Burro Cafe

 Marty likes his medicine.  Every morning, I dissolve it in warm water and add molasses until it's the color of tea, but thicker.  Then, I draw it up in a big syringe and slip into the corner of his mouth.  I hold his chin up and push the liquid in slowly.  Marty half closes his eyes and sucks it right up.  It's like his morning coffee.  His own personal Cafe Mol-Ass blend.

They really enjoy their paddock and the feeder is perfect.  Donkeys tend to poop near (or on) their hay, so you need it up off the ground.  I'm using a goat hay feeder for them.  It's the perfect height and easily dragged into their stall on rainy days.   

After giving Marty his liquid happiness, I brought Jeremiah out for grooming and fun.  I took my time picking out his hooves and treating him for thrush (they look better already).  I also did a few preliminary steps for tricks I'd like to teach him.  Then, we moved on to more practical work.  Once again, he tolerated the blanket on his back, but this time I asked him to walk with it folded in half, like a saddle blanket.  The shifting and changing view of it made him think a bit.  He did well.  

Next, we walked off the farm for the first time.  He's still a little reactive around long gates, so we practiced going in and out of our farm gate a few times before walking down the road.  He was worried about the footing until he stepped out and realized it was packed clay and sand.  It was smooth, but the vehicle tracks and the variety of colors threw him off a little.  Soon, he was calmly walking down the road, just outside of his own paddock.  Marty looked a little perplexed and perhaps a bit jealous.  

When we returned, I showed him the surcingle and held it, slightly tightened around girth area.  He was calm and relaxed.  He had a great day and seems to enjoy the new things I throw at him.  Especially because his calm reaction earns him little carrot slices.  

Marty has caught up to Jeremiah in all ways, except for picking out his hooves and going for walks.  Today, I really took my time with his back feet.  The front feet went well and I treated him for thrush, but it's been difficult to get him to keep them up long enough to really clean them.  I used the rope on his left hind to ask him to keep it up longer.  He responded well.  He worked his leg back and forth, but no kicking out.  Once he let me decide when to put his hoof down, he was rewarded.  Only three asks with the soft rope and he was doing so well that I removed it and asked one more time, before rewarding him and moving on.  When I asked for his right hind, he remember the lesson from his other hoof and willingly held it for me until I gave it back.  Both burros were easier with the second hind foot.  That tells me that they want to know what I'm asking them to do.  My language is probably a little clumsy, compared to professional trainers, but they got it.  What wonderfully, willing, creatures these burros are!