Saturday, November 28, 2009

todays stuff....

Cleaned out Daisy's hooves, she was very good, no resistance at all today. she got one pellet for each hoof. maybe that helped?? LOL a little incentive for being a good girl.

then I haltered Martha, who was in the stall, she was very good, let me put it right on her. Then i used the carrot stick to start touching her legs. Going very slowly and praising her when she let me put it on her legs. She did step back a couple times but nothing big, she soon let me touch them with no resistance.
I gave her breaks in between. i'm going very slow with her. She seems to get overwhelmed easily if you go to fast or ask too much.

She then was standing in the doorway of the stall. I petted down her left front leg a couple times praising her for when she stood still and accepted it. I was very soft with her. Then one time she picked up her leg, so i gently held it for a second, gave it back and praised the crap outta her! LOL. I did it a second time but held the leg a little bit longer! I praised her for the smallest amount of try.

I repeated it on the right front leg, i didn't get to hold it, but she got rewarded each time she let me pet it down to her pastern. Kept it all short, soft and lots of praise when she did well. I think she's getting it.

good day with the donks.

Tractor VS Donk

LOL!! My girls are hilarious....

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

donkey day

Went out and visited the donks at lunch ( turned into an extended lunch! LOL)
got some good scratchings in with Martha, Daisy wanted nothing to do with me at first. Then my work friend was talking to steve over the fence, and both donks came up & were interested. They both got scratched/loved on. I had my carrot stick with me today so Martha gets used to seeing it.

then steve grabbed the stick at one point and was playing with it, twirling it around while he was talking. So this was good exposure for Martha. Then i jumped on the trampoline, Daisy came over to investigate, and actually stood right at the edge of the trampoline while i was jumping. Martha came up but not as close. Then I sat on the edge and played a bunch with Daisy. I'm talking about a lot! lol playing with her lips, scratching her face, holding her head. She was just getting loved on!

I grabbed the tarp and showed the people across the fence how daisy was really tolerant of the tarp. put it on her head, made a hood, put it over her head. she just stood there. put it over her back and left it there. then she started walking around - the whole time Martha was watching probably thinking 'OMG the blue thing ate Daisy!'

Daisy started walking back to the shelter, but Martha was in front of her, Daisy still had the tarp on. It was so funny to see my calm donk desensitizing my scaredy cat donk! Daisy ended up in the pen and Martha in the alley way. Steve still had the stick. so while i was loving on Daisy Steve was letting Martha smell the stick, and he was actually able to touch her on her face, neck, back, rump and thigh with it. he got down almost to the back hock and then she walked off. But i thought it was fantastic that she had someone else showing her the stick & touching her with it. I put the tarp back on Daisy and she walked to the pasture with Martha close behind.

I just kept working that tarp! lol i was holding it open while it was still on Daisy, rubbing it around. flapping it around. ITs good for the both of them. Next time I'm definitely bringing my camera out. I liked how Steve was going about things with Martha - he's not an equine person and hasn't had much experience with them. but he'd show it to her, let her sniff it. then he'd touch her a bit, then he'd let her sniff it again. It was neat, he was very gentle & patient with her.

there have been a couple days where I've worried about Daisy a bit, cuz she's seemed very put off lately, when she's usually very lovey. Today she was a love bug so that made me feel better.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

slow progress

So I had not really been working with the donkeys since last weekend. I guess maybe that was good in a way to give Martha to absorb some of her lesson on Saturday. Martha let me approach her very easily. Gave her some scratchings, and everytime I do I'm trying to go down those front legs! LOL very slowly though.

The flies were insane so I went and grabbed the fly spray. Daisy was not cooperating, usually i can spray her down no problem. I guess since she's been having a break and has a new buddy she thinks she doesn't have to do certain things. I followed her around and kept trying to get some on her. She was being a butt head. So i grabbed some rope and made a quick halter, then i had to follower her around some more to catch her. Usually its very easy but now with Martha around Daisy is a little avoidant - but she plays it off as chasing Martha away. I got it on her and made her stand for her spray. Then I had her walk over her poles in the pasture. turned her loose.

Then I went to put the halter on Martha ( but it doesn't *look* like a halter), she was like 'whoa whats this???' but she let me put the loop over head pretty easily. I got it on, then sat there adjusting it, moving it around a bunch. taking the last loop off the nose, then back on, then off, then on. Getting her a bit desensitized to 'mom wants to put this crap on you' thing. lol.

Then i asked her to step towards me, she did. I released, then i did it a few more times. Previously there had been times that we needed to 'do' something when haltered, so this time i wanted to go over the pressure and release/follow me without really any goal except the exercise itself. I tried to get some fly spray on her, got some on her neck then she wanted nothign to do with it. I let her go, but still had her investigate the bottle.
then i stood in the same position i would if I were using it - so she got used to that body posture. She was good.

then I went to leave and of course Martha wanted to more attention, so she got some more scratching ( aka secret desensitization time). She followed me down the alley way, so I gave her some ear scratchings, then i snuck some fly spray in!! I just barely misted her front legs. LOL. sneaky sneaky mom.

on Sunday I had went out there with the carrot stick and started working with her, right now i'm just trying to get her over the stick itself. She is unsure of the whole thing. Hopefully soon she'll accept it all over her body, then we'll go to 'brooming' lol then after that we should be ok to touch all over and we can start down those legs!

Slow slow girl I tell ya. I'm still happy that I can walk right up to her with no problems.
Daisy and Martha are doing much better together. This afternoon i could actually pet both of them at the same time! I know i'm still earning Martha's trust. I feel like she gets overwhelmed easily. hopefully with lots of hard work I can get her to where Daisy is right now. and someday they'll be like Dave & Ginny's Ashley ( and all the other awesome donks)

Monday, November 9, 2009

feet cleaning, rope work.

I went out and cleaned Daisy's feet. had her tied to the pine tree in the pasture. She did great on 3, but the last hind she wanted to fight. Reminded her that she can't do that, then picked it back up and cleaned it out. I swear sometimes she's a butthead and thinks she forgets stuff. pfffft.

while i had Daisy tied I went and brushed Martha a bit. I also tried to see if she'd let me touch one of her front feet. NOPE. So i untied Daisy & used the lead rope to kinda 'sack' out Martha a bit. First i asked her to hold my rope LOL I just put it on her back. let her think about it a little. Then i took it off & started gently swinging the end of it so it was touch & swing around her leg. At first she thought that wasn't cool. But I kept at it, every time she'd stand still and allow it I would stop & tell her what a good donk she was. I kept each little sack out session short. there was probably 4 sessions in 5-10 minutes. Just gave her breaks to think about it. the rope didn't eat her. LOL.

I thought i was done so i started heading back, but Martha was following me. LOL. so I went back to petting her, throwing the rope around her legs, and even tossing the rope over her back. Flopping it on her sides a little. She did great at that.

This time when I brushed her I almost got to her rump, got the sides pretty good, and to the front knees and just a hair past. Even got some girth brushing in there too. This is all VERY short brushings, maybe a minute each time. I always step away from her when she's calm & relaxed. And usually she steps back towards me for some more.

Martha pics!




Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Multi tasking with two donks, interesting LOL

So tonight on a whim I decide I need to clean Daisy's feet. Its been awhile and it's been bothering me. I'd say it's been almost a week!!

so I get Martha haltered first, went ok, she let me do it, but she's not totally relaxed yet. Usually to her halter means 'something is going to happen' Slow going getting her to the stall. I tried to advantage of a moment where daisy was in the main pasture so she wouldn't follow us etc. Of course she came down eventually since it was slow going with Martha. Got Martha in the stall. Now i need to close the gate, but its also the gate that goes to the 'outside' world. So I'm using my body language, including my foot, to persuade Martha to stay in the small pen. Then I have to close the gate whle keeping Daisy in the big pen and Martha in the small pen.

Got them all situated, tied Daisy. Martha seemed a bit worried - sticking her head through the fence etc. So i threw her a chunk of hay, which worked. So by now its really starting to get dark. I get Daisy's front feed cleaned pretty easily. The backs were iffy. Of course the gelding is standing right on the other side of the fence playing with Daisy's lead rope. she did kinda freak out and kick a bit, but I just picked it right back up. Didn't get them cleaned but I made her hold them up for me. good enough, now I can barely see its so dark.

Managed to get everyone released and un-haltered with no pissy fits from Daisy and no one escaping. I think that's pretty stinking good for tonight. Good experience for Martha to understand being haltered doesn't necessarily mean you're going to be loaded into a trailer. And that its ok for her to be closed off from Daisy ( but she could still see her).

So I need to get another gate or possibly a stall guard for when I need them separated. Might just make a super simple half gate for seperation purposes. This weekend I plan to get Daisy's feet nice and clean. I need to start doing it at lunch.

i can't wait for the day where I can have one tied and the other one can hang out. If that's possible. Or I just need a hitching post outside the pen. Especially one with LIGHTS! That would be so rad.

more daily donk

Your Daily Donk......

Monday, November 2, 2009

Daisy & Martha 11.1.09

lunch time scratchings......

Today at lunch I went out to see the girls. I petted Daisy a bit, then started over towards Martha and of course I had to tell Daisy 'go do something else' and she did. I walked over to Martha & she didn't budge or even seem 'unsure', gave her some neck scratchings, worked down her back, and over her shoulders. I'm keeping everything extremely short so I don't overwhelm her.

This morning she got to take off her halter, I let her sniff it while it was bunched up in my hand, and gave her some love. Then I rearranged it into another 'shape' and let her see it again, and told her she was a good girl for sniffing the scary halter that just changed shapes LOL.

Hanging out. :)

About Me

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I am an artist who tries different mediums. I airbrush, graphite, braiding, and now I'm obsessed with sewing. I created this blog to keep all my creations in one place. Like an online portfolio. Thanks for looking. to check out my items for sale on etsy - www.akyramoto.etsy.com

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