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)