Burro Buddies

 Jeremiah was a pro this morning.  I brought him out of his stall, tied him up, picked his front feet out, ran my hand down both back legs, brushed him thoroughly, and then we went on our walk.  This time, we went around behind the house to avoid the burro-eating cow.  Our walk took us through fresh puddles, too big to jump over, which was a great opportunity to teach him to trust me.  I'm sure after the bovine blockade yesterday, there are little doubts floating around in his donkey mind as to my reliability to recognize danger.  After all, this is Florida.  There could be gators prowling in any body of water.  So, JJ balked as we approached the puddle.  I patiently waited as he assessed the situation.  

The puddle:

What JJ saw:

Patience prevailed!  JJ entered the water, without insisting on a life preserver or a shotgun, and we made it safely to the other side.  On the way to the round pen, he walked past the back deck, bags of mulch, and even chickens and did quite well.  

Once we reached the round pen, we worked on backing up.  While this is natural when a burro is scared, the idea of doing it on purpose is a little foreign.  He gave me a few quizzical looks, as if asking "Why not just  turn around so we can see where we're going?"  We also practiced walking around the cones, once I convinced him that they weren't alien life forms waiting to attack innocent donkey legs.  He calmly walked over a pole on the ground and we headed back the way we came.  He was much better about the puddle the second time.  When we returned to the barn,. I sprayed him with fly spray and let him go back into his stall.  Well done, JJ, well done.  

As soon as a I had another break, I went out to work with Marty.  Our son gave him a very good introduction to people.  He walks right up to you when you enter his pen.  He loves being petted and played with.  I introduced him to brushing, which he really enjoyed, and he let me put my hands on his face, even next to his eyes.  I snapped on the lead rope easily and led him around the pen.  It was starting to rain again, and I felt bad about the lack of shelter.  Plus, Marty's hooves are on soft ground all the time and I'm certain he needs some hoof care.  I decided to hit fast forward a little and move him into JJ's paddock.  We put rock down last spring, which really helps keep their feet clean and tough.  I opened one of the panels and Marty just followed me out.  He led easily to JJ's paddock.  JJ was interested, but not afraid.  They do know each other from being shipped and housed together for several weeks.  Their reunion was uneventful.  JJ immediately followed the older burro around.  I'm hoping Marty helps JJ feel more comfortable.  I dragged Marty's hay feeder into the paddock as well.  There's also a tub to eat from in the stall.  Eventually, I will move them to the biggest paddock in the barn with an open, three sided stall, but that will have to wait until Marty can be haltered easily.  I'm also a little nervous about that paddock because it's next to the road.  It's not a busy road, but it is a lot to take in.  JJ is comfortable in the paddock, so we'll do one step at a time.  

The burros both look much more relaxed together.