Say Hello to my Little friend --

Every so often, the Bureau of Land Management has an auction of wild horses and donkeys collected from the deserts where there are way too many. About 4 years ago, DH and I went to one nearby and adopted a little 8 month old, wild-born donkey. He was so wild, that after the wranglers got him into our big horse trailer, he repeatedly body slammed the door trying to get out. We left earlier than planned because when the trailer is moving, they have to concentrate on keeping their legs braced and if he was doing that he couldn't so any damage to himself. At home, we turned him out into a small pasture by himself, with his halter and 20 foot long thick cotton rope left in place. I left him alone for a few days, then took a chair and book into his pasture and sat down to read. I ignored him. Pretty soon his curiosity got the better of him, and he started making wide circles around me. I ignored him. Over the next 45 minutes, the circle got smaller and smaller, and I ignored him. He even came up behind me, sniffing; I ignored him. Finally, he walked past me no more then a foot away, and stopped 5 feet in front of me with his back turned to me. The long rope was trailing him, right next to my chair, so I picked it up and slowly stood up, talking softly. The rodeo was on! He jumped and bucked and heaved and hoed, and whenever he stopped, I reeled in a little rope. It was a long workout for both of us, but when he got close enough to touch, I started scratching his neck with litle short scratches the way equines do to each other, still talking in a sing-song voice. By the end of the afternoon, I had my arm around his neck. 2 days later, he no longer ran from me at all, and by the end of the week he came when I called. Now he is my lap-donkey, and if I let him in the house he'd curl up on the couch! His name is Paco, and he is just the cutest thing around. He is smarter than any horse, even his 20 year-old partner, Dolly.

Paco trying to look pathetic so I'll scratch more. This is Dolly, my DH's horse;

(aka "Funny Face" and "Miss Lips") Dolly is about 20 or so, and no one rides her anymore except occasionally our oldest DGD next door. DH can't ride anymore, and I sold my horse a couple of years ago since that is no longer a big part of our lives, like it used to be. We love to watch these two characters play and harass each other, it's cheap entertainment! Every once in awhile, "Miss Lips" undoes a gate somewhere and they escape. The Highway Patrol isn't too happy with me, but hey! When you live in the country, these things happen. ((shrug))