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1DONKEY DIGEST • September 2018

Miss Daisy greets the world while Mum, Luna shows off her new baby.

The Magazine of the Affiliated Donkey Societies of Australia SEPTEMBER 2018D

Registered by Australia Post Print Post Approved PP 100001912 ISSN 2208 – 1364

ONKEY DIGEST

DONKEY DIGEST • September 2018ii 1DONKEY DIGEST • September 2018

OFFICERS OF THE AFFILIATIONRegistrar

Kerrie Haynes-Lovell104 Luthers Road

Halfway Creek, NSW 2460Ph: 0416 167 453

Email: [email protected]

AdministratorChristine Trotter80 Noels Lane

Gherang, VIC 3240Ph: 03-5288 7460 evening, 0417 348 819 day


AUSTRALIAN DONKEY SOCIETIES

Donkey & Mule Society of South Australiawww.donkeysocietysa.org

Secretary: Jilden Reichardt97 Charlicks Road

Crafers West, SA 5152Ph: 08-8339 2420


Donkey Society of Queenslandwww.donkeysocietyqld.org

Secretary: Julia Byatte268 Blantyre Road, Roadvale, Qld 4310Ph: 0419 995 534


Donkey Society of Victoriawww.donkey.org.au

Secretary: Pat Streefkerk725 Dickins Road

Freshwater Creek, VIC 3217Ph: 0409 962 660, 03-5264 5235


Donkey Society of Western Australiawww.donkeywa.org.au

Secretary: Pauline Galley14 Hoop Place

Canningvale, WA 6155Ph: 0406 625 477


is produced by the

Affiliated Donkey Societies of Australia

Four issues are published per year in March, June, September and December respectively.

Distributed to society members

EDITORChristine Thelander

199 Rosia RoadPark Ridge SouthQueensland 4125

Australia

Email: [email protected]: 07-3802 1127, 0419 026 782

Please send items to the editor for inclusion in the magazine.

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Copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written

permission from the editor.

The views expressed in this magazine are those of the individuals concerned and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or the officers of the

Affiliated Donkey Societies of Australia.

COVER PHOTO:

There’s nothing like new-born animals to signal the arrival of

Spring. Here’s one of last year’s foals at Ecclestone Valley

Miniature Donkeys, Tasmania. Two-day-old EV Annabella peeks

out from behind Mum, Clovercrest La Bella Donna (Imp NZ).

Annabella is another cutie by Quarter Moon Half Dollar (Imp USA).

Photo: Judy Finney

.

What have penny-farthing bikes got to do with donkeys? Well, nothing much … at least on the surface. Last month Fiona Mottram stayed with us for a few days. Fiona is currently President of the Donkey Society of Victoria and Editor of the state newsletter Brayings. Was she in Brisbane thawing out from a cold winter? No (although that did happen). She was here on a non-donkey visit with her partner Ross West who was competing in a penny-farthing championship in Brisbane.

What little downtime we had together was filled with a mixture of donkey tales, music talk, travel adventures, vintage car searches, a lot of laughter and the occasional Dad joke (Why do chicken coops only have two doors? Because if they had four, they would be chicken sedans!).

Silliness aside, there are lots of interesting bits ‘n’ pieces to read in this issue, in fact too many to pick out my favourites. I hope you enjoy this Donkey Digest and don’t forget to contact me if you have a donkey story of your own that would be fun to share with our donkey family.

Happy Trails

insideREGISTRAR’S ROUNDUP 2

OVERSEAS NEWS 3

HYBRID VS CROSSBRED 9

WOOD CHEWING 10

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ROUND-UP 14

WIRE CUTTER WOES 16

DONKEY PHOTOSHOOT 18

OUT & ABOUT WITH OLIVER 20

FROM THE RIDGE 22

FOR THE BOOKWORMS 24

ASSVERTISEMENTS 25

DONKEY DIGEST DONKEY DIGEST

Affiliated Donkey Societies AustraliaFind us on the web – www.donkeysadsa.org

Fiona demonstrates her skills at untangling dogs, a new spectator sport she is particularly good at.

Photo Top: Tiny the dog is added for correct weight as I challenge Ross to a handicap race at Pennies by the Sea.

Christine

DONKEY DIGEST • September 20182 3DONKEY DIGEST • September 2018

Rescue mule Wallace the Great with owner/rider Christie McLean were successful in overturning a ban, making history

for mules, and governing body British Dressage.

Story: Robyn KeyvarEvent: 30 October 2016

Registrations Reg.number Owner

EagleRockQT 17/4/67CA JenDalitz

EagleRockJJ 17/011GE JenDalitz

EagleRockBobby 17/012GE JenDalitz

EagleRockKayesibabe 17/031JE JenDalitz

EagleRockSassy 17/032JE JenDalitz

ArdockSem 17/013GE AnnBerrett

SunriseVera 17/034JE RuthWalker

ModraLuLu 18/001JE IrenePope

ModraGiGi 18/002JE IrenePope

ModraMorgan 18/001GE IrenePope

ModraTheFonze 18/002GE IrenePope

ModraMonteCarlo 18/003GE IrenePope

ModraMonarch 18/004GE IrenePope

WesternDownsFlorida 18/005GE KimDalton

Transfers

EagleRockBowie 17/007GE JenDalitz AshleyBrowne 17/023

EagleRockShiler 17/008JE JenDalitz AshleyBrowne 17/022

Registrar’s Roundup with Kerrie Haynes-Lovell

Registrations Registrationno. Owner

WesternDownsMerrill 18/019JE/EI KimDalton

WesternDownsMaybee 18/020JE/EI KimDalton

KeysoeMulga 18/006JA(WCNT) RuthWalker

KeysoeMerinda 18/021JE(WCNT) RuthWalker

FangornJacob 18/014GE(largeStandard) SarinaCaccamo

WesternDownsMaine 18/015GE(Aus.Min) KimDalton

TaranganbaPetula 18/022JE(Aus.Min) KimDalton

DSVDaphne 18/023JE(LgStandard) DSVsurrender-c/-AnnBerrett

DSVTammy 18/024JE(LgStandard) DSVsurrender-c/-AnnBerrett

LadyTamarofLucies 18/025JE(wildLgeStandard) ChaseandKeithDay

LordDominickofLucies 18/016GE(wildLgeStandard) ChaseandKeithDay

WattlewoodsWeeUlla 18/026JE(Aus.Miniature) HazelKnight

WattlewoodsWeeTashmoGrace 18/027JE(Aus.Miniature) HazelKnight

WattlewoodsWeeTyrusLouie 18/017GE(Aus.Miniature) HazelKnight

WattlewoodsWeeTarakAlfie 18/018GE(Aus.Miniature) HazelKnight

KeysoeShane 18/019GE(Lge.Standard) RuthWalker

KeysoeAdina(wildNT) 18/029JE(Lge.Standard) RuthWalker

KeysoTinga(wildNT) 18/028JE(Lge.Standard) RuthWalker

KeysoeZeke(wildNT) 18/021GE(Lge.Standard) RuthWalker

KeysoeMathoura(wildNT) 18/020GE(Lge.Standard) RuthWalker

Transfers

FangornElisha 15/004JE SarinaCaccamo MeeyaGalloway 18/011

WillowdaleKarri 15/002JE SarinaCaccamo SallyWynd 10/012

FangornJacob 18/014GE SarinaCaccamo SusanBennett 18/013

FangornZelda 14/020JE SarinaCaccamo SusanBennett 18/014

NEWSOVERSEAS

ritish Dressage was forced to change its rules after being accused of equine racism when it banned a mule from competing in an official introductory dressage test at

Gloucestershire. Wallace the Great’s owner Christie McLean refused to accept the ban and successfully campaigned for mules to be treated equally within the sport.

The 11-year-old mule then went on to become the first mule to take part in a British Dressage event. To add icing to the cake Wallace the Great beat eight other cob, pony and horse competitors to win his intro test with a score of 67.4%.

“He works in a beautiful outline, he’s very consistent with his paces, just a bit unbalanced in canter as he’s still a bit weak,” said Christie.

“I’ve never had a problem with taking him out,” she said. “If anything, it’s riders who get flappy, saying their horses will have a meltdown, but the horses just second-look him and are fine.”

“We’re not going to offend anyone or hurt anyone, and there’s a good chance we won’t be around any high-level dressage horses who might be upset by him, as they won’t be at the intro tests.”

“He’s very sweet and laid-back, and he never brays when we’re out. He just looks like a nice New Forest pony, with a bigger head and some pretty enormous ears, that’s it,” said Christie.

Wallace was found abandoned in a village in Ireland and rescued by the Donkey Sanctuary. He now lives in Dursely, Gloucestershire, with two donkeys and another mule, which was so badly abused it could not be ridden.

For the past six months, Wallace and Christie have been training together and the mule's aptitude for dressage became clear. Christie said she only wants Wallace to compete in some intro team quest tests and “see where it takes us”.

B

VICTORY FOR WALLACE THE MULE AS DRESSAGE BAN OVERTURNED

WORMING WARNING!The local vet asked me to spread the message about the dangers of some types of wormers when ingested by dogs. Just the previous week a large pup was taken to his practice after being found ingesting a mectin-based horse wormer that was on the back seat of a car in which the pup was travelling. Within hours, the pup was presenting unwell clinically and, sadly, died six days later. Nothing could be done to save it.

So please exercise care with chemical anthelmintics – keep them well out of reach of dogs and, of course, small inquisitive children. As we know, some of these de-wormers are flavoured to make them palatable to horses and donkeys, which can also make them attractive to other non-target animals such as dogs. Spread the word and stay safe.


“We have bred both mules and hinnies and we competed in One Day Events (Horse Trials) and all other Riding Club events in Victoria’s Geelong area in the 80s. Initially, my daughter Wendy rode Elum our 14hh mule at Drysdale/Leopold Pony Club. Our club also had three donkeys attending rallies at the time. However, when Wendy tried to enter a One Day Event, a district meeting voted to exclude donkeys and mules from inter-club events, even though our own club was still happy to include donkeys and mules.

Later I started riding Elum at Adult Riding Club. At first there was a bit of trouble from others who reckoned their horses were scared of him, but we soon were well accepted and most of my competition was at Riding Club. I knew I would not have been accepted at EFA events and did not aspire to those levels!!

Elum went on to win a One Day Event against 20 horses and was first in the dressage and first overall which was a very proud moment for me. We also rode in the Federation Ride 1988 which covered a distance of 1,000km in three weeks riding from Melbourne to Canberra.

Interestingly, more recently, when Kitty Byrnes took her part-mammoth donkey Susannah to Maldon Pony Club she was welcomed and the zone welcomed her to inter club events! It’s good to see things are changing.”

Mules and Hinnies“I was particularly interested in the Donkey Digest article on mules and hinnies as we have bred both. Our hinny, Twinkle, was ridden by my daughter Anne and I rode my mule Elum at our local Riding Club. Twinkle and Elum were both just on 14hh.

It was not true of them that the hinny was more horse-like. Twinkle certainly loved people, and was trained to be a good riding animal, and had slightly shorter ears than Elum the mule. However, she had a more donkey-like body in that when overweight she had fat deposits in lumps and a wide neck such as donkeys do. Her mane and tail were more donkey-like, and she had the shorter stride of the two. My daughter loved Twinkle, but Twinkle was also happy to be ridden by others.

Elum, the mule, had a more horse-like body. His neck did not get a donkey-like crest, his mane and tail were a little longer and could be plaited when competing in such things as dressage and he had a more horse-like stride. He and I competed successfully in all events at Riding Club against the horses. He had stamina and was my mount for several years. He was very much my animal and never so keen to be ridden by others.

Twinkle was the offspring of a 11.3hh grey roan Australian donkey and a 12.2hh bay pony stallion (whose mother was quite a bit bigger than him), and Elum was from a 13.2hh palomino pony and a 12.2hh black donkey jack. Both matured at just on 14hh.

We also later bred mules by our imported mammoth jack, Cokeley Major Leo, who sired nearly 40 mules altogether. All of these mules that I have seen were very horse-like, although certainly mule personalities are very individual and not really like either donkey or horse!”

Can you help?NEWSOVERSEAS

I rode my mule Elum to win a one Day Event run by the local Adult Riding Club.

Meanwhile back at home … Pat Streefkerk writes:

SHORTEARS ONLYMules are still banned from official competitions run by Equestrian Australia, formerly the EFA, the gov-erning body of the sport in this country. However, they are aware of the recent loud protests in Britain which led to the overturning of the ban on mules competing in the U.K. and, I feel, are receptive to the idea of changing the rules here if approached.Now we only have to find a few mule-riding dres-sage or eventing competitors willing to challenge the system. Hands up anyone?

ou would be forgiven for not recognising him, but underneath the elephant costume is Harley, the Swedish part-bred Poitou we

featured in the last issue of the Donkey Digest.

Harley and his owner Hanna Pettersson won even more fans when they appeared as the ‘Greatest Showman’ in a horse rally - 'hästrally' in Swedish, an event held yearly in the north of Sweden. Unsurprisingly, Hanna and Harley won the costume class beating no less than 53 horses. That win gave them a 30-point bonus for the next two days of competition.

Compared to Australia, Sweden’s horse rallies sound pretty full on. For instance, they comprise driving 34km on Saturday and 20km on Sunday. You also do obstacles on the way – everything from throwing darts from the horse/wagon to getting your harnessed animal to step on a concrete lid with the front foot.

Points are accrued over the weekend and Harley finished second overall. What a star!

Y

ROLL UP, ROLL UP: Harley & Hanna put on a show

eart B Porter Creek is now the first mule in the history of the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) to earn

the Bronze Freestyle Bar. Trained and ridden by Audrey Goldsmith, Porter has successfully earned qualifying scores at First, Second and Third Level Freestyles, peaking at a score of 69.6%.

According to the USDF, rider medals (bronze, silver, and gold) are awarded based on attaining the required scores at the necessary levels throughout the competition year.

Congratulations to Heart B Porter Creek and Audrey Goldsmith for this wonderful achievement.

H

MORE MULE HISTORY IN USA

NEWSOVERSEAS

Streefkerk-bred hinny Twinkle with daughter Anne on board.


Animal activists say overweight tourists - mostly from the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom - are causing injury to the donkeys that carry them up and down the hills on the Greek isle of Santorini.

Animal activists working on improving the welfare of working donkeys and mules on Santorini have added another threat to their well-being: Fat tourists.

The donkeys that carry tourists up and down the steep hills and cobbled steps on the island are suffering bloody, open saddle sores and spinal injuries caused by carrying overweight visitors, activists with a campaign called Help the Santorini Donkeys have told British publications.

“Locals have even started breeding stronger donkeys and mules so it is easier for them to carry fatter tourists,” writes The Mirror.

Christina Kaloudi, who moved to the island from Athens 10 years ago, founded a group called Santorini Animal Welfare Association which runs a shelter on the island. She told the Mirror that over the last decade, the number of overweight American, Russian and British tourists has tripled.

During the peak summer holiday season between May and October, thousands visit the island where donkeys have traditionally been used to carry people up steep, stepped areas that vehicles can’t travel, according to The Sun.

“The obese and overweight tourists, combined with the lack of shade and water as well as the sheer heat and 568 cobbled steps, is what is causing such a problem,” the Sun wrote.

'Fat' tourists causing donkeys spinal injuries on Greek island paradise, activists say

NEWSOVERSEAS

“The holiday season on islands is now a lot longer than it used to be, meaning that the donkeys are pretty much in work the whole year round,” Kaloudi told the Sun. “If they are not transporting tourists up the steps they are moving building materials or transporting heavy bags of rubbish.

“There are some good owners out there that follow the code but generally donkeys are worked into the ground and then disposed of when their working lives are over.”

Paula Legg from the UK-based The Donkey Sanctuary, agreed that the issue is an ongoing priority.

Legg was part of a team that had visited Santorini recently and “found that the welfare conditions for many of the working donkeys and mules, especially the tourist taxis, is inadequate.

“What we found has really concerned us. We are, quite simply, dismayed. And will be increasing our efforts to support the needs of these hardworking donkeys and mules.”

Town hall officials said all parties had agreed on measures that included giving the animals shade during their rest times and making sure they have plenty of water and food.

The loads they carry and the hours they work will also be limited, island officials said, but nothing was said about how load limits, particularly of people passengers, would be enforced.

According to the Post, Santorini has struggled in recent years to deal with an increase in tourists. The island, for instance, has limited the number of cruise liners allowed to disgorge its passengers there.

NEWSOVERSEAS

rare white-coloured mule foal has been born in the U.K. at the Hertfordshire-based Greenacres Equestrian much to the surprise of the yard’s owners Di and

Pennie Cornish.

One-week-old Daisy made her appearance into the world rather unexpectedly after Pennie had purchased her dam, a 13.2hh Connemara, for their riding school — not knowing she was in foal.

“I bought the mare from friends who had got her from Ireland, we had no idea and nor did they,” said Pennie, who owns the showjumping yard and riding school with her mother Di.

“We only found out in the later stages of the pregnancy and then out popped this funny looking thing with huge ears. I’ve bred quite a few horses and had some surprises but nothing like this.”

The exact colouring of the filly is not known and Pennie is also in the dark about who the sire is.

“I know white horses are so rare, she hasn’t

A

Showjumping yard shocked by birth of ‘white’ mule

got blue eyes but does have pink around them. I’d say she’s nearly albino, but she has got some spots appearing on her rear so maybe she will be an appaloosa,” added Pennie. “Even the vet can’t tell us. Also when she was first born, she had bad eyesight and couldn’t see anything.”

However, it sounds like Daisy has made her mark at the yard and won’t be going anywhere soon.

“The kids love her so she has to stay now and I am thinking of keeping her as a yard mascot. If she’s well behaved enough I may take her around county shows next year and raise some money for charity,” added Pennie, who co-owns the Hickstead Derby-winning Caritiar Z with her mother and Nigel Eccles.

“My seven-year-old daughter Chloe has fallen in love with her. She’s a sweet filly and very brave — if you call her name in the field she comes cantering over.

“If I was paid a pound for every person at the riding school who has come and visited her, I would be a millionaire,” she said.

zoo in Egypt is facing some questions after a photo emerged of a less-than-stellar looking zebra.

Mahmoud Sarhan posted an image on Facebook with the animal at Cairo's International Garden municipal park, and it has more than a passing resemblance to a donkey.

As well as being smaller than usual and with pointy ears, it appears the "zebra" has some black smudges on its face. Sarhan said he was suspicious straight away.

"From the first sight, I knew that it was a donkey, not a zebra as I'm an artist I knew the shape of donkeys. I knew the shape of zebras, so it was easy to know."

The zoo director denied the claim though and told a local radio station Nogoum FM the animal was not a fake, reports the BBC.

Donkeys have been painted up to look like zebras before in zoos.

In 2009 zookeepers in Marah Land Zoo, Gaza City put black and white patterns on their donkeys after the original zebras died of hunger when they were neglected during the Israel-Hamas war.

The animals were too expensive to replace, so the keepers decided to paint the donkeys instead.

A

Egyptian zoo accused of painting donkeys to look like zebras

RIGHT - The animals are at Cairo's International Garden municipal park.

Mahmoud Sarhan with the "zebra".


Michelle Freeman with her mule's head for the World War 1 Trail in Bury St Edmunds. Picture: Russell Cook

A colourful 6ft high camel and a mule’s head are now in place as part of the World War 1 Trail, in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk U.K.

They are two more pieces created by Michelle Freeman, who runs the Crafty Foxes creative workshops, and are on display in the Apex and outside Beautiful Beers, in St John’s Street.

They make up the 18 pieces of the trail which is now underway and which is being organised by the My WiSH Charity and Our Bury St Edmunds. It is aiming to raise £500,000 for the charity’s Every Heart Matters appeal to help create a fully integrated cardiac centre at the West Suffolk Hospital.

Michelle’s other pieces for the trail include a horse bookcase and pigeons and she said: “These animal-themed creations aim to raise awareness of the contribution horses, camels, pigeons and mules made during the war.

“Creating four individual pieces of art has been a real challenge and hugely satisfying; working alongside talented and recognised artists gives me a real buzz.”

The lifesize camel, sponsored by heart support group Upbeat, is created out of a combination of medium-density fibreboard (MDF), disused carpet rolls, recycled plastic bottles, masking tape, wadding and 10 layers of marbled decoupage paper and glue.

The mule’s head, sponsored by Beautiful Beers, is made from marine ply, jig-sawed and sprayed with chocolate textured suede paint.

“I guess I was thinking about the ‘wow factor’ for my pieces for the trail and I am hoping they will be popular on the trail.”

Around 80,000 donkeys and mules were recruited during the war as they could carry far more weight and were easier to maintain than horses. The downside was their braying during the night was so noisy it could reveal the troops position to the enemy. Consequently, many mules had their vocal chords removed.

Meanwhile, domesticated camels were used in battle, both for the transportation of equipment and of warriors.

NEWSOVERSEAS

Camels were much easier to control than horses once they were made to kneel down and they were much less prone to panicking when exposed to enemy artillery and small fire-arms.

The pieces on the trail, commissioned by local artists and sculptor and dotted in prime town centre sites, are on display through to Armistice Day, on November 11. At its culmination, an auction will take place to sell off all the pieces to go to the My WiSH Charity’s Every Heart Matters appeal.

Imposing camel and a mule’s head: Two more pieces for the World War 1 Trail

verywhere you turn in life you are faced with a barrage of specialised terminology. The equine field is no exception. We have a whole range of specialised terms that make no

sense to a non-equine person (as illustrated in the joke below).

We talk about tack (saddlery), posting (trotting) on the correct diagonal, canter strike-off, flying change, English riding, Western riding, loping along, hand gallop, sliding stop … the list goes on. We also have specialised lexicons for equine gear used, gaits, the sport, for colours and for breeding.

Two of the most basic terms of confusion are hybrid and crossbred. This is not to be confused with inbreeding and linebreeding, which have to do with the use of an animal more than one time in a pedigree. A hybrid is an animal that is a cross between two distinct but related species.

Our beloved mule is often cited as the best example of a hybrid. Mules have a jack donkey for a sire and a horse mare for a mother. The donkey and horse are both equids, but far enough removed in evolution that they have different chromosome counts (62 vs 64) and distinctly different physical features. They can produce a viable offspring, but as is true in many hybrid situations, the offspring is usually sterile.

The hinny (horse stallion x jennet donkey) is the other cross of these two species. In our long-eared world, we also have zebra-hybrids, the crossing of zebra stallions with horse mares or donkey jennets, or the occasional reciprocal cross of a zebra mare to a jack or stallion. Again, these animals are related (being equids) but are distinctly different species. The hybrid strongly shows characteristics of both parent types. This is similar in a way to hybrid cars that combine two power types – combustion and electric – to give characteristics of both worlds.

Crossbreeding, on the other hand, is taking two breeds and putting them together to make a new and hopefully slightly better type of animal. The term we are most familiar with is the ‘Designer’ dogs – these are crossbreds, not hybrids. In the dog world, we have the Labradoodle, Schnoodle, Pekapoo, Pugle … the doggy list is endless.

Hybrid versus Crossbred

A city couple stayed at a tourist sheep and cattle station, wishing to experience ‘life on the farm’.The stockman prepared the horses and asked if the couple wanted Western or English saddles. They looked at each other, then the young man

politely asked what the difference was.The stockman explained to them that one had a

horn and one didn’t.The young woman contemplated this for a while before she replied, “The one without the horn is

fine. I don’t expect we’ll run into too much traffic.”

Mules & hinnies are hybrids not crossbreds

E

Horse crossbreds can be any of the myriad Anglo/Arabian, Quarter Pony, Gypsy Vanner, Irish Sport Horse, Warmblood etc. These are two breeds of horses with the same chromosome count but different body characteristics. This is how new breeds are created.

Bishop Mule Days Baking TreatLook at this cookie sold at the 2018 Bishop

Mule Days in California. Yum.


HELP! My donkey’s turned into a beaver

Story: Christine Thelander & Hanna Silversides

orry to say but termites or pinking shears aren’t the real culprits. Your darling little part-beaver donkey is responsible for the very common problem of wood chewing. But

why chew trees and wood? The experts tell us there are three reasons for this: Boredom or Frustration; Nutritional Deficiencies; or Habit.

It’s true in the horse world that animals kept in stables, small paddocks, secluded from other horses, or fed largely concentrates without enough fodder to keep them chewing over a long time may become bored and chew fences for something to do. Some horses too may have learned to gnaw wood from stable or pasture mates. Like mischievous kids, they try what the other kids are trying, even if they would never have thought of it on their own—and the habit starts. This is how horses can pick up the problematic habits of cribbing or windsucking which can be hard on timber, not to mention the horse. However, this isn’t true wood chewing, as we donkey owners know it and the solutions aren’t quite as easy.

Let’s talk treesMany of the gardeners amongst us like our properties dotted with decorative trees and don’t take too kindly to them being given a slow death sentence by our eager-beaver donkeys. As well as improving the aesthetics of a property, trees can greatly improve the microclimate, colour and diversity of the property in the following ways:

• Preventing erosion by stabilizing the soil.

• Controlling salinity by lowering ground water level.

• Providing a habitat for fauna – birds and insects.

• Providing shelter and shade from wind, sun and rain for your donkey.

• Adding economic value by providing firewood, timber fence posts and even fodder.

S

Are there chewed-off trees in your donkey paddocks? Do your fences appear to have been attacked by an army of termites? Do your stables have ‘decorated edging’ that looks like it was fashioned with a giant pair of pinking shears?

Trees also need to be carefully chosen and protected as poorly managed they can uproot building foundations, reduce pasture and increase fire risk. You also do not want to plant poisonous trees or shrubs in your donkey paddocks.

Why do trees need protection?Stock of any sort, but equines in particular, can cause extreme damage to trees through chewing bark, rubbing and pushing trunks, trampling and chewing around the base. Once bark is even partially removed the tree is exposed to infection and becomes weakened. If all the bark is chewed and the tree is ringbarked, anything above the line of

ringbarking will die, as the layer protected by the bark is necessary to move nutrients around the tree. Donkeys can ringbark a tree within a few hours. In addition, trampling and chewing around the base weakens the root system, compacts and erodes surrounding soil and generally causes a decline in the tree’s health.

Why do donkeys love chewing wood?The answer lies in the donkeys’ DNA. Because food availability is sparse in their native settings of arid, desert regions, they don’t only eat grass. They happily browse on woody shrubs, trees, broadleaf and flowering plants. Over centuries nature adapted donkeys’ digestive processes so that they could maintain their health browsing on coarse, woody-type plants that, to us, do not even look edible. So no, donkeys are not grazers. They are browsers. Horses are grazers. Donkeys have such a strong desire to browse they can become quite destructive when forage is limited and – frustratingly – sometimes even when it’s freely available. Providing sources of browse, such as brambles, tree branches and twigs from safe tree species can give a donkey something to do and reduce destructive tendencies.

It’s not fully understood why donkeys chew wood in a domestic situation. Possible reasons include mineral deficiency, especially at certain times of the year such as spring. Rising sap in the trees at this time of the year may also be a sweet treat. I personally have not found any particular diet-related catalyst for wood chewing with my horses and donkeys. My animals have been housed at two different properties and they still attack the trees and fences, even though they are provided with salt and mineral licks (for equines, not ruminants) and a balanced food supply. I have noticed however that this beaver-like activity with my horses and donkeys usually happens in spring. I have not noticed this behavior linked to mineral deficiency. But that’s only my experience. I’m sure you will all have different stories and different results. That’s what makes the issue so annoying. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer.


Prevention in lieu of cureFencing them in – trees not donkeys – is the most reliable way to avoid tree damage or ‘death by donkey’. Permanent fencing can be erected around mature trees, as well as young trees.

For donkey fences, leave enough space between the fence and the tree so that the animals cannot reach the leaves by stretching their necks. Avoid rough edges that may injure stock, and do not use barbed wire if the paddock is for donkeys and horses.

Whist fencing is the best way to protect young trees from donkeys and other livestock, there are many imaginative other ways to protect smaller trees. These include:

• plastic tree guards and bamboo stakes.

• stacking used tyres over the tree. The tyres can be kept in place using three star pickets driven into the ground.

• using an old drum, kept in place with a triangle of star pickets. Wire mesh could be added to the top of the drum for further protection as the tree grows.

• constructing a guard around the trees using old wooden fence posts.

To allow unrestricted access to the area surrounding a mature tree (for shade or grazing) while maintaining some protection from ringbarking, attach small-netted wire around the tree trunk, from the ground to a height above the reach of livestock.

Do not use wire with a net size larger than chicken wire as it may catch donkeys’ hooves. Attach the wire in a way that will not injure the stock and will permit future growth of the trees. Also keep the wire free from the tree as diameter growth will cause gaps in a few years. This problem can be avoided by joining the two wire ends with tyre tube to allow for expansion.

Remember that allowing stock to graze freely around trees may damage the root system and degrade soil structure. This will affect the health of the tree and may eventually result in its death.

Zap themUsing an electric fence is an effective option to keep little mouths away from trees and shrubs. If you want to install electric fencing, it is important to plan carefully to ensure the fence is effective. To protect a tree close to an existing fence, connect high tensile wires to the fence and hoop them around the tree. Use a post or two to support the hoops. Every situation is different and what suits one won’t necessarily suit another.

Tips for wiring individual tree trucks • The wire should stretch from the ground base to at least two metres high – donkeys are quite able to chew at height.

• To protect the root system from chewing and digging place rocks or old logs around the base. This also helps to prevent soil compacting and erosion.

• Allow space around the trunk for annual expansion as the tree grows. Otherwise the wire itself will become tight and embedded

in the bark causing ringbarking, Tying the wire together with inner tubing, which allows for expansion, can prevent this.

• Leaf litter can collect around the tree trunk (inside the wire) causing rotting of the bark.

• Wiring around individual tree trunks must be checked every year and loosened and leaf build up removed.

• Always avoid barbed wire or loose low wire that can get entangled in hooves, potentially causing serious injury.

Other barriersMany donkey owners swear by mineral licks. These have been found to be effective in the past. However, it is not known if the licks diverted attention from the tree or indicated a lack of minerals in the diet that was previously supplied by the trees.

Others use garlic sprayed onto the tree or painted around it. I have also heard of people having success with painting sump or motor oil onto fences (you would need to ensure anything like this sprayed on a tree was not going to be detrimental to the health of that tree). Anything that tastes yucky, such as hot pepper spray, can be useful.

Adding a mixture of manure and water to the trunk of the tree is also effective. The idea is that donkeys do not eat in areas where they smell their own manure. This helps them reduce their parasite burden. I tried this and found it worked a treat but like many other paint or spray-on solutions, you have to keep repeating the procedure as it washes off in the rain.

It has been said that rough-barked tree species are more attractive to browsers, thus smooth-barked trees that have been protected in the first three to four years should be okay. The sceptic in me doesn’t entirely believe that. My little monkeys seem to delight in proving me wrong every chance they get. It’s not enough, however, to stop me planting and caring for trees that will add value to my property and add to the shady comfort of paddocked animals during the long, sub-tropical summer season.

Before erecting a tree protection barrier, make certain the donkeys can’t get in –Plonka & Wonka’s Property Maintenance Tips.


Shamus & Angus are Best Friends whether in the stable or out playing in the paddock.

When there’s food around, all is well in the donkey world. Jindi, Donnie, Plonka & Wonka proving that food really does bring everyone together.

Longear Dreams Come TrueStory: Anita Bransden, SA

he time was finally right, my dream of having a longear to share trails and adventures with, so the search began. It was originally in my mind that a Mammoth donkey was to be my new partner in all things under saddle, including endurance riding but after searching and seeking advice from a few very experienced and willing helpers here in Australia I was advised that a donkey may not be suitable

for endurance. I was told that a mule would possibly fit the bill more so for me. So, where to find a suitable mule in Australia?

The search was on. No stone was left unturned and it soon became obvious that to find a riding-sized mule here in Australia that was already under saddle was almost impossible. Taking on a young one was my only way. With absolutely no longear experience at all I hit Google and YouTube to learn all that I could to help me along the way.

I travelled to Queensland to meet Shamus the mule in person before the big decision. To me it was a huge deal and I needed to know the decision was the right one as the relationship was always going to be long term. My first impression was ‘WOW what a beautiful boy’ and instantly fell for those ears, but straight away I knew I was in for a huge task. This boy has an enormous personality, way greater than his ears!

Shamus is rising four years old. He’s currently 14.3hh. His Mum was a 13.2hh Australian riding pony and his sire was the imported New Zealand Mammoth jack, Awapuni George Washington who stands at 15.1hh.

Shamus willingly loves to work, loves to get out and about and explore new places and meet new equines. He’s no longear elitist, he will happily befriend any horse and join them in play. But no play is like Mule play, so that is why we now also have Angus the Mule in the family, half-brothers sharing the same sire.

Angus came to us as a weanling pretty much, a sweet sensitive little fluffy boy when he arrived. Angus was used to getting along with other equines as he shared his dam with a young filly that had sadly lost her mother at a very young age. Angus is out of an Appaloosa/Arab mare who is 14.3hh. Now at rising three, Angus has already overtaken his mother in height and who knows when he will stop growing?

I enlisted professional help from trainers Jessica and Christina Balacco when the time had come for putting Shamus under saddle. All the many hours of groundwork paid off greatly when I was able to back him myself on his first day under saddle, a huge achievement indeed

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Adelaide horse rider Anita Bransden recently took up endurance riding. The twist was she wanted to enjoy the sport on a riding-sized donkey. But it didn’t work out that way. Here’s Anita’s story.

and very exciting. Since then we have ventured out and about to different places, attended clinics, working equitation, ridden trails and most recently became involved in South Australia with Mounted Archery. Totally fitting for a mule that happily plods along on a loose rein when he has a job to do. All within his first year under saddle! I may return to endurance in the future with Shamus but for now I’m having too much fun exposing him to various activities to see what he enjoys most.

Next it is Angus’s turn. He’s off to spend a few weeks in the hands of the trainer and come home ready to head off to Howlong to attend the Ty Evans Clinic in November. Exciting times ahead indeed.

Jindi the grey nomaduper donkey Jindi has taken to the road and travelled from Adelaide to Victoria for new adventures. Jindi (Blithe Moon Jindabyne) was an adored member of

Leanne Christie’s four-legged family where he soon showed everyone what a talented star he was. Jindi was educated to saddle, he’d jump and always tried hard for his handler/rider.

Ongoing health issues reluctantly forced Leanne to rehome Jindi to someone who would continue working him, something he enjoyed very much. Enter Judy Wright. She and husband John bought Jindi as a pair for Donnie (Blithe Moon Hubble). Donnie is actually Jindi’s father and was a breeding jack at Helen Robertson’s Blithe Moon stud for nine years before he was gelded.

So Jindi the grey nomad set off from Leanne’s place south of Adelaide to his new home in Bairnsdale, East Gippsland, Victoria. It was a four-day trip with a two-day rest in Melbourne. Jindi arrived looking fresh as a daisy and has now settled in to his new surroundings.

Judy and John run Happy Hooves Experience where locals with disabilities and trauma visit to have ‘therapeutic’ interactions with the donkeys and horses. Jindi will be trained how to do the ‘therapy’. He will also be used to do trail riding and packsaddle. There are plans to take Jindi and Donnie up into the mountains nearby, and also to regional shows for ridden, agility and long reining events.

It looks like fun times ahead for all, including Leanne who will no doubt be planning trips to Victoria to see her ’boy’ in action

SLeanne Christie leads Jindi into the truck for his big journey east.

At his new home: Rachel leads Jindi out to survey the surroundings.

Prestige Transport sets off with the grey nomad aboard.

South Australia

ROUND UP

Fun in the sun: Shamus & short-eared friend cooling off

at Milang.

Even though he really wanted to walk straight into the tack room, Anita made Shamus back in and wait at the tack room fridge. He’s so obedient &

patient. Who could resist that face?


discovered the hard way that wire cutters are just as cool as chocolate and red wine, especially if you love your animals.

I am a donkey novice. We have two amazing donkeys at our place on the outskirts of the Barossa Valley. However, much as I would like to gush on about the donkeys, I am writing about another riveting subject – wire cutters!

With a pinch of irony, international company Wonkee Donkee Tools provides us with the thrilling information that – quote ‘wire cutter pliers are a simple modification of a straight forward cutting tool designed to allow wires and nails to be cut closer to a solid surface’. I find this borderline interesting but lacklustre informative. Let me relive my ghastly experience so you understand.

Yesterday our beautiful border collie Rippa leapt over a fence and got his back leg severely caught in the top wire. Our beloved family pet is hanging suspended from the fence - twisting badly, howling and the wire is so tight. Momentarily I don’t know what to do. It’s that instant when you freeze. ‘Focus woman’, I tell myself and I call for the children's assistance and request daughter to settle the dog. Bad idea or parenting, whatever. Now all I hear is my daughter screaming as well as the dog howling. The most lovely, placid dog who is in immense pain has bitten her.

Mind says, ‘situation needs urgent assessment’. Daughter: will survive (plus she has no concerns for herself as she loves her dog). Dog: dunno

So I run down to the shed…..where the hell are those wire cutters? I can see every inconceivable object – zinc cream, garden snips, even a cold sore cream. I can’t find – Wonkee Donkee wire cutters. Is it getting a bit more interesting now? Probably not informative though.

Children who have been with dog run down to shed and say ‘you need to call the vet’. So I call much-loved local vet who, praise be, was available and 15 minutes away.

Run, puff puff – I’m not a natural athlete. I arrive back with no wire cutters and am an adult and have absolutely nothing to alleviate the situation apart from the love my eyes can give this beautiful dog. It is a hopeless feeling.

Got to have a strategy - kids: run back down to shed and FaceTime Dad who is not home. Kids pick up every tool and say ‘is this a wire cutter’? After 5 minutes of ‘no that is not a wire cutter’ BINGO – ‘yes that is a wire cutter’ – so the kids run back up the hill. Send son back down the hill to hold gate open for vet so sheep don’t escape.

So yes, back up at the hill…. Daughter does not know how to use wire cutters (maybe if we have animals it is not a stupid idea for all kids to know how to use them). You see I cannot help her as I am holding a dog in the air and am already buckling at the weight. So, FaceTime with Dad and he teaches her how to use wire cutters. She needs to make 3 cuts in the wire but it is difficult because her hand is damaged from the dog bite and it is painful. For a moment, I thought dog was dead as was non-responsive and bleeding from the mouth (but he had just bitten his gum).

Dog finally cut free.

Then the rain comes.

Vet arrives.

I

WIRE CUTTER WOESStory: Elspeth Morgan, SA

Dog assessed and given pain relief and antibiotics.

Husband, albeit pale faced, arrives home, he can take charge of the home front now and other children.

Vet says get your daughter to medical attention immediately.

So off we go – later on, antibiotics, injections and a sling for a few days as swelling is so bad and needing re-assessment.

Daughter’s hand is like soaking a prune, doubled in size.

After the storm had passed I did a Facebook post about the event and surprisingly I got some ‘interesting and informative comments’ from others who have experienced the same trauma, which we like to call ‘where the heck are my wire cutters?

Quote from donkey elder, Evelyn J Hay-van Es: ‘We learnt the hard way to always have wire cutters handy! A couple of years ago our young horse was chased into a fence and was hanging by his back leg. Thankfully he did not struggle too much however finding wire cutters was another thing! We now keep them in the shed – easy to find!’

Seeing our dog in distress was the most horrifying thing. Evelyn ends her Facebook post by stating – ‘it truly is awful watching an animal in pain’.

It was awful. Be it your donkey, your dog or your horse – keep those wire cutters in an arranged place. And teach your children how to use them.

Here is a photo of our family dog Rippa with our little donkey Myrtle.

Hoofnote: Zehta, the daughter, is still wearing a sling but the wound looks like it is responding well to antibiotics. Rippa, the dog, escaped with pulled muscles but no bones broken, thank heavens.

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till it was empty of fuel, then because it was empty, he would drive the truck until it too was empty. He would then use my car and, you guessed it, run it till the fuel gauge flashed red. He would then return to his car – which he always maintained still gave you an extra 80km even when the fuel gauge flashed – and fill up at the petrol station. That left me with a car and a truck that were unusable because they had no fuel. We lived out of town, and did not have drums of fuel on the property.

I tried to explain my problem with this – if there was a small animal emergency and I was home alone I could not drive anyone to the vet, among other scenarios. This rationale did not work. So, I ratcheted the argument up a notch and adopted the hysterical approach. I told him I refused to drive any of our cars once the petrol gauge went under a quarter. And I meant it. But the message was driven home only when I was a passenger in his car – which, according to him, still had 80kms of fuel left – and it spluttered to a stop after 5kms along the road. I didn‘t even have to say a word. Perhaps the lengthy walk to the garage jolted him to his senses.

I’m pleased to say that Ian is now fully stable trained and animal emergencies are now well taken care of at our place. I still can’t find the four pressure bandages I bought especially for snake bites. I think the mistake I made was putting each individual one in an area where it would be easy to reach in the event of a reptile strike. Ah well, at least I’ve got a torch I can use to identify the snake!

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Ian (not his real name) uses a fly mask to avoid identification.

EDITOR’S EXPOSEMurdering my partner was something I seriously considered years ago. It was when we had a property with thoroughbreds, including a stallion, mares and foals. Running a breeding stable, plus holding down a fulltime job in the city meant planning and routine were paramount for everything to run smoothly. That was the way I operated anyway.

Not so Ian (not his real name). He seemed to have been otherwise occupied when they handed out the ‘sensible’ gene. In a classic case of ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’, the two worlds collided over relatively menial things that mattered in an emergency. I had arranged everything in the stable to be within easy grasp. I always have a grooming bucket in the same place, with hoof pick, scissors and utility knife with blades at the ready and minor emergency supplies for certain situations. Halters are hung up in the same place. I also have heavy duty torches located in the same place, along with hammers, chisels, screwdrivers, wire cutters, rope etc. No, I am not Obsessive Compulsive, just as prepared as I can be for the odd emergency we all face as owners of large livestock.

I soon discovered that I needed to buy hoof picks in bulk, as they all disappeared – don’t ask me where. Luckily, I discovered screwdrivers make a good substitute for cleaning out hooves. The fencing tools I always had in the same place scattered, as Ian used them for a job and impatiently agreed to put them back where they came from. But he never did. I also discovered the hard way that not only were the torches missing from their usual abode, but when found all of them were flat. Batteries were never replaced nor the issue mentioned to me so I could rectify it.

As a result, one moon-less night with – surprise, surprise – no working sensor stable lights and all torches being flat our poor vet had to operate on a foal under the headlights of his car. Embarrassing for me. Completely unnecessary. Note to self: if foal dies so does husband.

Lame animals also had a longer wait to be attended to until I could find one of the 45 bulk hoof picks I had bought. Failing that, a screwdriver or a small chisel that would pick out the feet.

Things came to a nasty head at our place over the ‘Petrol Crisis’. Let me explain. We owned three cars - mine, Ian's and the truck we used for towing. For reasons I still cannot fathom to this day, Ian would repeatedly drive his car

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STORY MEMBER’S

ur farm was recently visited by Gold Coast artist Pete Denison, who wanted to take some photos of

our donkeys. Pete is also a donkey lover, and a supporter of the UK Donkey Sanctuary. He recently travelled in Europe where he visited a donkey farm in Sardinia which has 100 miniature albino donkeys.

However, he is not able to have donkeys of his own in the city, so he wants to make a life size sculpture of two donkeys so that he can ensure that he can have donkey cuddles every day.

We have eight donkeys of various shapes, sizes and colours, so he had plenty to choose from. Adolf and I had to encourage them to pose by luring them with liquorice which worked quite well. Pete also took close ups of them from various angles. Of course, the donkeys loved all this attention, and put on their most charming behaviour as they always do when they have visitors.

From this to the finished product will be quite a long, complicated process. Pete ended up with over a hundred photos from which he will make a composite image of the donkey in the pose that he wants. He will then make the initial sculpture in wood. From this he will make a mould and cast them in bronze to achieve the final sculpture. The whole process is expected to take about eight months.

We are very much looking forward to seeing the end result, and to see if we can recognise our donkeys.

OStory: Julia Byatte, Qld

Donkey Photoshoot About Pete DenisonIt’s long way from a cattle station in Tenterfield to the artist haven of Taos, New Mexico, USA but creativity often demands many twists and turns. For Pete Denison, the journey started as a French Polisher specialising in restoring antiques. After 20 years or so living in America, in Georgia and then New Mexico, Pete honed his craft and has become an exceptional sculpture artist whose work is displayed in many galleries.

Specialising in the bas-relief style, Pete’s sculptures demand attention. Possibly because they are big pieces – 2m x 1.5m – of bears, birds, humans, everything. But something was missing. Pete wanted a (big) pair of donkeys for his Gold Coast garden. After coming across donkeys in the flesh in his travels, Pete was smitten. He particularly loves old animals of any kind, as they exude a wisdom and knowing that comes only with age.

After doing his ‘research’ at Julia and Adolf’s property, Pete started creating his full-sized donkey at his Burleigh Heads workshop. Traditionally carvings would be made using clay or wax but Pete has opted to carve his donkeys from wood first, then have them cast in bronze at a foundry. This method is a first for him and I’m sure the outcome will be very exciting. Watch this space.


My fellow donkeys, I am still being subjected to much cruelty up here at the Prickle Farm. I am so exhausted that I am practically unable to leave my favourite sand-roll to eat my hay. A while ago the human took me up to Scone where I went in the Scone Horse Week Parade. The human has been in nearly every parade and he cannot remember a donkey being in the parade before. What a thrill for the big crowd that lined the streets to see such a magnificent creature, as I was the last equine in the parade and the people were probably disgusted after seeing about 300 dopey shorteared drongos traipsing past with their moronic expressions. I think the parade distance is about 50km, more or less.

I was interviewed by the TV but of course the human did the talking. Drivel, as usual. The next day was granddaughter Abbey's (my tormentor) birthday and of course I had to go up and give donkey rides to what felt like about 1000 humans. And all this after the 100km procession at Scone the day before.

Then I was forced to go carriage driving a couple of days later. I had been to one event a few weeks earlier and no-one turned up so I scoffed nice green grass for an hour or so and went home without raising a sweat. No such luck this time! I was unceremoniously hitched to the sulky and off I went out among the shortears. The human beat me severely and I trotted for the first time which felt pretty good (the trotting not the beating). Soon I was trotting around of my own volition and the human even gave me to a lady for her to have a drive. What a thrill it must have been to actually drive a living God and one who can trot too!

with Oliver&OUT ABOUT

their show which was good. I showed them how I can trot which caused the enormous crowd to go wild. After that the human put me in my seat belt snigging harness and the nice man from the draught horse show allowed me to try out his log snigging apparatus.

The people from the carriage driving club told the human that we could use their light snigging logs in my demonstration but the human cruelly said ‘No, Oliver will pull the draught horse logs’ which were about 4m long and weighed over 100kg. The carriage driving man said the he didn't like our chances. Most of the carriage club shortears were Shetlands. The human connected me up to the logs and said ‘walk on’ and I did with no trouble at all in hauling the load which was probably almost as heavy as I am - I am only a little donkey (though a magnificent one). The carriage people were truly amazed and said to the draught horse man who lent us the logs that they thought it impossible for me to snig that weight. The draught horse man said he knew I could do it because he had seen Benny in action at many previous shows.

In the afternoon, I got many more cuddles and the human answered many questions about donkeys. Some of the people out in the west are now using us as guard animals which the human has been extolling the virtues of for the last few years and they are all satisfied with the job donkeys are doing in guarding their sheep. One lady said that they had actually found a couple of dead foxes and a dog which had obviously got the treatment from their guard donkeys.

That is about all I can write now as this weekend the human is taking either me or the silver maggot, Lightning, to a 5km carriage drive. He said that he might take the silver maggot because I am not really ready for a 5km ride yet so I have to take big steps to get out of the drive. Big steps to far north Queensland.

Don't forget DONKEYS RULE!!!

OLIVER

Oliver's personal assistant is Bob Pankhurst,

Celebrity Donkey Management, Somersby, NSW.

Scone Horse Week procession. I won the red ribbon for second place in the whole equine procession judging. Goes to show you how easy it is to upstage the shortears.

I didn’t really need the Superman outfit at Mudgee Small Farm Field days. Everyone knows already that I am Superman.

I had barely got over the exhaustion of this monumental drive when the human took me and stupid Araluen, the trick shorteared gooby up to Mudgee for the Small Farms Field Days where Benny has been featuring for the last ten years. This time they experienced the thrill of a lifetime as I was the feature donkey. The first morning the temperature was -3 degrees. Even though I had two rugs on, my magnificent ears were covered in white frost. I had lots of people call at my stand which represented the Donkey Society of Victoria and many questions were asked about donkey ownership and donkey uses, as we seem to be considered novelty animals. I did several shows in my sulky but mostly stood around and let hundreds of people cuddle me and give me treats.

The next day the temperature was -7 and my mane and ears were frozen and white. To make things even more distasteful the doors of the truck were frozen shut and the human could not open them till nearly 9am so we never had a morning feed until then. The only good thing about this is that he had no breakfast either. After I’d regained my strength and dusted off the white frost the carriage driving club allowed me to drive with them in

The human leading me at Abbey’s birthday party torture.

Above: Snigging the draught horse log with ease, I made a great impression with the heavy horse people at Mudgee.

Minus seven degrees & frozen ears & mane had me phoning the RSPCA.


omorrow I deliver mules Bobby Sox and Caboose to their new home near Ballarat.

This home is just up the road from the place where Bobby’s full sister Fairy went to live in March. I do hope their owners will meet each other and share mule experiences together. In the same trip, Ross and I will also transport two older jennies surrendered to the Donkey Society of Victoria (DSV) which are now being rehomed at Gherang, around the corner from where the DSV Treasurer Chris Trotter lives. It will be great if I also make new friends with these people who have all also joined the DSV. It’s a long trip to the west side of Victoria so we will stay overnight and enjoy dinner with an extra two DSV members joining us. Poor Ross will find all the constant donkey conversation during the evening a bit tiring. And I will be sad that two mules I love will live elsewhere. However it will be a good home for them and I will concentrate on working longears that suit my needs best.

Feeling that I’d like to swing back the herd balance to equal donkey and mule numbers and with future plans to do regular short packing trips now that I have retired, I have bought two Australian donkey geldings from Ruth Walker’s Keysoe Stud.

One donkey is 12yo Keysoe Shane (who I am renaming for paddock/work purposes as Snowy River.) I haven’t measured Snowy but expect he is 12hh. As a young jack he spent several years in SA at Helen Robertson’s Blithe Moon Stud and has descendents down to great-grand offspring. He is a half brother on his father’s side to my excellent Keysoe Tambo and also to the terrific Farpoint Digby who I sold to Liz Poultney in WA. On his mother’s side, Snowy is half-brother to the now deceased and still much missed Keysoe Simon who was one of my best ever donkeys. Their dam Stella was a wild caught jenny and Simon was conceived in the wild. Snowy’s younger full brother Keysoe Sandon was recently ridden at the Walmer Camp before being sold to a couple who are members of the Bendigo and District Donkey and Mule Club. Since Ross and I also sometimes attend that club, the boys will still see each other sometimes. They were inseparable paddock mates at Ruth’s place.

The other donkey wo came to live here is one-year-old Keysoe Mathoura (who I will call Marlo). He is named after the Victorian town where the Snowy River flows into the sea. Marlo is growing well and may likely make 13hh or close to it. He was also conceived in the wild but born at Ruth’s stud to a wild caught jenny Merinda bought at the Echuca sales. It is interesting to see that Marlo is bold, inquisitive and calm. He takes the lead and Snowy follows behind at our place. Although they were not paddocked together in their previous home, they bonded closely on the float trip home. Possibly in joint awe/fright/disdain of my mule Callie who I had brought up to Ruth’s for a ride together.

Tambo and Frosty practically ignored the new arrivals when they came into their paddock after meeting them over the fence for 12 hours, and the two new ‘boys’ currently stand off as a pair by themselves. I have kept all mules except Daisy away from Marlo as they can be physically rough on new arrivals and he’s still just a baby. Unfortunately I do not have enough space for a quarantine paddock where new longears can be kept out of touching distance from any resident equines.

In August I took Tambo and Frosty to the Coal Creek Heritage Festival at Korumburra. Ross helped me put up a photographic display of historic pictures of Australian donkeys doing a variety of work and photos of our own longears also busy with various tasks and gear. Ross then pedalled off on his pennyfarthing bicycle to win the moustache competition while I popped on the pack gear and led my donkeys around this fascinating venue. In addition to a large collection of historic buildings with demonstrations of old times skills, Coal Creek has coal mine tunnels, a real steam train running and a huge water wheel. On the day about 1,400 people attended and all seemed to want to pat and admire my boys. Frosty blissed

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all day with the attention but Tambo reckoned he’d had enough of strangers touching him by lunchtime. Both lads were impeccably behaved and calm about the environment and were very polite with the admirers at all times. I gave them an hour’s rest at lunch and stopped people from touching them during that time. Wish I had given myself the same treatment as I was still bombarded with questions and came home with a sore throat. Even when the festival was packing up we still had families around us asking things and patting the donkeys while we put gear back in the float. While my mules are good, the donkeys suit this type of outing best as they are more patient about standing still and being surrounded by strangers for an extended time.

With Fiona MottramFrom the Ridge

Inspecting the working water wheel which powers wood cutting equipment - initially Tambo was fascinated by the movement and

water noises but later ignored them.

Children were especially attracted by the donkeys.

Fiona Mottram leading Keysoe Mathoura now Marlo on his first walk.

Coal Creek - First across the railway tracks in front of the steam train then across the bridge - Fiona Mottram with Keysoe Tambo - Yurrah Frosty is behind but obscured.

Ruth Walker takes Keysoe Shane on his second walk off the stud - practising road crossing.


nce upon a time, I lived the perfect life. I had my very own Prince Charming, was the mother of four gorgeous children

and believed myself to be a strong, competent woman. The sudden death of my nine-year-old son shattered this fairy-tale world and exposed just how fragile I was. For years, I felt guilty for not coping. I eventually realised I didn’t have to cope, that life could be muddled through… for a while. When my eldest daughter revealed a ghastly secret she had borne alone since the loss of her brother, my world was reduced to nothing but my own long-buried childhood. More years, more tears… until, from the ashes of my fairy-tale world arose a new story, one of acceptance and forgiveness. While I could not turn back the clock to make life better for my surviving grown-up children, I could be a positive force in the lives of my grandchildren.

I left behind 40 years of marriage and a stimulating, lucrative career, to trek the Bicentennial National Trail through Queensland for nine months. My two staunch, wise donkeys carried all we needed for the 2,500-kilometre journey. At age 60, I was ready to live alone, prepared to treat my own life as sacred. But I needed something to test my self-reliance, my independence, and to settle any remaining emotional dust. The drought-stricken trail accomplished this and more; it wrought a parallel journey into the heart and soul of my existence.

My donkeys, Grace and Charley, did much more than carry our physical load. Walking with them, day in, day out, revealed to me the nature of relationships – with people I met, the donkeys, the environment and myself – not always a pretty picture, but ever-evolving. Events on the long trek seemed deliberately contrived to dismantle all vestiges of the capable and caring person I felt was “me”. My sanity was saved (almost) because at least I could laugh at myself; and I learned more about forgiveness.

O

ASSvErTISEMEnTSDonkey & Mule Society of New Zealand Inc. www.donkey-mule.org.nz Donkey & mule care, welfare & training. Membership includes quarterly magazine Donkey & Mule Dispatch.Overseas Subscription NZ $50. Email: [email protected]

Interested in livestock? We focus on the care and management of stock and pets, plus food and recipes, gardening, farming, self-sufficiency and more. It’s all in Grass Roots magazine. From newsagents or subscribe for $37.50. Grass Roots Publishing, phone 03-5792 4000. PO Box 117, Seymour, Victoria 3661.

The BRAYER Magazine. Newsletter of the American Donkey & Mule Society. www.lovelongears.com Donkeys, minis, standards, mammoths, mules & zebra hybrids.Overseas subscription US $50. 6 issues pet year. Email: [email protected], PO Box 1210, Lewisville TX 75067 USA

British Mule Society www.britishmulesociety.co.uk Overseas membership UK £25 + £1Joining fee. The Mule journal is published 3 times per year.Contact Helen Brodie, Little Paddocks, School Lane, Great Steeping, Spilsby, Lincs PE23 5PU, UK.Email: [email protected]

Canadian Donkey & Mule Association www.donkeyandmule.com Canadian Donkey & Mule News – 4 issues per yearMembership email – [email protected] or mail to Canadian Livestock Records Corporation, 4217 Holly Lane, Ottawa, ON K1V OM7

Donkey Breed Society www.donkeybreedsociety.co.uk Membership £80 4 magazines annually (3 x Bray Talk & 1 x The Donkey)Email: [email protected] to: Secretary Carol Morse, The Heritage, Pootings, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6SD UK

Miniature Donkey Talk magazine www.web-donkeys.com Online & hard copy subscriptionsEmail: [email protected] Box 982, Cripple Creek, Colorado 80813 USA

National Miniature Donkey Association www.nmdaasset.com ASSET Magazine – 4 issues annuallyOverseas subscription US$60NMDA, 6450 Dewey Road, Rome, New York 13440 USA

If you like donkeys and you like a good read,

Australian author Liz Byron has written a page-

turner you’ll want to get a hold of. ‘The Only Way

Home’ is a reflection of Liz’s life experiences

with and without donkeys. It’s beautifully written

with a plot that resonates with many.

Liz very generously is offering the manuscript in its entirety for free to Donkey Digest readers. All you

have to do is contact Liz on [email protected], make your request and she will either post out the

manuscript or send you an electronic version depending on your preference.

Here’s a little background to the full story.

FOR THE BOOKWORMS

The Only Way Home

Encounters on the trek highlighted the extraordinary that exists in the ordinary life and ways of everyday people: battlers on social security; cattle-farmers owning huge tracts of land yet struggling to make ends meet; small-town dwellers and other rural Australians with such resilience as to make citified people appear delicate; and the simple humanity of one of Australia’s wealthiest men, ruler of a cattle empire the size of Switzerland.

This was 2004 when Central Queensland was enduring its worst drought conditions on record. For water and feed I had to turn to those living and working on huge, remote, cattle stations, each a world unto itself. Never one for chit chat, I found myself faced with social expectations of people who couldn’t comprehend why anyone, let alone a woman (and vegetarian at that), would choose to travel on foot through harsh country that their forebears had only partially tamed. All along the trail, my dislike for the values of most of these toughened Australians conflicted greatly with my appreciation for their remarkable generosity. With kindness from strangers forthcoming whenever I needed it, I didn’t exactly fail the test of self-reliance, but rather was not obliged to sit the exam. Accepting dependence on other people opened my heart instead, to the complex mix of good intentions and ignorance in all of us (myself included).

I also learned much from my donkeys – the importance of engaging only when safe; being sensitive to people’s feelings and listening well in any interaction; communicating clearly about what’s important and knowing when to politely withdraw. Slowly but surely on this journey, the old, habitual emotions, of pride vying with inadequacy, were replaced by feelings of gratitude, self-confidence and true humility. By the end, I was ready to enjoy my new life, responsible for no-one but two donkeys and me.

DONKEY DIGEST • September 201826

P.O.Box 98Seville 3139. AustraliaPh/Fax: (03)5964 2999

[email protected]

with the NRG Team . . .Feeding and Grooming

NRG ProtectEasy to apply barrier cream, ideal for wet or muddy conditions

NRG GlossArenaThe coat shine created not to attract dust

NRG Stride Hoof DressingNatural black hoof dressing that lasts

NRG CalciumSuperfine for better absorption, cost effective, high quality supplement

NRG Garlic Apple Cider VinegarUnpasteurised & unfiltered with 10% garlic

NRG ProplaitsOur invisible hair hold with no flaky residue

NRG Stride No Mess Hoof CreamYour travel pack, natural black hoof dressing that lasts

NRG Stockgain100% Natural vitamin & mineral sweet feed liquid supplement, made in Australia for over 30 years

NRG NoNotsTrusted hair detangler & conditioning spray

NRG Pink NozeA smooth cream enhanced with zinc and vitamin E

NRG Apple Cider VinegarUnpasteurised & unfiltered

onkey digest - donkeybreedsociety.co.uk · donkey digest • september 2018 1 miss daisy greets the...

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