farmer had three large dogs as well. We don't leave anyone unsupervised, but so far there hasn't been too many issues. Simon tried to run them down a bit in the barn. They are big, which helps. They are also on invisible fencing (their training is done soon) which doesn't go into the paddocks at all. So no one will be sneaking in

His new winter jacket arrived today after work. It's way too cute. I'll post photos tomorrow. I'm still amazed that he kept a dog jacket on for the last four weeks

It slides a bit so I'm happy that this has a neck and leg straps.

In the future we for sure are not against a second donkey.

Thanks for all the information and welcomes!

 

[Emily's mom]

Welcome to the wonderful world of donkeys from Nova Scotia!

This sure is a great place to be....lots of friendly people!

I have my two donkeys in with a quarter horse and they get along famously...I started out with one donkey, and when we got the 2nd, could not believe the difference in the first, they truly do enjoy their own kind

Simon is sure cute

Glad you found us!!

 

[ookpik]

Simon has grown! His winter jacket didn't quite fit OH! It's a shame too as it was really, really nice with "lamb fleece" on the inside and a mid sized neck. So we're searching again to find a bigger one. In the mean time I added leg straps to his dog jacket

We're getting 25cm of snow over the next 24 hours, and although he has his hut which I even lined with plastic to prevent drafts, he doesn't seem fully keen on snow. It's been fairly mild though so I like him to be outside if he can. He loves his evening routine. He and Rayne come in around 7pm when we get home, she goes into her stall and he gets free range until bedtime around 9:30. Our barn is still not fully finished. It was brand new when we bought the property, but no stalls. We now have the wood up, but no door or the bars. Lucky we have a gate we hadn't installed yet which just happens to close off Simon's stall and Rayne's. She's a really good horse, could fully jump out if she wanted, but ever since we started brining her inside in the evenings she seems to love her new pampered lifestyle. The other two horses have a brand new shelter we built when we moved in august, and hate coming inside.

We've noticed that since Rayne and Simon have bonded, Rayne like to prance around the fence line with her head a little higher now that she has a buddy. The changes alone in her since his arrival have been fantastic.

If anyone has any links to winter wear for donkeys, please post!!

cheers

 

[Emily's mom]

It is too bad that Simon's coat didn't fit...the search continues!

So glad there has been a positive change in Rayne

. See everyone loves Donkeys

 

[ookpik]

Hey,

Yeah, really annoyed with the coat. It was sooo cute! Brown with orange trim, soooooo fleacy underneath, nice thick polyfill...nicer than my jacket really!

If anyone has a smaller donkey 34" and smaller I have a coat! Brand new!! It said 36" but it seems to be a tight 36". Aiming for a 40-42" this time around

How do you find your donkey's do with the snow in NovaScotia...somewhat similar to Ottawa area? I really love people pictures with the ear warmers

I worked from home today and noticed that his weatherbetta dog jack (with added straps) stayed on much straighter. So...that'll work for now.

cheers,

sam

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

howdy sam and welcome to the world of donkeys and our little donkey forum. simon is adorable, LOVE those bangs!

 

[crackerjackjack]

Here is another welcome from Missouri. Simon is really cute. I love his long hair. You found a great place to talk to others and get information. The people on this forum are great. Again Welcome

 

[ookpik]

Thanks for the welcomes! Speaking of Simon's crazy blond highlights, when does a donkey get their normal coat? He was born last feb, so I'm assuming he won't shed anything out until the spring. Will that be his adult coat at that point? I'll miss his crazy hair do! But I also think he'll look quite handsome with a spikey little main

cheers,

sam

 

[Emily's mom]

I used to live in Ottawa, it is colder there! Much drier than our moist sea air! This is our first winter with the donkeys, but the horse made out fine without a coat!!