Howdy! It's been awhile! warning big pics!!! - Donkeys & Mules - Donkey & Mules - Horse Community, Horse Pictures, Horse Forum and Information

Posted : 5/8/2012 3:39:21 PM

wow I've been busy, it's been a long time since I've been on here!
Lets see, Rocky & Daisy are great! They're starting to shed out a bit (oh yay hair everywhere LOL), I've got their donk cam back up, so that's fun.

I've been working with both of them on & off, doing some alexandra kurland stuff (duct tape horse lol) The othe evening I worked with Rocky &the tarp. He does NOT like tarps. When I spread hay on the track I use this big blue ikea bag (looks like it's made from a tarp) and he freaks out whenever i have it lol (even though it's full of food!)

So I put him in my new 'training' pen lol which is a part of my middle section of the paddock paradise that I've been letting them mow down - it's almost a round pen lol
He was haltered but I let him work at liberty, I put the tarp down, eventually he decided to investigate. C/t for him sniffing it, then i waited for more, he very quickly offered to step on it. When he did I clicked and he was going to freak out and run away from it (well as fast as a donk can run away haha) but he heard the click and was all 'oooooh i get a goodie'. He went right back to pawing it to earn another click.

then I waited for more and suggested to him to walk up onto it more (trying to get all four feet on) he was hesitant but eventually got the backs on it too! I was so happy, the whole training session was only about ten minutes. One of those really cool clicker sessions. He knew that there was something I wanted him to do with this scary blue thing - he remembers learning to go up on the trail bridge, so he understands the 'game'. It was very cool.

Daisy just got a refresher on the duct tape horse lesson. Now I'm going for duration, since she thinks she only has to offer TWO steps LOL. but she was nice & light & remembered what we had worked on before (about a month prior - ya I've been busy!)

I've got a donk clinic that I'm filming in June coming up, so that means I gotta get my trailer going!

Got some pics of the complete outfit I made for a friend - I made the breastcollar & britchen -i love getting pics!

Then I also got pics of the Charm the horse sporting her breastcollar I made her - (I had made the reins prior)

Then I made Jazzy the lonhorn a saddle pad cover & horn wraps for his cinco de mayo gig ( he is soooo amazing - being out in public is truly his thing!)

Blingy wraps!! LOL

Jazzy drawing a crowd

Don't have any current pics of the donks, I gotta get 'em all brushed out & looking pretty, then I'll get some!

hunterseat

Posted : 5/8/2012 7:13:42 PM

VERY talented!! I love the horn bling!!

Connie

Posted : 5/9/2012 8:51:30 AM

Great to see you again. I have some friends at Church with Scottish Highlanders. The cows are their son's project, their daughter just got her first horse. Did you ever notice it is always the first horse? Never the only, always the first. Ah, I digress. I told them about the steer rides you have shared with us. I sent them a link to the video of your trail ride. Maybe their son will decide to try this with one of his highlanders.

You are so talented with the things you make for yourself and others. Looking at your "helmet Cam" videos, I know you have a great time with your donks. Looking forward to more pictures of your adventures.

akyramoto

Posted : 5/9/2012 4:54:03 PM

[quote=Connie]

Great to see you again. I have some friends at Church with Scottish Highlanders. The cows are their son's project, their daughter just got her first horse. Did you ever notice it is always the first horse? Never the only, always the first. Ah, I digress. I told them about the steer rides you have shared with us. I sent them a link to the video of your trail ride. Maybe their son will decide to try this with one of his highlanders.

You are so talented with the things you make for yourself and others. Looking at your "helmet Cam" videos, I know you have a great time with your donks. Looking forward to more pictures of your adventures.

Thanks for the compliments!! I thought the horn wraps were unique! It was the lady's idea that owns the steers. I thought it was pretty fun - he was amazing about letting me fit them to him - he literally was tied while I made patterns and tried them on & adjusted them a whole bunch.

I know that Jazzy was specifically bred to be a riding steer and he was handled from birth - being trained right away for his 'job'. So I'm sure that helps alot.

I can't wait to hear if he tries it! People never think about cows being saddle animals, but Jazzy (and other riding steers) prove that they make excellent mounts!

here's a vid from the cinco de mayo gig, Jazzy was great about letting strangers climb up on him for photo opps, but I felt like he really shined when Kim got up on him & took him for a ride down the streets!

I apologize for the shaky video, it's off of my dslr, I'm planning on building a steadycam rig for it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEFwWeVm5kY

Hopefully going to start doing a bunch of things with the donks, getting my 'new' old trailer fixed up.Not sure if I posted a pic previously or not, but it's the perfect donk trailer! it's a 1978 hale stock trailer, it's 5x10' so it's big enough for the donks, but easy to haul! plus they can ride with their butts against the front, just how they like it!