Donkeys have photographic memories. Donkeys evolved from the desert. Donkeys are seriously into self-preservation. Perhaps you are new to donkeys and at first your donkey was quiet and nice and then all of a sudden the donkey started getting pushy. Donkeys can canter like a horse, trot, and walk like a horse. But never think a donkey is a horse as they are not a horse a donkey is a donkey.
Donkeys ears can go back, forward, the flying nun or one forward one back. This does not mean the donkey is angry every time. We must learn to read the eyes, body language. Our donkeys come running to say hello with their ears back as they are thinking. When playing or fighting ears are back. Learn to study your donkeys eyes. Learn signs of relaxation and stress and more.
Never give a treat when the equine is pushing you to give it. Give the treat when they are relaxed and have earned the treat, calm and respectfully. My horse must turn her head away from me to get a treat this helps her think before trying to bully the treat out of my hand. Lot’s of ways you can get your timing ready to teach the equine to receive the treat use your creativity to plan ahead and teach them to accept the treat. All of my equine come to me when called without a food treat. Our donkeys and horses get the physical, mental and emotional treat of me loving on them, brushing them, talking to them, picking their hooves and taking them for a walk.
Donkeys cannot kick or bite you if your timing is great, they are looking to see if you are a leader or a follower. Each time you are with your equine you are the human leader, you have the human mind put your cell phone away, job away, kids away and just be in the moment with your equine. I say “You must be plugged into your equine to stay safe and be a great leader.”
Equine are gifts from GOD be grateful for them as each day is indeed precious and fragile.
Select OUR STOREto order E-VIDEO Training and our custom fit donkey soft yacht rope halter/lead lines, long lines, riding reins.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
1. Most important – Please don’t beat me or punish me for being slow and not moving fast enough, unlike the horse I can think all the time. If I overreact understand I am stressed.
2. I enjoy being talked to, brushed, and loved on when I am sure you will not hurt me. I will not eat if stressed. I am a donkey, donkeys are seriously into self-preservation.
3. I learn differently from the horse I am a visual learner. I learn by watching from an honor horse, mule, or another honor donkey or you doing something with me standing and watching at a safe distance. Please walk away from me with scary new things and let me come to you on my time I am scared of new things and need you to slow down.
4. I prefer clean water, warm water in the winter and low sugar, protein hay as I gain weight fast I was created to live in the desert.
5. I am really smart please do not leave me all alone, give me a companion I prefer a donkey but will take a horse or mule.
6. I need my hooves trimmed just like the horse.
7. I need my teeth taken care of just like the horse. I need a vet check once a year.
8. Please feed me at least two small meals a day when I am on a dry pasture and never feed me alfalfa hay or grass clippings.
9. I like to play with toys, orange traffic cone, feed bowl, or jolly ball I am smart and get bored easy just like you.
10. I am special GOD gave me a cross on my back and I am the only animal in the bible GOD gave the ability to talk.
Donkeys NEED a strong playmate to grab a hold of the neck, play tug with a food bowl and chase after. Donkeys are not horses they are donkeys and they play different from the horse. If you have a herd of cows and a donkey chasing after them I would say your donkey is bored and more than likely young and has no donkey to play with he/she is bored to death. Or a Jack (intact) donkey.
Two donkeys will play donkey games.
Never leave a donkey with baby sheep, goats or baby cows as the donkey can get bored and pick up the youngster by the neck donkeys play really rough and can kill the animal not big enough to defend itself. Donkeys are not being crazy or mean they are just doing what donkeys do playing, they need a play mate that can play the way Donkeys play. Donkeys can and do kill baby sheep, calves, goats and dogs.
Ideas To Stop This Behavior – Remember Donkeys Are Thinkers and They Get Bored Easy:
1. Make sure your donkey has toys, black feed bowl or orange traffic cone – Donkeys like to play with their mouths all the time
2. If your donkey is a Jack turn him into a John
3. Please remember Donkeys go in two’s, get your donkey another donkey to play with and chase. Size matters, pair the donkeys up fair. Diet is easier to manage this way too. Never ever leave your donkey with an animal too small as donkeys are just being donkeys they play really rough with their mouths and grab the neck of the playmate. This is why donkeys have such thick necks compared to the horse as donkeys grab the neck of another donkey.
Please share information and enjoy your donkeys as donkeys are most happiest with another donkey and remember Donkeys are indeed precious gifts from GOD.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged.
Rio our Mammoth donkey is thirteen years old 2019.
Rio age six is 16”1 hands at the withers, not the ears and yes he still has one more year of growing to do. Rio is a Mammoth donkey 100% donkey no horse he will be full-grown at age seven, the bigger the equine the longer it takes for them to mature. As the human owner, it is our responsibility to learn what age the equine is full-grown and what it takes to keep them in optimum health mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Miniature donkeys are full-grown at age three.
Standard/burro age four.
Mammoth donkeys age six or seven. Rio was seven as he stands 16’2 hands tall.
Preparation is the key to preparing a donkey to ride.
As a baby mammoth donkey, we took Rio, Lily, and Rocket Man for lots of trail walks to prepare for trail riding. I highly suggest you do the same if your goal is to trail ride and you have an equine big enough and old enough to carry your weight. Training the equine to load (trailer and carry weight) without stress is the most important thing to do as you do not want to be trying to trailer load in an emergency. Any time you can spend with a youngster preparing them for what you want them to do as an adult is time well spent, it’s like laying a foundation on a house to make it strong and solid.
If you have young donkeys, mules, or horses please wait to do riding until they are full-grownas their bones, joints, and mind needs time to grow up. If you wait for them to physically mature you will have a healthy and happy equine into their senior years if you push ahead too much too fast you can cripple the equine for life.
Rio (mammoth donkey) two days old.
Rio nine months old – Look how GOD puts all the thick baby donkey fur on to keep him warm in the winter.
“Rio is 9 months old. this is the face I fell in love with a look at those eyes.
Rio at 9 months old
Rio at 1 year old
Rio with Lily at 1 year old just got home to our farm.
Taking Rio to another farm practicing trailer loading and meeting other horses – Rio is two years old here.
Going for trail walks not rides – Rio carried our lunch and water as he is still too young to ride age 3.
Rio and Melody age 3 (most famous photo) just got a bath and is wearing a cooler blanket after a bath.
Rio age 3.
Lily is five and Rio is almost four here Ponying up.
Rio age 5 2011
Rio age 6 summer 2012
Rio age 7.
Rio Johnson age 13 (2019) our Mammoth donkey with Melody Johnson.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Why do donkeys need to live with another donkey? Donkeys diet is serious so its important the donkey is living in an environment set up for donkeys. Donkeys are emotional and bond deeply to their own species in many cases they bond for life. They become book ends. Donkeys play different than other animals, grab the neck, play tug with a toy, sleep together, eat, drink and play leap frog. Making a donkey live in isolation without another donkey is cruel as donkeys are highly intelligent and get bored quickly. Many donkeys stop eating and drinking when forced to live in isolation or become agitated easily due to the isolation and boredom. Can a donkey live with a horse. Yes and no. All animals want to live and can survive with most animals but here is the reason to think about not adding a donkey in with a horse. The Diet. Donkeys cannot over eat it will slowly kill them, causing laminitis, white line, insulin resistance, fat pockets, and and finally death.
Do you ever find yourself thinking about donkeys? We have had donkeys in our life for fifteen years now and well it’s hard to remember life without a horse and a couple of donkeys, they are indeed part of our family.
Why Donkeys? Perhaps GOD understood before I did the importance of donkeys in our life as our donkeys are part of our family now. I have always been a human that likes to learn, digs for information, steps out of the box to try new things and I am naturally creative. Thank you, Jesus! The human brain is indeed one of the most important organs GOD gave us.
Why are donkeys so special? Donkeys have a cross on their back, this is special.
Well, they are usually not always but usually more relaxed than the horse and well kinda like a black lab they just want to be loved on, they want to eat, they want to snuggle with their human. The donkey loves to play tug with their four-legged donkey buddy. Donkeys love to jump up and grab the neck of their donkey buddy. Donkeys are donkeys!
Donkeys never forget anything they must be treated with a fair and respectful plan. Never abuse your donkey. Rehabilitation of an abused donkey can takes years and some of these donkeys can become violent towards people they associate with the past abuse. Triggers are a smell, man or woman (former abuser), truck, sounds, hat, gloves, cigarette. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is real in animals just like people. Donkeys can see in color.
What Do Donkeys Need To Stay Healthy?
1. Clean water fresh water, diet, low sugar and low protein hay portion control is a must. Never feed donkeys alfalfa hay ever. Hay must be tested to come in no higher than 10% Sugar to keep the exotic desert equine healthy. Exercise is key.
2. Taming – Donkeys need their hooves picked out daily and their feet trimmed at least every 7 weeks
3. Donkeys need the vet to come and see them at least once a year
4. Donkeys need their teeth checked at least once a year
5. Donkeys need us, humans, to check for sores, lice, or a limp – Watch your donkey learn how they move so you can catch problems quickly
6. Donkeys need clean fresh water every day and in the winter warm water, Donkeys need to lose salt in a dry place. A salt lick will do but will not be as effective to prevent colic.
7. Donkeys need their human to be on time with meals – My donkeys hardly ever bray as they can depend on us to bring their meals, they do not need to remind us ever
8. It is a myth to believe all donkeys bray all day long they don’t bray unless they are calling out to a donkey or they are upset about meals or something else like a predator coming into their pasture. Jacks bray more. Very few jacks (stallion horse world) are worthy of reproduction. Owning a Jack is not for the beginner donkey owner or even the novice. Owning a Jack takes having people to help you manage your farm correctly it is not for the beginner.
9. Donkeys do not enjoy a bath, donkeys seem to not enjoy the water even on the warmest weather. Our donkeys get one bath a year and I hand wash their face just like my horse,never spray a donkey with a hose in the face
10. Donkeys ears can be broken and not stand up so be careful when touching them
11. Donkeys can grow lot’s of thick donkey fur for the winter
Rio our Mammoth donkey age 9 months with my hubby Scott.
12. Donkeys are looking for a great human leader who will take the time it takes, donkeys are visual learners
13. Donkeys can hear things way sooner than the horse
14. Pick up the poop every day and compost. Do not drag across your pasture until the poop has composted and killed parasites for at least one year.
15. Last but final tip about donkeys; never ever drill a donkey, less is more and remember Donkeys never forget anything – Be careful what and how you train your donkey 🙂 SELECT E-TRAINING DONKEY 101 VIDEO ON DEMAND.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
A donkey is truly humble he/she is Not concerned with who he should be. He isn’t concerned with himself at all, but instead he’s concerned with his pasture buddies and the most special human in his life who does not abuse him.
I think we humans can learn from the Donkey making our most fragile world a much better place.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
My name is Rio I have high jacked the Donkey Whisperer Farm Blog to give you a few of my thoughts. I am six years old now and I am way taller than the mini donkey Rocket Man and the blonde horse Miss Lily!
How tall am I?
16’2 hands tall, I am a mammoth donkey no horse in me I am 100% donkey b0y. I am a blessed donkey as each day my humans provide me with mold free, low sugar (orchard) hay, some white salt and loose salt. I get clean water every other day, just so you know us donkeys are pretty picky about clean water. I get bored easily as unlike the horse I can think all of the time and I do think all of the time. I enjoy playing with my toys the orange traffic cone, black grain bowl and my Parelli ball is great fun . I enjoy playing tug with Rocket Man my best buddy and I love grabbing his neck this is all normal stuff us donkeys love to do. When I am running and playing my ears are flat back not because I am mad like the horse because I am a donkey. Please understand when we are running and playing our ears go back sometimes but this does not mean we are mad or angry it just means we are thinking and playing.
Personal
Just because I’m big does not mean I am not afraid of new things – I’ve been an introvert all of my life it’s just who I am. I need the human to slow things way down when introducing new things as well I like to stand back and watch to see what happens before giving it a try. I prefer to let Lily the blonde horse I share my life with go first as she is pretty darn extroverted and she not only goes first she pushes me out-of-the-way to be first. Silly horse she just can’t stop and think like us donkeys as the adrenalin takes over for her and then she has to run and buck a bit. Please remember if you own a donkey we are not horses with long ears we are donkeys!
I get stinky feet so my humans pick my hooves out each and every day just like they brush their teeth. My mom uses bedadine solution and water in a spray bottle when it rains too much to help keep the thrush away. I need my teeth looked at by the vet at least once a year and I get a few shots each year. I love to be talked to, kisses on my nose and lot’s of brushing and walks and talks with my humans. On a special occasion I carry a child just because my humans understand I will take the most care of a child. I am indeed the worlds smartest equine I am the mammoth donkey. If you want to learn more about Mammoth Donkeys or any donkey google them.
If you own a donkey and you’re a bit confused about how we think I would like to share one thought for you. “We are really smart, we think all the time, we think after you go back into your house and we get bored fast we never ever forget anything, remember us donkeys are alwaysOn Donkey Time.”
Thank you for reading my human mom’s blog & Happy New Year!
Plan ahead to keep pets safe; owning pets is a huge responsibility and for those of us who have equine (donkeys, horses and mules) living in rural areas we must be extra careful. The equine is a flight or fight animal when terrified of death. Meaning; they can get scared when the fireworks start, and the smell is in the air. Some horses have been known to run into fences. Locking them in their stalls is the safest when neighbors are shooting off fireworks I turn the radio up and give lot’s of hay and fresh water.
Want to read more tips on pet safety and fireworks? Select Blue Cross Pets Fireworksfor more details.
Dogs and cats can get so scared of fireworks they can run off and not be able to find their way home best to keep them locked in the house too. Our doggies get very stressed, turning the radio up helps, some people tranquillize their dogs until the fireworks are over. I say do whatever you have to do to keep your pets safe as they don’t understand fireworks. Please remember animals do not understand fireworks “they are truly scared and think they will die.” It’s our job as the smart human to protect them and take care of them.
What do you do to keep your pet(s) safe during the fireworks? Please leave a comment to help others.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
This is hot off the press as the paint has not dried 🙂
Anita Miller painted Rio from a photo I sent her just got the final photo copy, the painting will be shipped to us before Christmas I am so excited. Looking for a unique and special gift for a family member? Here is her business link. http://anitamiller.wordpress.com/
Thinking about poop when owning a horse, donkey or mule is a full-time job. Is the poop firm enough, too firm, or not enough poop? Poop in the equine world is a big deal 🙂When I was down from the semi truck accident I was constantly asking my husband How Does The Poop Look?My poor husband was like “It’s poop Melody, lot’s of poop! Thank GOD he has learned the importance of learning what each of our equine’s poop should look like or not look like. 🙂 Donkeys are very efficient with their food so if you are new to Donkeys you may be surprised how hard the poop of a donkey is. On the positive side not much smell from a donkeys poop compared to my horses poop. Donkeys use every single calorie and save it for a rainy day.
Natural equine ownership is the safest way for us horse, donkey and mule owners to care for our domesticated equine. Here on the Donkey Whisperer Farm our equine poop is picked up twice a day and added to the compost pile, water buckets are cleaned and fresh water is added every other day. All of our equine are fed out of a plastic slow feeder to prevent colic. Select Plastic Slow Feeder with the hay pillow attached inside. You can make your own out of wood but donkeys are wood eaters.
Fecal Sampling
I started fecal sampling a few years ago as Over Worming can make our equine worms resistant to wormers just like antibiotics for people. In addition when we over worm our equine we are destroying the immune system of our beloved equine. Each farm needs to have a plan to keep the equine as healthy as possible so read, read, read to stay updated on equine ownership. Select Fecal Testing Journal.
Collecting a poop sample is easy; get a plastic zip lock bag, write the name and date, go to the barn pick up two fresh poop balls and place them in the bag. Make sure to get the fresh poop sample to your vet right away. When my vet comes to the farm I have three little zip lock bags waiting for him, please remember to ask your vet about hot and cold weather considerations of fecal samples as I am not a vet only sharing what we do to keep our equine healthy.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
While recovering from a life threatening car accident in 2010 I started teaching for free via Skype how to tame and train a donkey. I started my blog Donkey Whisperer Farm ® in 2010 and the business in 2013,testimoinals. Martin and Geoff Lyon living in France were one of my first virtual students to teach for free. Galopin needed to be gelded, I shared how Rio our mammoth donkey almost bled to death from the vet not tying the testicles off he was rushed to a trauma hospital and they saved his life. I shared how important it is the vet has experience in drugs and donkeys, weight etc.
Galopin did not wake up after being sedated. The cause of death is guessed to be too much drugs for his weight or a severe drug interaction as donkeys digest drugs differently than horses. The only way we the owners can know for sure the cause of death is by paying for a necropsy. Galopin touched my heart deeply I am very sad to report he died during the gelding process a few weeks ago. I have not been able to write about this as well my emotions were bouncing all over the place. I have spent many hours in prayer for the owners of Galopin as they loved him so very much, they did everything they could do to give this beautiful young donkey a great life. Death comes to all of us and only GOD knows the date and time. GOD must have decided he needed one more standard donkey in heaven as Galopin died from the gelding process. Please pray for Galopins human family, pray for peace and joy to come back into their home.
Warning for gelding donkeys:
Donkeys can have reactions to medications, donkeys can bleed to death after being gelded if the vet does not tie off the the testicles. Donkeys are not horses with long ears. Sadly, when veterinarians attend school they are seldom taught about donkeys.
When I am pressed on every side by troubles, I am not crushed and broken. When I am perplexed because I don’t know why things happen as they do I don’t give up and quit. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:8 (TLB)
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Jewel as a puppy, akita, chesapeake retriever she was a rescue from down the road weighing in at sixty five pounds as an adult. Jewel was an amazing dog.
Sampson, as a pup (akita great pyrenees) he is just turned five years old, he is the protector of our home and little farm he is indeed a good dog. We rescued Sampson from Petfinders he is a wonderful healthy doggie.
Buddy our Carin Terrier he is seven years old now, my how time keeps flying on by. Buddy started having seizer last summer we do our best to keep him calm and relaxed along with medication to help stop the seizure it is really painful to watch our animals get sick. He is the smallest but the most vocal of all three as he is low to the ground and can hear things much faster than the other two dogs. Buddy was a friend of ours dog and when the grand kids were allergic to him as a puppy we took him into our home. Buddy and Sampson still play tug and wrestle almost every morning.
Our three blonde dogs live inside the house with us they sleep at the foot of our bed, even when my husband was at the hospital with me for 18 hour days the dogs did nothing wrong in the house. Our three blonde doggies are little angels and they truly love their life and we love having them in ours.
Our three blonde dogs are truly a gift from GOD they bring so much joy to us and ask so very little in return.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Kisses for the donkeys can make a dirty face for the human 🙂
After coming in from feeding last night my husband looked at me and started laughing he said “Go look in the mirror at your face”, I looked in the mirror and laughed a really deep laugh. The entire left side of my face was covered in dirt as I had kissed all the equine before we did our evening choirs.
Here is a big donkey smile just for you!
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
If you ever get bored and tired in our world take a spin on the internet and look a the magnificent colors GOD has created for us. GOD is amazing and the bible says the one thing he made that he is the most proud of is you and me. Never forget how important and special you are to GOD and how much he loves you. Never give up as it is written in the bible GOD will never, never give up on his children.
I am rooted, established, strong, immovable and determined. 1 PETER 5:9 NIV
When life is the most difficult and it is not easy in fact it seems impossible this is when GOD will step in and show off for his children. We must remember the bible speaks of GOD looking at each of us as his children as he created us. One of my most favorite songs is GOD Loves A LullabyBetter than a Halellujah! Have you ever listened to this song?
Remember each day is a new day and a day each of us has the opportunity to be a human angel to another human or animal living in our most precious and fragile world.
I will pray to him and he will hear me and I will fulfill my vows.JOB 22:27 NIV
The Lord goes before me; He will march with me; He will not fail me or let me go or forsake me; I will fear not, neither become broken in spirit, Depressed, dismayed, unnerved with alarm. DEUTERONOMY 31:8
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Hi my name is Rio I am a 16’1 hand Mammoth donkey I am introverted and afraid of new things, I know, I know I am a big donkey but hey us big guys get scared too!
I’m Rocket Man – I do know care if I am short I am just as much important in this world as you or anyone else. I make up for height with personality I love my step brother the Mammoth donkey (Rio) and I tolerate my step sister the quarter horse blonde. She seems to be in a hurry most of the time and well this gets to be annoying as I am never in a hurry.
I am the center of my universe my name is Lily I am 100% horse! No donkey in me anywhere. I am 100% horse and I am a girl a mare in the horse world. I love my step brother the Mammoth donkey and I enjoy bugging the little donkey. Life is really good!
Perhaps you just bought your dream land and you are so darn excited to get your horse, donkey or mule home. As you walk the property you notice barb wire and you think to yourself no big deal it’s been on the land for all these years no need to worry.
Did you know?
Barbed wire is not a good idea for horses, donkeys and mules – they can easily hurt themselves by various means with barbed wire. Most rescue agencies don’t allow you to adopt a horse from them if you have barbed wire.
Why Should you remove barb wire?
Barb wire is wicked and can be deadly leaving death or permanent scars for the animal entangled in it. I highly suggest removing barb wire asap!
A while back a reader reached out to me from France asking how in the world she could train her new donkey a young jack (intact) to have some manners, here is the blog I wrote.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
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