Donkey Society Of Western Australia CLICK HERE

Summer 2015
1 of 32 ISSUE 47
DONKEY
NEWS & DO’S
Donkey Society of Western Australia, Inc: www.donkeywa.org.au
Issue 47 Summer 2015
Donkey Rides On The Beach
a collection of paintings b y Isaac Israëls
As we survive the hot summer days, maybe we should look at donkey days on the beach! For more cooling pictures of relaxing seaside donkey riding, turn to pages 16 & 17 and back cover.
Thank you Cathrine MilleH for sending in this beau*ful collec*on for us all to enjoy!
Inside this edi*on of News & Do’s
•Christmas at Maree’s
•Brewster’s debut drive
•Charmouth falls in love
•Douglas’s downfall and much more!!
The WA Donkey Society now has a Facebook Page! Click on the link below and sign in! hHps://
www.facebook.com/groups/514474342025743/?fref=ts For more informa*on see page 3
Summer 2015
2 of 32 CONTENTS
Calendar of Events &
Facebook
Page 3
From the President
Page 4&5
Christmas at Maree’s Page 6&7
Ask Dorothy
Page 8&9
Brewster’s debut drive Page 10
A Cindy Day
Page 11
Why geld donkeys
Page 12
Donkey castration
Page 13-14
Charmouth falls in love Page 15
Paintings by Israels: Donkeys
on the Beach
Page 16 & 17
Travels in the Donkeybus
Page18 & 19
Douglas’s downfall / Lunch at
Taylor’s
Page 20
RDW Orange Peel Crt
The Poitou Ass
Page 21
Page 22 & 23
Owners Guide to Basic
Management
Page 24-26
Grass Seed Warning & Sand
Colic Refresher
Page 28
Members Section
Page 29
Tipperary Tidings
Page 30
Half Yearly Meeting
Page 31
Club contacts
Page 31
ISSUE 47
From the editor
Donkey ID
An issue I have always found problema6c is how to iden6fy our donkeys should we need to evacuate. The horse people recommend plai6ng key ID tags into their manes and tails – a non starter for our fellas! Another op6on is to write your phone number on the cartoon by Sue Harris
hoof wall in permanent Texta That is ok if your donkey has white hooves and big feet! I seAled for spraying a cross or large blob of fluorescent pink paint onto the donkey’s rump but I do have a quiet donkey – not always the case with donkeys and aerosols! The best permanent method of course is micro chipping but that requires the ‘finder’ to have a micro chip reader and be able to access the informa6on. At a cost of around $115 per microchip (not including call out if you can’t transport your donkey to the vet), this becomes very expensive for people with several donkeys. So when I saw The Donkey Sanctuary UK donkeys with neck strap IDs, I thought I would enquire further. APer some very helpful emails from Leyla Anstee, PA to General Farm Manager at the Sanctuary, I now possess two neck collar IDs for my horse and donkey. The drawback is that they are synthe6c nylon/
plas6c material, which would not be brilliant in an ember aAack, but for basic iden6fica6on in a place away from the fire front (ie if they were taken to a shire pound facility), this would be good. They cost a ‘dona6on’ of 5 pounds each plus postage and you have a choice of colours and your name/phone number and animal name engraved into the collar. They have a deliberate cut out safety notch, which will snap when under pressure if your animal should get caught up. If you would like more info, please contact me. Printed in colour thanks to the generosity of members Jackie & Ian Phillips at their business Phillips & Father Photography Studio. Thank you again!
Once again thank you to everyone who has sent stuff in and again apologies if your piece got held over due to space restric*ons. Keep it coming please it’s great to receive your updates & stories. Hanna or post to: ‘Raintree’ 19 Johnston Street, Mt Helena, WA 6082. Stories for next issue by early April 2015 please.
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by contributors to this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs
and viewpoints of, or official policies of, the Donkey Society of Western Australia.
Summer 2015
3 of 32 ISSUE 47
Calendar of events
Everyone welcome, with or without donkey!
It is advisable to check venue details for Ride/Drive/Walks as inclement
weather etc may cause changes. If we know you are coming we will wait
for you if you get delayed and keep you informed of changes!
Bring your lunch, drink, a chair, $5 insurance & good humour!
February: Sunday 15th February 9.30am:Training Day: 288 Forrest Hills Parade Bindoon. **NB Changed Venue**
This will be a day to train both donkeys and owners. If you have a donkey with problems and can get it there, someone will be available to help you. If you can't get it there, you can watch how others deal with similar problems and you can talk to more experienced owners and see what they can suggest, or discuss a home visit. Bagging, long reining, float training, leading and other basic training will be available.
**Please note: This day could be cancelled at the last minute if weather condi6ons are extreme. We therefore ask that anyone intending to go, please contact Helen (9398 5525) so that you can be no6fied in the event of cancella6on. Otherwise the contact number is Maree 9576 0388 mob 0404 347 048
March: Sunday 8th March 10am: Ride/Walk/Swim Kwinana Horse Beach. Ring Helen 9398 5525
There is not much shade so come sun prepared, but we will try to get a gazebo.
April: Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th April (Easter weekend): Quindanning Harness Championships & Picnic Races
Overnight camping Fri/Sat.Cost approx $15 entry. Fancy dress. Hot meals & showers. Contact Mereana 9885 7118
May: Sunday 17th May depart 10.30am: R/D/W Kep Track Mt Helena to Chidlow. Ring Hanna 9572 1562
‘Raintree’ 19 Johnston St Mt Helena or Eastern Hills High School car park. Approx 5km to Bay Tree Cafe Chidlow for lunch. Can taxi you back to pick up trailer if going one way only.
June: Sunday 14th June depart 10.30am: Meet at tro[ng track, Briggs St Byford. Parking for bridle trail access is at end of Briggs St past main entrance to troqng complex, enter at back gate. We will have our sign out.
July: Sunday 19th July 10.30am AGM & lunch: 588 Karnup Rd Hopeland (Serpen^ne). Cost $25 for 3 course catered lunch. Bring donkey dona6on for raffle. Tea & coffee provided but bring own drinks. **Payment and numbers must be received prior to day -­‐ contact Chris^ne Nunn 9525 3016.
August: Sunday 9th August depart 10.30: R/D/W York main street. Ring Margaret Lockyear 9641 2680
Assemble at a car park tba or Lockyear’s place 33 Carter Road, York.
August: Trek The Trail. Camp/walk/drive Kep track Mundaring to Northam area. Contact Dawn Maton 9452 3486
Exact dates to be arranged. Flexible op6ons walk/drive/ride part or all way; camp or day trips only. Please register your possible interest so we can work out what suits everyone. All op6ons available to suit all levels of exper6se. Donkey Facebook is here!
Thanks to Ann Spendley and Margaret Lockyear, we now have a Facebook page just for donkey lovers in WA (though others from far afield lands are welcome and have already joined!). It went ‘live’ on 5th January 2015. It is set up as a closed group, which means only people approved by our administrators (Ann & Margaret) may post comments, photos and informa6on. This is a basic security measure to prevent unwanted aAen6ons.
As of 18th January we currently have 32 members from WA, Queensland, Victoria, UK, USA and New Zealand. Already we have had enquiries ranging from possible leg mites, boisterous geldings and a fire evacua6on hinny looking to be re-­‐homed. We also have numerous photos of people’s donkeys and ideas for slow feeder bins. Two new members have joined our Society and will be coming to RDW days. It is already an ac6ve and interes6ng page so give it a try. Great work Ann & Margaret!
If you are not confident as to how to get going with it, please contact Margaret 08 9641 2680 or Ann 08 9571 1930
Once again the Facebook link is: hHps://www.facebook.com/groups/514474342025743/?fref=ts
Summer 2015
4 of 32 ISSUE 47
Message from the President
Margaret White
Hello to you all and welcome to a New Year of donkey fun! I hope you all enjoyed the fes6ve season and, for those who were unable to aAend, you missed a great Christmas party hosted by Maree and Chris Waldie. They put a huge amount of effort into fantas6c ‘donkey’ decora6ons -­‐ a big thank-­‐you to Chris and Maree.
Back in November we had another walk, ride, drive at Darling Downs. This 6me we had three donkeys in harness, should have been four but Mereana forgot her bridle and had to join the walkers! We only had one donkey under saddle due to visitors (Liz) and injury (myself). We enjoyed a picnic lunch without upseqng any horse people this 6me and so deemed it a successful day out.
The Orange Grove donkeys par6cipated in two more events before Christmas.
One evening we aAended a func6on at the State Tennis Centre, ‘Rock the Casbah’. Our role was to dress in Middle Eastern gear, load the donkeys as though travelling to market, and greet the guests on arrival. Rosie and Maelise carried this off with their usual aplomb.
The last event of the year was a carol service at St Mary’s Cathedral for residents of the aged care Catholic Homes. Once again Rosie and Maelise were called upon to aAend with us dressed in our shepherd’s ouvits. The joy the residents found in mee6ng these two donkeys was at 6mes quite emo6onal. Thank you once again to our two, much loved, elderly jennies. (see photos next page).
Above: Margaret with Rosie & Maelise at ‘Rock the Casbah’
Last Sunday we held the sixth monthly mee6ng of the WA Donkey Society and planning our events for 2015. I hope the bush fires hold off and we will have a good aAendance. In the mean6me keep safe and cool, both you and your donkeys.
Above: Dawn & Margaret take Rosie & Maelise to St Mary’s Cathedral Copyright & printed courtesy of the Community Newspaper Group. Photographer: Andrew Ritchie.
Summer 2015
5 of 32 ISSUE 47
Rosie and Maelise with owners Margaret & Dawn visit St Mary's Cathedral for the Catholic aged homes carol service
Photos taken by Morton Boe, Shine Communica*ons, for Catholic Homes Inc.
Summer 2015
6 of 32 ISSUE 47
C hr i st m a s l unch a t Ma re e ’ s
December is our fes6ve season and this year Maree & Chris Waldie kindly opened their home for our annual Christmas lunch. Maree and fellow donkey lover Lynn Borg had decked the pa6o with donkey bun6ng made from red and green painted pastry; table mats with fes6ve donkey cartoons; crackers, napkins and other Christmassy accoutrements! The scene was set, the raffle table quickly laden with donkey dona6ons and the food table posi6vely groaned with gastronomic contribu6ons! Wow did we ever eat, drink and be merry! Even Sergio Mo, Mahanna and Nova Star had to venture up to the “donkey bunting made from red and house to see what all the fuss was about. A BIG thank you to Maree and green painted pastry”
her family and friends for the very hospitable seqng. “the food table positively groaned with gastronomic contributions!” Shannon’s eyes light up!
Thanks Maree!
“table mats with festive donkey cartoons; crackers, napkins”
Well done Lynn & Maree!
“Wow did we ever eat, drink and be merry!” Ian, Chris & Silvio enjoy a cold beer.
Con*nued next page
Summer 2015
7 of 32 ISSUE 47
Ella picks out the lucky winners, Margaret L holds the bucket and Margaret W calls the winners
And the winners are: Left: Debra and her donkey pillow.
Below: Ann and her donkey mug.
Right: Maree and her toilet sign! And of course ALL OF US went home with something!
“the raffle table quickly laden with donkey donations” examined by Mereana, Margaret & Sue
And finally a BIG thankyou to everyone working behind the scenes to make the day a great success including Stephanie for washing up!!
“Even Mahanna, Sergio Mo, and Nova Star had to venture up to the house to see what all the fuss was about”
Summer 2015
8 of 32 Ask Dorothy
cartoons by Sue Harris
ISSUE 47
Query: Kicking Donkey
I was wondering if you could help me. I have just purchased two donkeys a five year old and a one year old. They love affec=on and are very friendly. Our main problem at the moment ,is the yearling will not let us handle her feet at all. She gets quite grumpy and rears and kicks. This is a big problem because we're on heavy clay soil so they really need picking out so they don't rot. Please could you give us some =ps? Thank you very much. Inga
Some*mes we have donkey queries that need the combined input of the many years donkey experience of our members. If you would like some advice on anything donkey and are happy to share it with us all please write in and we will do our best to gather informa*on for you.
Some*mes ‘Dorothy’ gets asked some very strange ques*ons regarding donkey behaviour. For example, the person who asked how to make a donkey kick hot embers and burning logs. On further enquiry as to why one would want a donkey to do this, Dorothy learned that the person was wri*ng a religious book about Mary going to Bethlehem and they were being followed by thieves so hid in a cave but the thieves started sneaking up on them in the night and the donkey had to kick hot embers at them so that they ran away!
Answer:
Hi Inga, I was going to suggest we visit you to help, then I looked at the 6me the email arrived, 2.19 AM which makes me feel you are not in Australia.
Donkeys love this game -­‐ be very loving and affec6onate to win their owners over so they won't be sold on, then arrange life the way they want to run it, not knowing our ideas about most things are for their benefit.
Obviously you have tried the slow way, stroking down the legs without picking up the hoof, which clearly didn’t work, so now you have to show you are in charge. The best way is to have a crush built, but that costs money or requires someone who can build one. However, when we arrive to help people they don't have a crush so we make one on the property. You start with a gate that opens back so that it is against the fence. Open it away from the fence, get the donkey and 6e it up short against the gatepost with two halters and two strong ropes. The reason for this is that a really cross or determined donkey can break even a new halter/head collar. Once they learn to do this they will become more convinced that if they fight long enough they will escape again.
She is now 6ed up with her nose close to the post. However more ocen the queries are more easily Gradually swing the gate back as though you are going addressed ,for example, this one which came via email to push it all the way to the fence. When it is almost up from England!
against her side and she is up against the fence get someone, to hold the gate in place so that she can't Con*nued next page
Summer 2015
9 of 32 Ask Dorothy: Con*nued/-­‐
push it away by moving sideways. While you are doing this keep telling her how much fun it is, and isn't she great, and such a clever donkey and so on, remembering your voice is your best training aid.
When we go to help people with this problem we just get on with the job. You have 6me to make it even more pleasant for her. You can give her treats, tell her how wonderful she is, scratch the bits she likes being scratched and so on and then call it a day. Do this for a number of days un6l she thinks being 6ed up like this is special and fun.
ISSUE 47
more 6me, days or weeks. The more fun it is and the less domina6on from her point of view, the happier she will be about it all. Donkeys hate being dominated so although we have to be in control, it is easier if we do it in such a way they think they have a choice. At the moment her choice is not to allow you to handle her feet, you are simply changing her mind set so that it is her choice to allow you to play with them.
Once you are confident about handling all four of her hooves through the gate or fence, open the gate and try dealing with her front feet only but s6ll leaving her 6ed to the gate post. If that works, try with her back feet and either treat her as normal from then on or go back The next step is to put your hand through the fence or to the gate crush for a bit longer. gate and start stroking the leg from the shoulder to the Then start using a hoof pick and cleaning out all four knee or the flank to the hock. Start with the front legs, hooves before you stop with the crush altogether. this is safer for you and less threatening for her. This I hope this helps. The fact that both donkeys are con6nues un6l you are stroking right down to the hoof. affec6onate helps; it means they like humans and want If she tries to rear or kick shout BAH or BAD in a very contact and they will start wan6ng to make you pleased loud voice, then start again and keep praising un6l you with them for more cuddles and happy aAen6on.
need to shout again. If you feel she is going well, stop Regards Helen
and tell her how great she is and give her a carrot or Response from Inga:
whatever your reward is, then move to the next leg.
You will feel quite safe as she can't kick you or swing her Thank you so much for all your help! I wish you could rump around and knock you over. This in turn makes come visit but I think England might be a bit too far for you more relaxed so you can concentrate on what you you!
are doing without half your mind being on your own The crush sounds like a very good idea especially as she safety.
is a very lively youngster. We will try it with the back feet When you can stroke and brush her legs like this the but we are gradually mastering the fronts! next step is to pick her feet up. Don't go straight up into My dad now helps out with the backs and aJer a kicking the posi6on the farrier will use but just liP the hoof off experience has agreed the crush will be needed. Inga
the ground followed by great excitement and praise and a treat. Then repeat with the other hoof. I would concentrate on the two front feet un6l she is properly trained so that when you get around to the back feet she knows the drill, knows the reward and knows it is safe.
Once you can liP the hoof off the ground extend the 6me you hold it up for a few more seconds. Next start making small circles with it and swinging it forward and backward a bit, keeping up the praise and joy but being very quick with the ‘BAD DONKEY’, very loudly if need be. Eventually you can liP them higher up into the farrier posi6on.
We can achieve this in a couple of hours when we go visi6ng, but doing it with your own donkey you can take The Affiliated Donkey Society of Australia (ADSA) The ADSA is a na6onal umbrella organisa6on, which incorporates all the individual state socie6es. Its primary role is to provide na6onal registra6on of donkey breeds and produce a quarterly newsleAer, which informs on na6onal and state ac6vi6es. It now has a live website giving informa6on and links to many other donkey and mule socie6es. : www.donkeysadsa.org
Summer 2015
10 of 32 ISSUE 47
Brewster’s Debut Drive
By Brewster McIntyre
When Sue arrived to stay at my house with Helen I could hear them talking about me. I dearly hoped Helen hadn't decided to give me to Sue, as I'm so happy here and Helen is nice to me even though I've heard her say I'm a bit noisy.
APer Helen and Sue got stuck on the crossword, Helen came to find me in my yard and put my halter on me. Then she brushed me and told Sue to lead me out to the carport and 6e me up. I was packing by then, as I was SURE she meant to find me a new home, but then she came out of the garage with all this stuff she's put on me before when she's hitched me to a cart.
and a man with his own sign telling cars to stop because a huge, noisy machine was digging up dirt and dumping it into a giant truck right beside the place I had to walk. Helen and Sue kept telling me this was all OK, so I strolled past and kept my cool un6l all of that ruc6on was behind us. Next, we were walking past a big property when this 6ny animal with hardly any ears galloped up to the fence and snorted and made a creepy sound that I didn't like much, but this creature was so funny-­‐looking without proper ears that I decided the best thing to do was ignore it so it would go away. I was star6ng to wonder if all of these new sights were what Polly rabbits on about when she tells me what I'll have to do for an obstacle course, when Helen told me to “Come right” and we turned into a very quiet road. This road had a stony surface and made the cart sound funny, but nobody else seemed to mind so I didn't either. The other odd thing about this road was that it stopped. I heard Helen say something about it being dead, but it smelled OK to me. Since the road stopped, we had to turn around in a very small space, so I had to learn to cross my front legs in order to get the cart to follow me without it falling in a ditch. I did preAy well even though one of the shaPs was Then I had to back up and turn the cart around, which was a lot harder than turning without the cart, but both poking me in the neck, but we prac6ced this a few more 6mes and it got easier each 6me. Finally, on another Sue and Helen said I was such a good boy that I didn't road that also stopped, Sue stayed back and I took have the heart to be disrup6ve. APer that, Helen and Helen for a ride without any help. Since I have a bit of a Sue led me onto the road, which had a lot of traffic. I wasn't worried about that, because Helen has taken me crush on Helen, it was great to have her all to myself and I can imagine doing this lots of 6mes that I'm out there for walks lots of 6mes and nothing bad has happened. Then a bit further on Helen got into the cart already looking forward to.
and stayed there. I was a bit glad Sue was beside me Just because life's the way it is, we had to go past all of because I couldn't see Helen anymore and the cars are a the noisy stuff again on the way home, but even though lot bigger than I am. I could s6ll hear her talking to me, a man on one of the trucks started up a generator right though, and that helped a lot. We had to go up over a beside my leP ear, I kept my dignity and marched past curb and across a grassy area and then down over without a sideways glance. Maybe they'll learn some another curb because Helen said there was a scary dog manners before I see them again.
we wanted to avoid, and I thought then that I was in good hands so I could relax and look at the scenery.
I concluded that Helen was going to show Sue how clever I am not to panic when the cart goes on, but then Helen got into the cart and for me, that was a whole new ball game. She told me to “Walk on”, so I took a few steps forward and then she said, “Whoa” because one of the cart's tyres was flat. Helen moved her bus so it was right behind me and then turned on this noisy thing for fixing the tyre. I couldn't really see what was going on, but she kept telling me everything was OK, so I did my best to stand s6ll un6l she finished and moved the bus away. We were in a different road once we'd crossed that grassy place, and then all sorts of things started to happen. There were lots of big, bright signs in the road Summer 2015
11 of 32 ISSUE 47
A Cindy Day
My day usually starts with a hearty bray at By Cindy
about 5.30am followed by some 6me C/o The Donkey Hilton
thinking about my new home aPer many via York
years of living on my own in a small paddock. At about 7 o'clock Dad brings my friends and me a piece of carrot or apple each and then we chill together un6l Mum brings breakfast. Some6mes I call her so that she comes early! OPen, while we eat, Mum brushes us and talks to us, telling us we are beau6ful and smart! It has been so long since I have been loved like this that I some6mes just close my eyes and doze. Mum puts fly veils on us to protect our eyes and sprays my legs with nice smelling stuff so that the flies don't bite me. Then she lets us out into our big paddock for the day.
It has taken me a long 6me to learn how to be a donkey again. At first I was frightened of the boys because they pushed me away from the food bowl and got the hay first but now I remember how to push them back with my boAom and show them my grumpy ears. I was frightened of Dad too, but he kept coming to see me, giving me carrots and peppermints (Yum!) and now I know he loves me. I even trust humans enough that I wasn't scared when two men, called a farrier and a den6st, came to look at me. The den6st did something to my teeth so that I could eat without cuqng my mouth and the farrier did something to my hooves to help me to walk straight.
Mum said I was overweight when I arrived and she put me on a diet, but I don't mind any of it because now I can run again, roll in a dirt patch and get up more easily and my joints and mouth don't hurt as much as they used to.
5.30am *me to wake up!
I graze with my friends all day and some6mes Jamaica and I groom each other. I really missed having a Jenny friend all those years on my own.
At 5 o'clock mum comes back and gives us dinner and aPerwards she plays games with us with a clicker toy. Its so much fun, even though the others usually push in front of me but I'll soon show them how smart an old donkey can be.
7am s*ll wai*ng for breakfast!
Please humans, if you know anyone with a donkey who is alone in a paddock, please tell them how smart we all are, and how much we love donkey and human company. I was very depressed and used to stand in a corner and hang my head. Now I have many human and animal friends and life is good again.
It's no fun living on your own.
Love and donkey kisses Cindy
11am morning tea at the Donkey Hilton!
Summer 2015
12 of 32 ISSUE 47
Why geld my donkey?
Why indeed geld (castrate) your donkey? En*re jacks are the sopest, most loving of all the donkeys I have met and I can quite see why owners don't think it is important.
By Helen McIntyre
The answer is simple. Your loving, smooching, cuddly member of the family can turn into a dangerous killing machine in a split second. Maybe not this year, maybe not for many years, but once he gets a whiff of oestrogen he loses all control of himself. And it doesn't even have to be the smell of another donkey. Any female animal including humans can have the same effect on him. A small jack has been known to break the neck of a larger stallion by latching on with his teeth. They have incredibly strong jaws.
This of course does not only apply to donkeys. A tragic case in WA some years ago, saw a stallion owned for 20 trouble free years suddenly became sexually excited and kill a small child. A donkey's sex drive is far stronger than that of a horse.
If this scares anyone with an ungelded jack -­‐ it is meant to! But don't let that put you off all male donkeys as once gelded they should never be a danger again. Any subsequent bad behaviour is likely to be from lack of correct handling and not because he was a jack, even if he is not castrated un6l he is quite old.
“Your loving, smooching, cuddly member of the family can turn into a dangerous killing machine in a split second. Maybe not this year, maybe not for many years, but once he gets a whiff of oestrogen he loses all control of himself”
knew the danger of en6re males, she asked me if I could take him down to her vet to have him gelded immediately she got him home. It was a difficult Another reason some6mes given for not gelding, is that loading so no 6me to think about anything other than geqng to the vet on 6me. As he was being unloaded I the donkey only has one tes6cle so won't be fer6le. glanced at his rear end to see how big a job it would be. There are two issues here. One is that the retained No tes6cles! Hang on, had he already been gelded? tes6cle can become cancerous later in life and the The vet gave him a needle in case he had drawn his other is that, fer6le or not, his behaviour will s6ll be tes6cles up in stress. Nothing dropped. Was he a ‘jackish’ and poten6ally dangerous.
gelding aPer all? No. The vet pointed out that once Castra6ons at the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon have gelded there is always scar 6ssue, which you can feel – been done on donkeys from 6 months old to 29 years of this donkey had two retained tes6cles!
age. Ideally castra6on should be done between 10 and The seller agreed to take the jack back as they had only 18 months of age and at a 6me of year that avoids had him one day and were not prepared to pay for the major fly issues.
big opera6on required. But if you have a gelding with One thing to make sure your vet is aware of when strong jackish tendencies you might like to make sure castra6ng your jack, is that there are differences he really is a gelding!
between horses and donkeys. The blood supply to the Addendum
tes6cles is far greater in a donkey and some appear less Helen was recently contacted by a very distraught tolerant to anaesthe6cs. We know of at least one person. Her ungelded donkey jack, normally very donkey that bled to death when gelded by an quiet and cuddly had killed their alpaca, a paddock inexperienced vet who was not aware of the mate for some years. On further enquiry it was physiological differences and didn’t adequately ‘6e off’ revealed that another alpaca had previously been blood vessels. The Society is happy to recommend vets found dead from ‘unknown cause’ and more experienced in donkey surgery.
disturbingly, the 7 year old daughter had been Here is an unusual scenario to finish off with. barged and knocked over by the donkey. Helen Many years ago a lady with five children bought a jack advised immediate castra6on but the donkey has donkey. As we had been in touch previously and she to be rehomed.
Summer 2015
13 of 32 ISSUE 47
Donkey castration
at Mundaring Veterinary Hospital
with Dr Duncan Hargest
Christine holds Shadow whilst Duncan inserts an in-­‐
dwelling catheter and gives a pre-­‐
med. The catheter remains in place to top up the anaesthetic or give fluids if necessary.
When Helen told me she was taking a donkey to Mundaring Veterinary Hospital in Glen Forrest, to be gelded en route to being rehomed, I decided to take the opportunity to talk to the veterinary surgeon, Dr Duncan Hargest, about the procedure. The following are my questions and Duncan’s responses and photos of Shadow’s gelding.
1.What age do you recommend gelding a donkey? Why?
Around 6 months or as soon as the tes6cles have descended. The younger the donkey the less trauma6c the surgery is and the quicker the recovery. Having said that, we will geld them at any age but extra care is needed with anaesthe6cs in older donkeys or those in poor or obese condi6on.
2.Is the surgical steriliza*on of a jenny a feasible op*on?
No. Abdominal surgery in equids is a major procedure and fraught with problems. There is a high risk of complica6ons both during and aPer surgery. This also makes it prohibi6vely expensive.
3.Are there any differences in technique between gelding a horse and a donkey?
Yes. Donkeys have a greater blood supply to the area than horses do, so it is important to ligate (6e off) the blood vessels and not just crush with emasculators as can happen with horses. Personally I always ligate blood vessels with horses too just to be safe but it is important that is always done in a donkey castra6on or they can have serious post opera6ve bleeding. If the donkey is mature I will double ligate.
Shadow anaethe*sed, with his eyes protected
4.Do donkeys differ from horses in their tolerance to anaesthe*cs?
The textbooks say that there are slight varia6ons but I have not no6ced any. I use the same drugs and the same dose rate and haven’t had a problem.
5.What post op complica*ons might you see aper a gelding?
Postopera6ve bleeding is the main issue followed by infec6on. It is also important to close the tunic (sheath surrounding the tes6cular organs). External closure of the skin is deliberately not done to allow wound drainage and if this internal area opens up you can get hernia6on of the intes6nes. Naturally this is a surgical catastrophe!
Regarding infec6on, I am always careful to thoroughly prep the scrotal area with Hibitane and Meths. I create a sterile field Plas*c leg covers & drapes create a sterile field using drapes also covering the feet and legs. I aAend to my own scrubbing up and use sterile instruments. I give injec6ons of for surgery. Duncan has prepped the surgical area and is ready to start.
Con*nued next page
Summer 2015
Donkey Castra*on: Con*nued/-­‐
14 of 32 ISSUE 47
long ac6ng an6-­‐bio6cs, an6 inflammatories and an6 tetanus. Once the donkey is up and about, I will wash the scrotal area a second 6me with an6sep6c wash in case he has contaminated it whilst recovering from the anaesthe6c. Finally I give a good spray with fly repellent.
Donkeys are not as prone to post opera6ve colic as horses are but hyperlipaemia can always be an issue if they do not eat for any length of 6me due to stress or pain. This is one reason to give an an6 inflammatory injec6on.
6.What post op management would you recommend?
Gentle exercise – lots of walking around to get everything moving again.
Diet – keep it simple just hay or straw no concentrates.
Wound care – fly control is very important especially once he is The incision is made and the tunic opened up to out in the paddock. The wound cannot be covered and it may expose the tes*cle.
ooze a liAle blood un6l a scab is formed. It is essen6al to keep flies away using insec6cidal sprays as well as purple spray. Check the wound daily for signs of infec6on – con6nued oozing, swelling and discomfort.
7.How soon will you see a decline in ‘jack’ type behaviour?
It takes around 6 weeks for the hormone levels to deplete from the system.
8.Can a recently gelded donkey s*ll be fer*le and produce a foal?
Yes it can. Sperm can survive in the ducts for around two weeks aPer surgery so the donkey can s6ll be fer6le during this 6me.
9.Is a retained tes*cle a poten*al problem for the owner and the donkey?
The blood vessels are double *ed off to prevent Yes. Just because the tes6cle isn’t visible it doesn’t mean it isn’t blood loss and emasculators then applied to ac6vely secre6ng hormones. For the owner, a jack is an crush and separate the testes.
unpredictable and dangerous animal to be around. For the donkey, a retained tes6cle is prone to cancerous tumours so should be removed at the earliest opportunity.
10.Is it normal for a gelding to sexually respond to a jenny and try to mount her? Is it a problem if he does do this?
Usually you only get a bit of dominant pushing and shoving behaviour. You don’t usually get moun6ng. It can be a problem especially if he does penetrate her as she can tear causing trauma to her vaginal area. There is also a risk of transferring infec6on to either party.
Many thanks to Duncan and his ever helpful and efficient team at Mundaring Veterinary Hospital especially head nurse Leanne who keeps the whole show running like clockwork! Aper closing the surgery site, Shadow gets an an*-­‐inflammatory injec*on to help with pain and healing, a long ac*ng an*-­‐bio*c injec*on to cover paddock contamina*on and a tetanus shot. Duncan stays with Shadow un*l he is able to stand and move about safely. For the next 24 hours he will closely observe the wound, keeping flies at bay and watch that Shadow makes a good recovery before going home.
wriOen by Hanna Silversides
Summer 2015
15 of 32 ISSUE 47
Charmouth falls in love
By Ann Spendley
Everyone kept saying to me – Donkeys are like chocolates you can never just have one!! They were right of course. APer I had had Charmouth for about 6 months, I got the bug and wanted another donkey. Mostly I wanted Charmouth to have a companion because he was living with my two alpacas and trying to turn them into donkeys. I didn’t really pursue my search very vigorously as I knew that when the right one came up I would know.
One Sunday in August last year, I was siqng on the veranda having my morning coffee and up walks Trev with the Quokka (newspaper) under his arm. – We NEVER buy the quokka so I was immediately suspicious “What are you buying?” I said. “Nothing” answered Trev, “just having a look”. “Any donkeys for sale?” Well would you believe it, there were two -­‐ a jenny and a jack, both in Williams. Now Williams is very significant to me as it is my maiden name. It was meant to be!! I rang the number and spoke to a lady called Julie about the jenny. Julie explained to me that Emilee was about 4 years old, quite a small donkey who was currently living in a paddock with a goat. She said she was good to have her halter on and came to her name when called. I was very excited and said I would speak to my friend in the Donkey Society and get back to her. Julie also men6oned to me that Peter, the Jack for sale, was Emilee’s father.
“Everyone kept saying to me – Donkeys are like chocolates you can never just have one!!”
“They immediately loved each other -­‐ I could not have hoped for a beHer outcome. Charmouth looked so happy to have a donkey friend at last” small donkey and I thought she looked older than 4!! She was very very friendly and aPer a few cuddles it was decided that Emilee would come home to Bullsbrook and meet Charmouth.
Andrea, Chris6ne, Helen and Julie got Emilee onto the trailer and she seemed to take it all in her stride -­‐ not too much bother. The journey home seemed a long one but you could not wipe the smile off my face -­‐ I was so excited for Charmouth to meet his new friend.
Andrea and Helen came back to Bullsbrook with Emilee. Trev was wai6ng at the top of the hill he was almost as That evening I called Helen McIntyre and asked her if excited as me. She walked beau6fully into her new she knew a donkey called Emilee – knowing that Helen paddock next to Charmouth. Of course he had seen her oPen knows the names of donkeys but not the owners. come down the driveway so almost skipped out of his Helen was unsure but immediately offered to gather up paddock to meet his new friend. They immediately some of the other ladies, hook the trailer onto the loved each other -­‐ I could not have hoped for a beAer donkey-­‐bus and go and see Emilee asap.
outcome. Charmouth looked so happy to have a donkey The following week, Helen, Andrea and Chris6ne and I, friend at last and Emilee -­‐ well she looked like she had all set off to Williams in the donkey-­‐bus. Julie had given always lived here. They are now inseparable and me direc6ons and said she would meet us as we got into Charmouth follows Emilee around and will not leave the paddock without her. Williams as the property was hard to find. We stopped at the suggested road junc6on (which turned out to be I am really looking to February when I will be bringing more Narrogin than Williams) and met Julie, following not one but TWO donkeys to training day! Hopefully if her back to her property. Andrea said “we have been all goes to plan, I would like to do some long reining here before and isn’t this where Peter lives?” Sure with Emilee and agility with Charmouth but of course enough Helen and Andrea had been to Julie’s before and that’s a new story altogether……..
picked up other donkeys. It seems Peter, the donkey jack, has had quite the busy 6me in his life and has fathered lots of foals. It truly is a small world.
Emilee was standing with Julie’s husband and yes it was love at first sight. She was around 12.2hh so not such a Summer 2015
16 of 32 ISSUE 47
Donkey Rides On The Beach
a collection b y Isaac Israëls
By Cathrine Millett
In the course of my studies this year, I came across these liAle gems; all beau6ful examples of the donkey in art. They are part of a set known as the “Donkey Rides On The Beach” collec6on, painted by the Dutch Expressionist Isaac Israëls, from The Hague School of Art. The pain6ngs were all created between 1890 and 1900, all on the same beach of Scheveningen, on the northwest coast of the Netherlands. Isaac Israëls’ work differs from the norm of painters from The Hague School of Art, because of his carefree approach to pain6ng, and the touristy nature of his subjects. He worked quickly and outdoors, only a few metres from the donkeys, and each pain6ng took him no more than two hours to complete. In 2005 the set went to auc6on and were bought by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where they s6ll reside (room 1.13 if you’re planning a trip!). The largest of the set, featured on the front cover, topped out at a record price of €482,400 ($715,687 AUD)! with the others all fetching similar amounts. In 2012, the City of Amsterdam showed it as part of a large solo exhibi6on of the works of Isaac Israëls, celebra6ng his work and contribu6ons to the history of Dutch modern art. The set are a popular and much-­‐liked slice of art history from northern Europe. Con*nued next page
Summer 2015
17 of 32 Donkey rides on the beach collection by Isaac Israëls
ISSUE 47
Continued/-­‐
source: www.artvalue.com
Summer 2015
18 of 32 ISSUE 47
Travels in the Donkeybus
with Helen McIntyre
October: gate post, 6ckling a wild gecko under the chin. We felt We visited Jenny in Serpen6ne/Byford. Over a year ago very sad that someone with such a connec6on with animals of all sorts didn’t even have a pet rabbit. she had had two donkeys, one pregnant, delivered to her place. The owner just dropped them in the paddock We headed straight for Mundaring for Shadow's 12 pm without the informa6on that they were uncatchable. gelding with Duncan. This of course went well -­‐ that's When the foal was born she was as friendly as donkey one reason why we all like Duncan so much and he kept foals always are and they realised what they were both donkeys overnight. (See ar=cle this issue ‘Donkey missing with the other two being so unfriendly. Earlier Castra=on’)
Jenny's son had managed to lassoo them and put in a Next morning we picked them up at 7.30am and drove smaller area. Then Jenny was able to start temp6ng down to Quindanning. Mereana had agreed to trim them with food and handle them, but they were not their hooves and keep them in a paddock where they happy at all with strangers. would be walking up and down her steepest hills By the 6me we leP they were being led around by each of us in turn and star6ng to get the idea that all humans are fun. We gave Jenny lots of 6ps on how to get all her visitors to go in and work with them so that they liked all humans, not just her. She gave us lots of cakes and biscuits and fun conversa6on. A great morning!
looking for food un6l they aAain a reasonable weight. Shadow showed no ill effects from the gelding and Brave con6nued to make mockery of his name by making Shadow go first in every situa6on to be sure it was safe for him to follow.
We are hoping we have the perfect home for them down the track. Stephanie had men6oned previously that through her work she had heard of a drug We met Mereana in Beverley to go and look at a jack and a gelding who needed a new home. The owner had rehabilita6on place that was looking for one or two donkeys as therapy animals. Shadow and Brave both kept a flyer from when Mereana was President and excel at cuddles so hopefully we will end up with a good contacted her. He had been an endurance rider for many years but now in his eigh6es and having just lost match there.
Below Shadow & Brave his last horse, he felt it was 6me to find a good home “They were two delightful for his donkeys previously purchased for his (now donkeys, very friendly but grownup) grandchildren. Mereana explained that we didn't place ungelded jacks and he agreed to get grossly overweight with Shadow gelded. We went to see them to get an terrible hooves.”
idea of where they could be placed once the gelding had been done. They were two delighvul donkeys, very friendly but grossly overweight with terrible hooves. Arrangements were made and Shadow was booked in with Duncan for the following Tuesday when we returned to take them down.
November:
The donkeys were so fond of their owner and he was obviously a great animal person. They walked straight on for him and we didn't have to do a thing. Oh for more owners whose donkeys trust them so completely. We leP him standing by the Con*nued next page
Summer 2015
19 of 32 ISSUE 47
Travels in the donkeybus Con*nued/-­‐
in shock that the world started moving or whether it was trying to establish who was in charge of standing December: posi6ons. Whatever, it was the biggest one, Diva, (who is Douglas' mother), went down with one back leg up The first week in December I had an email via the against the side of the trailer. As there was so liAle website from a lady who was worried about a lonely donkey in a very poor paddock with no shelter that she room in the trailer Andrea climbed up and over the side passed on her way to work in Bunbury. We agreed to go (for those who know my trailer that is some height for any one, let alone a lady of 70+ years!). APer much and have a look and then get back to her. Over the reposi6oning of her legs, Diva finally agreed to stand years we have had a number of these requests and again. From then on and all the next day they took none of them have required repor6ng to the RSPCA. Most have been OK, a few we have managed to have a turns at changing posi6on but there was no more pushing or shoving and they seemed to enjoy the trip.
chat with their owners on general care of donkeys. Several people said they really didn't want their As York to Albany was too far, especially for donkeys donkeys anymore and asked us to re-­‐home them; unused to travelling, we decided they would spend the others have taken our advice. night at my place before going on. Now even closer to Well the Bunbury donkey was in a very rough paddock Christmas Andrea was the only one available to travel but that is perfect for a donkey! Not a lot of feed but a with me. Anne and Dawn volunteered to help with the loading as did Chris6ne but it really seemed that four of variety or shrubs and tough grasses, perfect for a us should be enough. I thought I would end up wishing I donkey if not for a horse. Her feet were in perfect condi6on, a great effort considering how wet it can be had accepted Chris6ne's kind offer but it actually only took 10 minutes from puqng the lead ropes on to down there. There were lots of trees in the paddock but also a shed rather hidden up the back. There were shuqng the tailgate on three calm donkeys.
also horses in adjoining paddocks and the house was We picked Vi up as we went through Mt Barker and nearby so she could see people come and go so she then stayed for lunch at the restaurant. A lovely home wasn't lonely. She came up and had a chat and said for the three of them and so good they could go that she loved people and she spent a lot of her 6me together. Back home by 5.25 aPer a very easy trip.
interac6ng with humans. (OK, ‘made it obvious’ if you don't go in for anthropomorphism!)
The next night I had a call from Sharon at The Old Marron Farm in Albany – did I know of any donkeys for sale? Andrea had seen 3 donkeys adver6sed in The Quokka newspaper so we passed on the informa6on. Sharon rang back -­‐ she had bought all three and could we deliver them? Now we have previously loaded three donkeys on the trailer but it was a huge effort, especially with ones who don't know how and here we were only a week out from Christmas with everyone very busy. However, Anne and Andrea were available and Margaret L offered to help too as the donkeys were fairly close to her in York. When we arrived, they only had one halter between three donkeys but said the donkeys were very food orientated. We got set up with gates, winches, everyone posi6oned for a difficult loading and then asked the 12 year old girl who was feeding them carrots to see if they would follow her onto the trailer. First the biggest one went up, we 6ed her off against that side of the trailer, then the next biggest, 6ed him off against the other side, then, aPer a bit of discussion the smallest one decided not to be leP behind and was prepared to be led up the middle. I think this is the first 6me an owner has said they would load for food and it actually happened!
But the moment the trailer moved, they all started pushing and shoving. I don't know whether it was “It was fun to see the faces of two WWOOFers (Koto & Vincent) when we turned up, I don't think they had ever seen a donkey before.”
Update from Sandra on Diva, Digger & Holly at The Old Marron Farm:
“Karl told me that the donkeys have seOled in very well. They have learnt to bellow at the customers so they will go over to say hello. The other animals (Chai the alpaca, Midas the horse, and the three Shetland ponies) are enjoying having new friends too.”
Safely unloaded & eating! L:Diva; M: Holly; :R: Digger
Con*nued page.27 Summer 2015
20 of 32 Douglas’s Downfall
My Confession (Not that I did anything wrong}
Oh dear I seem to have well and truly put my hoof in it this 6me!
Having been (in my eyes anyway) the handsomest, best behaved donkey prancing around the show ring winning ribbons, I am suddenly out of favour!
On Monday Mum and I set off for a ride up the hills, which I have to comply with some6mes, although why she wants me to stumble around on rocks and ‘look at the view’ I can’t quite fathom. It seems to be something to do with ‘building muscle and keeping weight off!’
Anyway, being the good well behaved donkey that I am I stood quietly beside a rock while she clambered aboard and off we went in fine style.
I must have been doing OK as muAered words like “good boy you are such a good donkey” kept reaching my ears, along with the silly songs she likes to sing, which I think are supposed to encourage me and keep me calm as well as ‘forward going.’
Things were going smoothly un6l (you’ll never believe this} I spied a glimpse of a very scary, nasty looking hob goblin hiding behind a bush in front of us! Well, what was I to do? I had to save us both from this peril, and, as mum seemed blissfully unaware of its presence, I took maAers into my own hoofs and smartly executed a 180-­‐degree turn, in order to run and remove us from this horrible danger. Sadly however, (humans being a bit slow on the uptake}, mum did not come with me and, when I turned to look, there she was sprawled inelegantly on the ground, muAering obsceni6es that no well bred young donkey should be subject to hearing.
I stood and watched as mum hauled herself up off the ground, the hob goblin seemed to have run away so, being a good boy, I waited un6l she was back on her feet and allowed myself to be meekly LED home. I didn’t really want to stay up that hill on my own with all sorts of unspeakable horrors!
Dear D ouglas
This is w hy m um w as u nable t o r ide you f or many w eeks. T his is called ‘bruising’ and it h urts -­‐ a lot! Shame o n y ou D ouglas. L ive u p to your b rave n ame: T he Black D ouglas
It is now Sunday and we have not been for another ride, not sure why. However this morning I had to suffer the indignity of being hauled along behind Mr Darcy’s cart as we troAed around the block, with mum ‘playing the lady’ and siqng in the cart beside Dawn.
Douglas ISSUE 47
Lunch at
Taylor’s
From time to time we get together for a purely social event -­‐ usually a lunch. It’s relaxing, low key and fun. If you would like to come along, contact Helen and she will let you know when we go again. These pictures say it all. Taken at our last outing at Taylor’s cafe in the Swan Valley -­‐ no need for captions! Summer 2015
21 of 32 ISSUE 47
Ride/Drive/Walk at Orange
Peel Court
Sunday 16th November
Hi everyone! Our latest donkey By Lesley Pascoe
ou6ng was in Byford at the horse bridle trails, a great place for novices as you don’t have to go near traffic and the trails are flat and firm sand. Our only complaint being it was the first hot donkey day this spring and we all felt the heat.
We had a good turnout of eight donkeys and 15 people, and a special visit by Anne Wright, who came to say “hello” aPer just having two knee replacements! With three in harness, Douglas on a lead behind Mr Darcy, and Hanna riding Molly, this group went off to trot our way through all the shady tracks. Our walkers took another route Above: Lunch under the shady trees
so the donkeys wouldn’t drag their humans at a cracking pace to keep up with the carts. Meanwhile our Below & right:
pres6gious photographers chose an alternate route as Keeping up the fluids!
they obviously like to be trend seAers.
Mereana & Ann keep Unfortunately the weather didn’t encourage us to go for hydrated!
too long, so we re6red to sit under a shady tree and contemplate all things donkey. There was a bit of shenanigans happening between the boy and girl donks that Hanna managed to catch on her camera while the human populace was able to be quite dignified. We had one bold horse owner who took the trouble to introduce her horse to the donkeys, and guess what -­‐ the horse didn’t suffer any detriment from donkey “germs”! It’s nice when horse owners view our donkeys as fellow equines.
Well as per usual we had a great day and the woes of the world suitably discussed and solu6ons found – own a donkey and enjoy life!
Left: Cathrine achieves ‘join-­‐up’ with Molly -­‐ with the aid of a sandwich!
A bit of shenanigans between Chamerelle & Tama
Summer 2015
22 of 32 ISSUE 47
The Poitou Ass
By Mereana Lewis
The Poitou ass is an ancient French breed once valued for the production of mules.
In France the breed is referred to as Baudet du Poitou, as ‘baudet’ means, "sire of mules" as dis6nct from the term ‘ane’ referring to the common donkey. Poitou jacks were bred to mares of a specific horse breed -­‐ the Mulassier – to produce mules for both riding and work. The armies of many countries bought large numbers of Poitou's. While mules were popular across Europe the breeding stock was closely held in the Poitou region in France. The Poitou breed nearly became ex6nct aPer World War 11 when there was no longer the demand for mules. The Poitou's limited geographic area also increased its vulnerability. Fewer than 80 Poitous survived by 1980. In the late 20th century several organiza6ons in France organized to protect the breed from ex6nc6on. Their conserva6on efforts resulted in an increase in numbers and in 2005, 450 pure Poitous were registered in the stud book.
Conforma^on Points of the Poitou:
• Long shaggy hair.
•
No tradi6onal 'donkey' stripe.
•
Thick strong neck.
•
Long, straight back, slightly prominent hips.
•
Large broad feet.
•
They are tall standing 13-­‐16 hands and can weigh 750-­‐950 pounds.
•
Poitou's are found in black or dark brown. Other colours are not accepted.
•
The average life expectancy of the Poitou is fourteen years.
•
STATUS: CRITICAL.
The history of 'Can Can' and ' Oh La La' -­‐ two of only three pure bred Poitous in Australia.
Training for the Royal Show! Mereana and Stella take mother Can-­‐Can and daughter Oh-­‐
La-­‐La to Quindanning Tavern, “to get them used to being out in public and around lots of people, traffic and noise,” .....and share lunch!
Two pure bred Poitou donkeys, a jenny and a jack, were brought to Australia. Upon arrival it was discovered the jenny’s back legs were not strong enough to carry a foal full term. It appears Poitous are prone to congenital weakness of hips and spine. Thanks to the wonders of embryo transfer a horse was found that was able to carry a donkey foal to birth. To achieve this amazing feat, veterinarians at the Goulburn Valley Equine Hospital had to collect a fer6lized egg from the jenny. The jack had never bred before and his semen had to be collected in an ar6ficial vagina. The jenny was then ar6ficially inseminated and an embryo flushed from her uterus 7 days aPer concep6on. Once the egg was harvested a new home had to be found for it. The larger mother was essen6al for the correct size of the foal at birth. A donkey would have been ideal but the larger size jenny could not be found.
Con*nued next page
Summer 2015
23 of 32 ISSUE 47
The Poitou Ass Con*nued/-­‐
Advice was sought from Twink Allen in Newmarket, UK, the only person in the world who has successfully transferred donkey embryos into horses.
In the end a horse was chosen and once the embryo was transferred drugs were administered to help the mare think that the donkey inside her was really a horse. This was necessary as horses have a different number of chromosomes, 32 pairs compared to a donkey’s 31. The gesta6on of a mare is around 340 days and a donkey around 380 days. The 'donkey in horse' pregnancy was carried 364 days. Both mother and foal were in good health.
The foal, 'Can Can', and her father reside in WA. They in turn had a jenny foal (line breeding) named 'Oh La La'.
A couple of years back the owners of 'Can Can" and 'Oh La La ' were asked to display their rare donkeys at the Royal Perth Show. They contacted me and asked if I would train them and take them to the Show. I enlisted help from Stella and together we prepared them. To get them used to being out in public and around lots of people, traffic and noise we took them to the Quindanning Tavern and Wandering Fair.
There are three pure bred Poitous in WA and eight part-­‐
bred – 4 geldings and 4 jennies. Remember newsletter July 14 “101 Uses for a stuffed donkey”?
Since setting up the service to
rescue and re-home
unappreciated unloved and
inappropriately used soft toy
donkeys, we have had a new
addition! Meet ‘Eeyore’ (new ideas for a name welcome!)
who was discovered in a friend’s backyard lying in the
pile marked ‘to the tip’! On further enquiry it has been
discovered that Eeyore was hand made by my friend’s
grandma about 30 years ago but has now outlived all
the children. (Puff The Magic Dragon eat your heart
out!). He was duly brought home and very carefully
washed due to the disintegrating nature of his external
covering, and hung out to dry. He is now keeping
company with a similarly rescued pony, ‘Trouper’ who
appears to have double-jointed legs!
Hanna
Do you know of any such rescue stories with happy
endings? Please send in with photo!
Summer 2015
24 of 32 ISSUE 47
An Owner’s Guide to basic management
of your pet donkey
The last few issues of the N&D have had interesting and useful information on the health of donkeys, which got me thinking about the need for early detection of problems. Central to this is to know how your donkey looks when healthy. As soon as a donkey shows signs of being ill, depressed or even unusually thoughtful it is often really sick, as with donkeys there is no 'wait and see' time. Donkeys tolerate ill health so stoically that once we wonder if there is something wrong they are usually in serious distress. Calling the vet
The more specific you can be about minor changes in behaviour or appearance the easier it will be for the vet to have some idea of what the problem probably is. This will help decide whether a vet call out is necessary or you will need to take him in
What to look for.
Ears
known this and not worried about it. By Helen McIntyre
Never let a vet, farrier or anyone else ‘twitch’ their ears, that is twist or use mechanical means to control them through pain in their ears. Donkeys have very sensi6ve ears and some object to having them touched. Start from the very base of the ear and massage around it. Gradually, over days, work up to stroking the whole ear and slightly tugging it. Then slowly work up to puqng your finger in the ear and scratching and rubbing, they love this once they are relaxed. This is important if you have an ear infec6on or he has caught his ear on the barbwire and torn it. The vet can't do a proper examina6on if he won't stand s6ll and allow his ears to be touched. Gums
LiP your donkey’s lips and check his gums. Just like us they are pale with some problems and red with others. But also, just like us, they are individuals. Some people naturally have rosy cheeks all the 6me which in a more sallow person would indicate a fever. If you know your donkey’s normal colour you will be quicker to pick up a problem and also be beAer able to let your vet know of the change.
Tail
Each donkey has a certain way of holding their ears when relaxed which is different from when they are ill. Get to know each donkey's preferred 'ear expression'. An ill donkey will some6mes have 'aeroplane ears', that is, s6cking out on either side like plane wings. But this is not always the case. Once at Midland sale yards, I picked up a thin, trembling, wounded donkey from Marble Bar. She had aeroplane ears and I spent a fortune on veterinary bills only to find out aPer a week or two that that was the way she always held them. Had I had her in good health to start with I would have Start by rubbing both sides of the top of the tail. If the donkey tucks his tail between his legs it shows he is a bit nervous of this, don't worry, he will soon relax and aPer a while love having his tail base scratched and rubbed. Apart from relaxing him you will find as you scratch he will raise his tail making it easy, when necessary, for the vet to put the thermometer in without causing any distress or trying to move a 6ghtly clamped tail from between the back legs.
Preparing for treatment
Oral medica*on
Firstly, try to get your donkey used to molasses. Some refuse it but this is mainly because their introduc6on to it was when it had medica6on in it. Once they are suspicious of a product they will rarely overcome their refusal of it. You may say 'but it was three drops in 5 litres of molasses water'. It doesn't maAer, they always know. Just watch how they can eat a bin full of chaff H
a
p
p
y
D
o
n
k
e
y
s
Con*nued next page
Summer 2015
Happy Donkeys Con*nued/-­‐
and leave the teaspoon of medicated powder neatly in the boAom of the feed bin.
Most love molasses if introduced in a warm bran mash to start with. But if you have one who already dislikes molasses, use watered down jam or honey instead, again introducing it in various forms as a treat, not with added medica6ons.
Worming can be difficult. Jasper was the rearing, teeth clenched sort; Pollyanna grips the wormer between her teeth and refuses to let it go un6l she is sure she has sucked out every last bit of wormer. PreAy well all wormers and an6bio6cs are palatable, the difference being that right from the start I syringed molasses water into Polly's mouth every so oPen for no reason. She now associates a syringe with pleasure. Your vet will let you have suitable syringes or keep an old worming one for training. You might only get a few drops in at first if they really object, but they will soon work out that it is nice and there are no tricks aAached (yet!)
Some donkeys will eat medica6ons in molasses, jam or honey sandwiches but don't wait un6l she needs an an6-­‐bio6c. If that is your preferred way then give her the sandwiches once a month un6l she knows it is not a trick and actually enjoys them. On the day you need to mix in a powder, you will probably get away without her spiqng it out.
Hydra*on/drinking If your vet tells you to make sure your donkey drinks plenty for the next few days, the best way is to offer him molasses water just warm enough to encourage a temp6ng smell. Donkeys invariably drink liAle and in the winter it can be very difficult to get one to drink as much as required aPer some treatments. If it is really important to make him drink, ask your vet if it is ok to feed a salt sandwich to make him thirs6er or mix salt into a bran mash. Another 6me molasses water can be useful if you take your donkey on a trek or move to a different area. Donkeys can be very fussy about water changes and a bit of molasses added at first can stop them refusing a change between scheme water and bore water.
25 of 32 Try to observe everything about each donkey, as they are all slightly different. When they drink, how much, what their normal droppings are like, how clear their urine is, how often they lie down and for how long. Knowing your own individual donkey is the key.
and stopped ea6ng I have found that it is no use temp6ng them with horse products, such as bran, oats, horse muesli or pony cubes. They seem to revert to their browsing habits and prefer their favourite bushes. The ones I have found that have started my donkeys ea6ng aPer an illness are: bamboo 6ps, olive leaves, wild radish, old crumbly red gum and jarrah bark and some6mes s6nk weed. Mine seem to do beAer if you hold it in front of their noses and let them pull it out of your hand rather than puqng it on the ground in front of them. Watch and see what weeds they prefer at the various 6mes of the year, this mostly involves taking them for a walk along the road and seeing what they choose as they have probably already cleared all the favourites out of their paddock. Discover your donkey’s favourite foods before he needs temp6ng back to a healthy appe6te.
Another problem we frequently come across is the statement 'my donkey won't eat straw'. We all baAle with the weight of our donkeys and your donkey WILL eat straw provided it is proper feed quality and not musty or mouldy (which can lead to serious illness)! He may make a fuss and make you feel guilty and pretend he won't but all donkeys will if they are hungry! By all means start by mixing a bit in with their hay, gradually ISSUE 47
H
a
p
p
y
D
o
n
k
e
y
s
building up to mostly straw with a liAle bit of hay. It is very rare that we don't have to diet our donkeys every now and then so make sure he will eat straw before this becomes necessary. Ea*ng
Most people find that 1/3 hay to 2/3 straw works well as a basic method, then adjust the Next find out what your donkey will eat in the roughage line. When my donkeys have been sick propor6ons as your donkey’s weight alters.
Con*nued next page
Summer 2015
26 of 32 Happy Donkeys Con*nued/-­‐
Fly protec*on
Apart from protec6on from flies you may need to put a fly veil on if your donkey has a problem with an eye or a wound near it. If he is not used to a fly veil 6e him up and start well away opening and shuqng the velcro fastening un6l he is used to the noise. If you wait un6l you are trea6ng a problem you don't want to cause him more distress by playing with velcro and then figh6ng to get the veil on and off.
Aper you have done all this 'sod's law' says you will never need the vet anyway.... the more things you can think up that involve you making the decisions on how you handle them the more fun they will be and, should there ever be health issues, the beHer pa*ent they will be.
Feet & legs
We all teach our donkeys to have their hooves cleaned out and use the mo6ons a farrier will use, but don't forget to raise her legs high, stretch them out well behind, pull them gently to one side or turn them in circles -­‐ all the things your vet might do when determining the cause of lameness. Also teach him to trot on command, as this is very important in pin poin6ng the source of a lameness. Get your donkey used to having a hose on his legs. Again, this could be necessary for a hoof or leg problem. Standing with a leg in a bucket of warm or cold water might be helpful too. In general Make sure your donkey is comfortable with every part of his body being touched. Drape old towels or sheets over your donkey. There might be a reason your donkey will need to be rugged for a short 6me.
Stable flies and other insects can be a problem APer you have done all this 'sod's law' says you as many donkeys freak out when a spray boAle will never need the vet anyway. But all of these comes near them. Get an empty spray boAle things help you to develop a great rela6onship and fill it with water. Get your donkey used to with your donkey. The more they allow you to being sprayed from the hoof to the knee with do, the more you will find they love and respect water rather than was6ng expensive fly spray. you. So many apparently affec6onate donkeys He will need to be 6ed up to start with but once actually say, 'but only on my terms'. Ask them she gets used to it and stops figh6ng you should for a cuddle when they would rather be doing be able to spray his legs while he is ea6ng or something else and they just ignore you! So the just standing in the paddock. I have been told more things you can think up that involve you 'my donkey can't tolerate being sprayed'. Tough making the decisions on how you handle them luck, as with all training, work around their the more fun they will be and, should there ever arguments but don't give in!
be health issues, the beAer pa6ent they will be.
Welcome to new members
A warm welcome to new members:
Jenny Bosma, Byford
Natalie Scibilia & Heather Campbell both of Lower ChiHering
Welcome to all new members whether you are new to donkeys, new to WA or just new to the Society. Our members are always happy to give a hand or give advice or just point you in the right direc6on. We hope you will have fun with your donkey and join in as much as you want, whether that is coming for a donkey walk day or geqng into riding / harness / showing or just reading the newsleAer! It’s about having fun! ISSUE 47
H
a
p
p
y
D
o
n
k
e
y
s
Summer 2015
27 of 32 Travels in the donkeybus Con*nued
January 2015
The first weekend of the New Year and it was 6me to move Princeton to his new home with Yvonne in Mullewa. Stella spent the night with me, Andrea and Anne were here by just aPer 6am, and Princeton was loaded and ready to go from Dawn’s by 6.35am.
APer much discussion about what route to take, we ended up going close to Sue Harris’s place between Dongara and Geraldton. So we rang Sue as we leP Dongara and said if she could be at her gate (which, as many know, is 3 km of sand hills from the house) we would pick her up and she could come with us spending the night at Mullewa and returning the next day. Fortunately Sue was in one of the few places on the property where she can use her phone so she ran home, showered, packed, and was down at the gate 10 minutes aPer we arrived.
Had she been there before us things would have run a bit differently but while we waited we all got out. Dawn decided to give Princeton some carrots and pats but in stepping up onto the front of the trailer, caught a shoe lace on a slightly protruding screw, fell and slit her shin open on the end of the cart runner. Being a nurse she knew this cut would need s6tching. Out with the first aid kit and while Dawn held the wound closed Stella bandaged it 6ghtly. Meanwhile under Sue’s guidance we set off to the Geraldton Hospital!
At Casualty the es6mated wait for a ‘non urgent’ s6tch up was up to 3 hours. So we decided to take Princeton the one-­‐hour trip to his new home where I would take the trailer off and go back to Geraldton with the Saturday crossword and wait. We were Above: just taking the trailer off when a phonecall from Dawn said she Dawn’s s*tches!
was ready to go with seven s6tches in. Back in Geraldton an hour later we look for an open chemist and a food shop, as poor Andrea and Dawn had not had lunch. We needn’t have worried as once back in Mullewa, Yvonne and Nino made us very welcome with aPernoon tea followed by a great BBQ tea later in the evening.
If Yvonne does everything that we individually told her to she will end up very confused with an equally confused donkey but as Dawn has done the major training she will no doubt have listened to Dawn more closely and there will be another happy donkey with a great life ahead of him. The next morning we were away just aPer 7.30 aPer a huge farm-­‐style breakfast and got home to a very, very hot Perth.
ISSUE 47
Did the Dala-Donkey
visit you this
Christmas?
Above: “God Jul” is Danish for Happy Christmas
In Sweden the traditional orange wooden Dala Horse is a much loved symbol of Swedish culture. But did you know that a little known Danish Dala Donkey has been visiting Australian donkeys this Christmas? He is very illusive and we humans have only seen an image of him on a Christmas card. He bears the colours of the Danish flag and we believe that good donkeys who have been well behaved for their humans, have had a special visit from him on Christmas Eve. Has your donkey had a visit?
Thank you Sam MilleH for your beau*ful rendi*on of the long-­‐eared Danish Dala Donkey above.
Photo right: Do you think this donkey had a visit from the Dala-­‐
Donkey?-­‐ She looks sweet and good but this is Maisie the mischievous donkey!
Summer 2015
Grass seed
warning
Thank you Cara-­‐Lynne for sending in this warning about checking your donkey’s mouth for lodged grass seeds:
28 of 32 ISSUE 47
Sand colic refresher
We had a request to repeat the sand colic preven*on regime. This is my version but if you prefer to use psyllium husks the recipe is in the April 2014 edi*on or send me an email and I can forward it to you.
My vet has always recommended the bran mash with epsom salts and liquid paraffin treatment and so far it Hi -­‐ I just thought you may like to share this in the seems to work: An ice cream container (2L) of bran, ½ to 1 magazine.
cup of Epsom salts; ½ to 1 cup of mineral oil, add a masking How many people check their horses/donkey agent ie molasses water/sweet bulk/sugar beet pulp and mouths?
feed this two consecu6ve nights once a month. You need to I have to regularly check Samantha's mouth this mask the flavour without overloading on sugars. I soak some =me of year as she has trouble with what I know as ‘Hy-­‐Gain Zero’ dried sugar beet pulp (recommended by the spear grass. This year is a mild case compared with Lamini6s Trust as low in sugar) which adds sweet two years ago where it got under her tongue as well palatability without causing weight /lamini6s issues (as long as through the rest of her mouth. At the moment I as you don’t feed too much!) One handful soaked is fine as am pulling it out of her mouth morning and night. it swells into an ice cream size container. You MUST dampen The photos are of the grass stuck in her mouth and the bran to a wet crumble with some molasses water the holes it leaves when pulled out and the culprit (just half a cup of molasses dissolved in a bucket of water). plant. It is impossible to remove it all as it leaves fine Mix it like you would to make pastry so its just crumbly parts of it behind and they are near on impossible to damp. Bran will cause choking if this is not done. You may remove. You can imagine how sore this would be if be offered flaky or fine bran – it doesn’t seem to maAer not no=ced and monitored.
which but just make sure it’s well mixed.
There are other cheaper masking agents like Sweetbulk (oat husks covered in molasses) but they are heavy in molasses so only give a liAle handful. Whenever you visit the feed merchant just remember that feed companies spend millions on adver6sing to make you feel you can only love your animal by buying their product. They are good at it, so put blinkers on and get out real quick! Our donkeys don’t need more food -­‐ end of story!
I do believe that certain animals are more prone to sand colic than others. This is firstly because some animals will graze very close to ground and if that is sandy they are likely to pick up more than those on clay or rock. Secondly, much will depend on how healthy their gut is. I am a firm believer in keeping the gut healthy and so it is beAer equipped to deal with some sand. I also always have ad lib straw slow-­‐
feeder nets available; if you fill the donkey up first with hay/
straw from a slow-­‐feeder then when they are let out in the paddock they may not ‘hoover’ so much. The other thing is to keep them ac6ve and walking about and this is tricky as we also have to lock them up for most of the 6me! Keep them regularly wormed to prevent gut damage by migra6ng worm lavae and in hot weather, aAend to hydra6on to prevent dry impac6on colics. Kohnke’s Rehydra^on Recipe
A handy hint from John Kohnke newsleAer, recommends a cheap and easy way to rehydrate your equines. Dissolve 50g (2½ tblsp) of plain fine table salt (dissolves easily) and 50g of dextrose or glucose (assists salt uptake in the gut and adds sweetness) in 5 litres (½ bucket) of tepid, not cold, water. Adding a small amount of molasses also ensures palatability. Offer in hot weather and allow access clean fresh water at all 6mes. Hanna
Summer 2015
29 of 32 ISSUE 47
Members’ section
This section is open to Donkey Society members, to help you find, buy or sell anything or share the
word on donkey matters. Please use it.
Guess who this is?? Maybe we should start a compe**on to iden*fy our members from their old childhood donkey photos! These two show Ann Spendley enjoying a donkey ride on the beach.
Jackie Phillips slow feeder wheelie bin!
Cheap and easy slow feeder. Small wheelie bin from Bunnings is about $60.00. The most successful size holes (drilled with one of those hole cuHers that you put on a drill) are about 12cm. Drill holes in the side of the lid to *e it shut with baling twine. We fastened it to the verandah post with a bicycle lock as the donks knock it over. Pack the straw in quite loosely or they have trouble gezng to it. If it takes them a while to trust the new addi*on, hide treats in the straw like a handful of hay or easily accessible bits of carrot.
Of course there are other uses for the slow feeder bin -­‐ ones which keep the mice out of your hay!
Caspar & Spooky the barn cats ‘at work’
Need
agistment for your
donkey? Dawn Maton in
Orange Grove can offer
yards, shelters, trees & green
paddocks with hay feed and
quality on-site care. Contact
Dawn 9452 3486 or
Mobile: 0419 287 698
Summer 2015
30 of 32 ISSUE 47
TIPPERARY TIDINGS
In to summer when my days start very By Margaret Lockyear
early, to beat the heat. I am outside in the paddock shortly after sunrise, and after feeding the donkeys their breakfast, I do the remaining chores – grooming, collecting manure, preparing the feeds for evening, checking the water troughs, etc. It’s the best time of the day and I share a wave with our farming neighbours also taking advantage of the cool hours.
In December I delivered two weanling foals to their new home in Moora. The arrival of Tipperary Honeygirl and Perry was much an6cipated by Rob and his young lovely daughter Emily who is 8 years old. I spent a few hours going over the “Care” book I give to all owners and generally answering final ques6ons. LiAle Emily showed me a charming short story she had wriAen and I reprint it here. And again on young persons, late last week our youngest member Ella came for a two-­‐day stay. Ella is mad about donkeys, but donkey-­‐less, and when she joined last year, with the permission of her mother, I indicated she would be welcome to pay a visit over the school holidays. We had a wonderful 6me. We walked no less than 12 donkeys, taking one each, around the roads, something she loved. On the second day she got up, of her own voli6on, at the same 6me as me, to help me with the rounds and chores. It was lovely to have such an enthusias6c companion. She studied my many donkey books, and we chaAed happily despite the vast age gap. Ella will be a regular Ella walking Holly
companion on our ou6ngs, as I can take a donkey for her so that she can join in the fun. And she will be a regular visitor to Tipperary. Her mother tells me that when asked by text if she was OK (her Mum not having heard from Ella) she texted back – “Are you kidding? I just had the best day of my life!” She is a natural around the donkeys and they responded in kind to her gentle ways and her pats and cuddles. Emily with Perry & Honeygirl
A Donkey Saves the Life of a Person
By Emily Mullay
(in her own words and spelling)
One night a person went out fishing. His name was Rob. He lived in the jungle. Rob did not know there was going to be a storm. Rob got to many fish so he had to chuck some fish out. It was so cold that he had to run to safety. When he did that he found a donkey res=ng under palm trees. Rob laid down with the donkey. In the morning the donkey was gone. Rob got up because he herd a roar. He run and run. The donkey herd the roar so he run and found Rob and a lion. The donkey chaiced the lion away. Rob thanked the donkey and he named the donkey Perry and they lived happy ever aJer.
Clearly Emily expects great things of young Perry who at present is but a very small miniature foal!
For Sale: Two New Crusader Fly Masks, Standard Donkey Size.
These are imported & made in the US, unlike locally available branded Crusader
Masks which are made in China. They are rated 70% UV protection and a good
fit. They are well made, wash well and are very hardy. Additionally they have a
triple velcro system which makes them hard for the donkeys to remove in play,
yet safe as they will come off over the ears if a donkey gets the veil hooked on
something. You can buy the genuine American made ones locally but they are
over $40 each. These cost me $30 including postage from the US. Please ring
9641 2680 if you are interested. Thanks Margaret
Summer 2015
31 of 32 ISSUE 47
Half yearly meeting
Sunday 18th January 2015
at Helen McIntyre’s place
With only eleven members at the January mee*ng, Facebook page
Ann Spendley gave details of the new Facebook page – a much-­‐needed ini6a6ve suggested by Ann at the July Royal Agricultural Show
mee6ng and now up and running thanks to Ann and One of the major issues was the Royal Show. The RAS Margaret Lockyear’s efforts. They have had a lot of has invited us back again aPer the enthusias6c welcome interest both from Australia and a number of other the public gave us last year. However, we can only coun6es overseas – for a full report on their great work enter if we have six donkeys in a class, so we would see page 3.
need six jennies and six geldings to make it work, Quindanning Harness Championships
preferably more in case someone was unable to aAend APer some discussion it was decided that we would at the last minute.One difficulty is that we need to have a fancy dress event at the conclusion of the confirm aAendance by March. Those who went last year thoroughly enjoyed it, but to make up the required Harness Championships at Quindanning again this year. The op6ons were to have a donkey race or a fancy dress class numbers they had to take several donkeys each. This was a huge effort for them so we need more people compe66on. A race would be fun to run next year if we could aAract more entries. If you think you would like to prepared to enter the show this year. If you are interested, or think you might be, please give Margaret par6cipate please let us know so we can make it happen.
Lockyear a ring. Margaret handled everyone's entries last year so she is a full boAle on it and can guide you The mee6ng concluded in 6me for lunch, which we through. Remember -­‐ we need to know before the end were able to enjoy outside on Helen’s pa6o overlooking of February so we can confirm our aOendance to the her donkeys – Polly & Brewster and her alpacas. Very RAS commiOee.
pleasant and such a difference to last year’s mee6ng which was postponed due to the devasta6ng Hills bushfire.
this was one of our smallest mee*ngs ever. Thank you Helen for hos*ng the event.
CLUB CONTACTS
President
Margaret White
27 Kelvin Road
WaAle Grove 6107
Phone: 9359 2697
Vice President
Secretary
Helen McIntyre
80 Mills Road
Mar6n 6110
Phone: 9398 5525
Treasurer
Margaret Lockyear
33 Carter Road
York 6302
Phone: 9641 2680
Show Co-­‐
Lesley Pascoe
3 Orville Place
Hamersley 6022
Phone: 6142 2926
Newsleler
Hanna Silversides
19 Johnston Street
Mt Helena 6082
Phone: 9572 1562
ordinator
Editor
Ann Spendley
33 Alawoona Circle
Bullsbrook 6084
Phone: 9571 1930
Web-­‐
master
Pam Williamson
PO Box 190
Balingup 6253
Ph: 9764 1606
Summer 2015
32 of 32 ISSUE 47
Part of a collec*on of pain*ngs by Isaac Israëls named ‘Donkey rides on the beach’. See front cover and inside pages for whole collec*on and other beau*ful donkey pain*ngs by Israëls.