THREE ASSES
THREE TURKEYS
Brian and I enjoyed a 4 day weekend together! It doesn't work out very often due to circumstances beyond my control, so when we do get the time together, it is nice.
We were more lazy than what we planned on being due to the weather, but we still got a few things done. As in trimming Ajax, our 4 yr old BLM burro.
Ajax is Brian's, and he is a sweetheart! He doesn't mind being handled and he is quite the love bug. When we are out messing with the others, he is the one who will quietly come up behind or beside you, and before you know it he is lightly leaning on you for a rub or scratch. This was going to be our first time messing with his back hooves. Ajax has hooves shaped a lot like horses hooves - that nice angle, etc.
Brian brushed him down and loved on him a bit, then I came in the pen. He did not have any problems letting me work on the front ones, and the back ones were not near as hard to handle as I thought they would be. He did kick out and swing a couple of times, but since he did not make contact with me, I know it was half hearted. One thing I will say about donks is they have quite the aim....when they want to!
His rear hooves look great and I was pleasantly surprised how thick the walls are! The fronts are little odd shaped (our fault) and I will admit that they scare the heck out of me. I have been doing a lot of reading, etc. on donkey hooves, and I am still scared of them. I am afraid of the sole. I read someplace that they don't shed out their sole, so you have to trim it out. That would apply on our ground, but I am still afraid of it. I thought I was touching live sole so I stopped... I was very conservative and did what I could. After I was done, he moved around just fine, so until the next time.....more reading!
Brian brushing Ajax (no pictures of trim since it was just us)
Zjax is my burro, he is 11 yrs old and was captured when he was 10. I often wonder what his life was like in the wild. Ten yrs is a long time to be out there doing your burro thing, then get rounded up by big scary things in the sky and hauled away from your home. He is very stout and he is also very affectionate, but we never made time to work with him like we should have, so haltering, etc. is an evil thing to him.
The mini's think it is hard work watching all of this hoop-la!
Zjax doesn't like being told what to do, so he thinks he will just 'go over there....' and Brian doesn't think so.
Zjax says: "Hmmm, that was an awful lot of work...it is much easier just standing here, so that is what I will do."
Brian says: "Dang he is tough! Thank goodness he is standing still right now!"
His hooves are different than Ajax. When we adopted Z, I noticed his hooves look more like he was standing on upside down bowls, and they were about the same size all the way around. The vet said because of his age and maturity, to keep trimming him the shape they are. No trimming was done with this session. Brian spent all of his time working with leading and picking up the front hooves. Z is not ready for the backs yet. :-) Brian and Z did very good! We just need to be consistent and keep up the work with him.
Zjax says: "I will just give him the darn thing so I can go!"
Brian says: "Oh look, he is getting it!"
Karen says: "Okay, the camera is ready in case Z jumps or takes a kick....I am all about action shots!"
Zjax says: "Okay, the other side too...are we done yet?"
Brian says: "Oh look, he is getting it!"
Karen says: "Hmmm, no action shots today."
Brian and Zjax make friends after their lesson. I am proud of them both! Not only did Zjax pick up both front feet several times, he let Brian lead him around a bit. :-)
Here are our two new adoptees being lazy too....
We had a great weekend, and hanging out with the critters was a lot of fun!
Until later....
Karen and Tripp
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