Yesterday

Yesterday I had my farrier come over and I rode with him over to Joe's house. You remember Joe Tilley. He is the one with the goats that sold me my baby emus. He also has a donkey. She is a guard donkey for the goats at night. Donkeys are very good guards and will kill coyote and fox, which we have a never ending supply of around here.

I was surprised, but the poor girls feet had gotten extremely overgrown, so much that they looked like she had elf shoes on and could only stand on the back half of her feet. This stretches those tendons in the back of the legs and can become very painful. She had also foundered. She was in a lot of pain.

When we got there Marshall told me this was going to be more than thirty dollars. Yeah, he had a lot of work to do on this girls feet. She was laying down in the barn, but got up. It would have been easier on Marshall and her if she had stayed laying down, but she got up and wouldn't ever lay back down. The barn stall has no light hooked up in there so Joe went and got an extention cord and a light. I held the light where it needed to be while Marshall cut and whittled away until her feet looked more normal. Soon as he was done she was able to stand properly and wasn't rocked back on the back part of her hooves. You could tell she was feeling much better already as she walked out of the barn and outside to see us off.

My horse vet lives within a stones throw of Joe and Joe used him to see the donkey as he is friends with the doc. The vet had given the donkey anti inflammatories and antibiotic injections like he had done for Derby when he foundered.

Joe was ready to give her away. He asked Marshall if he knew anybody that would take her. You see, he needs her for a guard. Having foundered, before she even had a foot overgrowth by eating all the rich pasture out there for the goats, she was not going to be able to stay out there all the time. She would gain weight again and go down again. Marshall suggested she could go out at night, which is when she is needed to guard, and come in during the day. Problem is, she could be half a mile away down in Joes pasture come morning, and she doesnt know anything about coming when called. Doesnt matter, he could get another donkey and on that pasture they will founder. I don't know what it is, but it seems like all equine want to try and eat themselves to death.

So, when the question was put to Marshall..he looked up at me...and I said OH NO..don't you look at ME! I can't take her! I already have one to keep on drylot...she would be of no use to me except a pet as I couldnt let her out anymore than Joe could! Not to mention, Ian said NO MORE ANIMALS...we are full up here. Marshall mentioned that she had cushings disease too. I just can't handle any more animals. I have enough now to keep me busy.

Joe will be on my horses trim schedule so Marshall can get us both while he is in this area. Joe asked me to help him remember and I said I would.

The main thing now is she is just going to have to have regular foot maintainance and be kept off that grass out there with the goats.

I told Joe not to give up on her. Derby has foundered, but because he has good foot care regularly he is in no pain and he can run out back like nothing every happened. He can run like lightning, and its beautiful to see. :)

Here are a few pictures I took. I didnt get a close up of the donkeys feet before, but in the first picture if you look at her back left hoof you can see how long they are, and they are curling upwards.

 

The sores you see on her are from her laying down too much the last month. In the full shot of her and the foot shot, this is after the trim.

Well I got to get outside for a while before it gets too hot, I hope everyone is doing fine today. I am going to go do some work and then come in for lunch and do some catching up on everyone...see ya then. :)