Rosie Does Pink Nose Day

Never mind Red Nose Day, it's Pink Nose Day for Rosie. It's the time of year when that dreaded muzzle comes out of its box and onto the Rosie conk. Sadly March/April are her trigger months for laminitis, and having had this horrible disease twice, and been box rested for more than 18 months in total, she doesn't want to have it again.

Rosie's choices are stark - don't eat grass, or very little of it or die. Very simple really. It makes managing her a perpetual fight against nature, as Rosie loves grass. But it makes her tootsies so sore and one of these days she could have such a bad attack that it would be the bad lorry for Rosie as she won't recover. The pictures taken of her tootsies show that the bones in her hooves really don't like grass, and when they get upset, it causes her immense pain, and she has to stay in the stable, for months on end, with painkillers, and lots of bedding under her poor feet to make them less sore. The last time it happened, mum said it cost her almost £100 in getting lots of bedding to make what they call a deep litter, about 18 inches deep, so that Rosie was on all this nice soft wood shavings, that acts as a big cushion for her sore sore toes.

So she has choices to make - no muzzle and turned into what is currently Spencer's Naughty Paddock - this is a bare muddy paddock with no grass on it. When Spencer strays out of the special sheep field and comes into the stables looking for company, he is put in the naughty paddock until whatever time the next sheep feeding takes place - he then goes back following the feed bucket to his friends. He even spent an overnight in the naughty paddock, as after dinner, he jumped through the fence and came down to the barn to see if there was anything else to eat. Dim he is, he forgets about the loneliness of the naughty paddock until he is back in it again, then he remembers for about 48 hours, then forgets again.

This could be the Rosie Rescue paddock she could live in there with no muzzle and eat hay - boring, and it will get very muddy particularly if she and Spencer decide to charge around together. It is very small, but perfectly appointed with good views and a strong fence.

Another alternative is that an electric fenced small paddock is put in one of the donkey paddocks, so she can be in there and only have a little bit to eat of fresh grass and the fence gets moved every now and then. The disadvantage of this is it is a lot of work for mum and dad, having to keep moving the fence, and if the daft neddy decides to walk through it, jump over it or whatever and get into the lovely new grass, it could be curtains for her.

The current alternative is that she goes into the big field, as usual with the rest of us, but she wears the pink muzzle. She can run around and be free, and she can eat, but it slows her down a huge amount, so she gets very little grass, then she comes home at night and eats her hay and that tops her up. This is usually her preferred health care option though she doesn't like this pink muzzle at all.

It had to be a pink one as she learnt how to undo the black one, broke the straps and generally worked out how to lose it and it is very hard to find in a very big field....mum says the last time it got lost it took her over an hour to find it...so this very bright pink one should be easier at least.

Rosie spends a lot of time working out how to remove the muzzle - she can stand on the bit behind her chin and then raise her head and hope this undoes the velcro strap that goes behind her ears. She can get down and roll vigorously and hope that she can dislodge it.

There is a much easier way but we haven't told her yet. She could ask an obliging young donkey to grab the strap and pull it over her ears and off. Given my talents for undressing Ferguson and removing his rugs - whether he wants me to or not - taking Rosie's muzzle off would pose no difficulty whatsoever to an intelligent donkey like the Vodka. But it is much more fun to tease the silly girl, particularly as she came into MY stable tonight and tried to eat my treacly mineral lick - now that is completely out of order. At one stage Rosie, Aimee, Ferguson and I were all fighting for the mineral lick in my stable and Dad was trying very hard to get the raiding Rosie out of our stable. Of course a treacly sugary lick is also not good for Rosie's laminitis, it is almost the equine equivalent of death by chocolate.

Mum arrives, fixes Rosie with a look, clicks fingers and Rosie wanders off into her own stable. Mum says she is taking the Michael. But where do they take the Michael to? I am confused. Does he go on the bad lorry?

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To - Happy Birthday Vodka

It's the official birthday of Vodka Donkey today, a year ago exactly I arrived in Dumfries & Galloway at my new home and met the Scottish stumpies Aimee and Ferguson.

I was an emaciated wreck of a donkey then, lights out, at the end of the road mentally, I had given up on life totally and whatever was to happen, get it over with. I had wintered out in France and was so thin, there was just a skeleton with some mangy fur on top. You could see every single bone in my body I was so so poor. Everyone cried when they saw me.

Now I am a fat pudding, groomed and sleek and no tangles in my long coat. My lights are on full beam and I have found my horn as well! On Friday, I did lots of galloping and bucking and kicking just to show how well I am and how happy I am. Poor Fergusin got chased up and down, with his little short legs trying to go faster, as I swung from his neck leaving teeth marks. N.B. must try to be more careful with Ferguson as he is tiny and I am so much faster.

I go out during the day into a big field and come in at night to a warm bed and my food which I have learnt is for sharing, not just for Vodka. I have rugs for all weathers (some I don't quite approve of as no one took me to the shops to let me select the colour and style) and generally I have nothing much to complain about, except perhaps getting my feet trimmed - I feel I should be going to a beauty salon but this man comes and wrestles with my feet and I don't appreciate it - I see myself in a chair, feet up, having my hair done, tooties painted pink etc.....oh well.

I was promised a party but I said no. I have everything I need or want thank you.

So for me, Vodka the sensitive kind donkey, it's a day to reflect on MY good fortune. I got the magic spankled banner that said reserved and from then on, since Robert came and picked me up, I have known nothing but kindness and love. I may not always understand what is being said to me, but I understand that I was SAVED and rehabilitated and given a future.

My life is now one big party, I am free to do what I want every day, with my friends, even if sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate. Instead, today I am going to think about all my friends who didn't get saved, who did go on the bad lorry and who will continue to go on the bad lorry - I know that my life changed forever when I appeared on the ES site and someone out there wanted to help me. I don't need balloons, carrots, apples, cakes, all I needed was that special spangled banner that said Reserved. If I had a cake and blew out the candles, my wish would be for all the horses in the world to have a special spangled banner to protect them all their lives - do wishes come true?

Sam Kills A Robin

Mum is very upset today - she has been feeding the wild birds and has two robins who come for feeding, one of them was a plump, friendly bird who flew in and out of the barn, eating corn, generally being very interested in what we are doing.

This morning Sam the cat comes trotting into the office with the robin in his mouth....sadly it was dead.

Oh dear, what to do, feed them and put them at risk or not feed them so they will stay away.

If only Sam would take an interest in the rodent population.

Woolly Jumpers - The Black Sheep of the Family

This is Spencer, in disgrace, renamed Houdini.

He is a lamb on a mission, to destroy gardens, and generally be a pest. Mum says this is a very dangerous thing for a lamb to be.....And there is a very convenient market 20 miles away where he could go on a one way trip.....

Of course we all know that she wouldn't do it.

Woolly Jumpers - The Rest of the Gang

Here is a nice picture of the gang all together.

The litte guy on the far left is Frank, then Marks, then Noona, with the black sheep of the family, Spencer.

Woolly Jumpers - Betty Spencer

This is Betty Spencer, she is the flock leader and a very smart sheep.

She takes no nonsense from anyone and is a very calm and focussed herd leader who keeps the young ram raiders in line.

Five Ba Gate

Spencer, our black sheep of the family (who happens to be white) is in big trouble again.

He has continued to leap through the gate and try to eat the newly planted willow.....

Even when the fence is electrified, he managed to squeeze between the top bar and the second bar - very skillful.

Now today it was very very cold with snow and generally freezing - me I wanted to come in from the field early as it seemed daft to be out there in the snow, ankles numb, when I could be indoors, with a big haynet and warm and toasty.

Mum and dad spent ages, putting in another strand all along the electric fence, and then putting two more of these gate thingies on so it is now a five ba gate - we'll see if he gets through this.

Otherwise I can see the lamb chop and mint sauce option looming......