good omens and a good day

This is what I woke up to this morning. It's a whole new take on the glass half-empty, half-full idea. Ours is full and brimming over with Muffine Eloise energy, which I took as a fine portent of the day to come.

After horse and donkey breakfasts, I turned the geldings and Salina into the back field, with the intention of normalizing things well before the vet's truck pulled in. It worked. There was some neighing and braying but it settled down and by the time the vet arrived, everything was calm.

On my way down to dump the wheelbarrow, I discovered that the wild muscadines in the back field are ripe, and made a detour to sample some. Down in the labyrinth path a deer bounded forward and then stopped to watch me through the trees on the other side. I stopped for a moment just to breathe and enjoy the wildflowers, pink and lemon yellow, mustard and white.

Back up the path there was a lovely gnarled tree root beside a smooth rounded stone. I was tempted to bring it in, but decided it made a nice tableau right where it was.

Up at the barn, I checked in on Rafer Johnson, filled all the water tubs in preparation for Hanna, and fixed the tarp on the shavings pile. By that time I was soaked in sweat, so I went in, husband and daughter went out, and they got started with the vet while I took a shower.

He was just finishing up when I got out there. The cast looks beautiful, and can actually stay on for 6 weeks so long as there are no pressure sores. Rafer did beautifully, and after he woke up and got his legs back solid to the earth, walked into his stall.

He is a bit subdued, but I expect this to pass as he adjusts to the new feel of his leg.




I've been to the grocery store, there is Rescue Remedy in horse water buckets, and everyone is settled with some hay. We're ready to ride out the storm.

it's a wonderful day in the donkey-hood

And we badly needed one!

Rafer Johnson has been in great spirits all day long. He brayed for his morning hay at 8, he brayed for his feed and supplements at 10, he brayed when he heard the wheelbarrow coming up from the labyrinth path, he brayed for Salina's lunch at 3.

Around 5, I took out a late afternoon treat of melon and carrot chunks to tide everyone over until the big horseflies go away. Rafer ate a few melon chunks but decided he preferred the crunch of the carrots, so he got most of those.

Salina and Keil Bay ate a number of melon chunks before deciding that perhaps they were a bit weird.

Apache Moon and Cody said, hey, we'll eat anything! And they finished off the melon.

Rafer and Salina shared some hay at his front door. You can see Salina's blind side here, although to be honest, she is pretty savvy about knowing what's there even without the eye. Rafer Johnson loves nothing more than sharing a pile of hay with her, so I'm glad we figured it out so they can still do that while he's stalled.



He is in fine Rafer form - making faces at the camera. You can see his peg leg at the rear of the photo, wrapped with pipe-insulation foam to keep it from rubbing. The stall is very shadowy this time of day, but the wall to the right is where his licking ball, water tub, and salt lick are.

He got a get well card in the mail today and I'm going to put it on the back wall for him along with a few surprises. I figure we'll add one thing at a time to keep him guessing.

Sheaffer, Dougie Donk, Ginger, and Fred have all given me wonderful ideas for more donkey toys and items of interest to keep things hopping out there.

Tomorrow he gets his cast - so I hope once that's done we can settle in and let the healing continue.

weathering storms

We got the surgical consult recommendations today - the surgeon at the local vet school recommended surgery to fuse the bone, insert a plate, and cast the leg. Rafer would be at the vet school for 2-3 weeks, and would then be on stall confinement for 3 months. The cost would be upwards of 7k by the end of the hospital stay.

The alternative recommendation was to have our vet cast Rafer's leg here at our farm, under general anesthesia so he could be lying flat out for the casting. He would be re-cast every 4 weeks for 12 weeks or so, and would be on stall confinement for 6 months total to give the bone plenty of time to fuse completely. His turn-out would be limited for one full year, and we would not be asking him to bear any weight or learn driving, etc. until he is 5-6 years old.

We've decided to do the casting here and deal as best we can with the long confinement. The idea of sending Rafer to the hospital for up to 3 weeks, and opening up the leg/joint to possible infection when the end results will be basically the same is too much.

So... our vet told us to leave the leg wrapped as it is until Friday when he will be getting his casting done.

Rafer had a tough day today - he was subdued and seemed sad to me. I sat with him for a couple of hours and cleaned bridles, and he moped around the stall. Salina gave him a nuzzle at one point - he perked up for that. But it was when I came in from the barn that I got the vet's call and it was hard to hear the two options. Neither seems ideal. But we'll manage.

Tonight he was much brighter. Maybe on some level he knows there is a plan, and that he won't be going anywhere. As boring as the stall is hour after hour, it is close by his herd and we all pop in many times during the day and evening.

I also want to say that Rafer's breeders have been amazing throughout this process. Not only have they offered ideas and shared their many years of experience with donkey care, they have graciously agreed to let Redford stay with them (and his large donkey herd!) until things are settled here and Rafer is ready to welcome his new donkey pal. It has meant a lot to us not to have to worry about Redford - he is in good hands and he will come when the time is right.

On Friday we'll be getting Rafer's leg ready for the next 4 weeks of healing. Saturday we'll be weathering whatever Hurricane Hannah brings our way.


I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.

-Louisa May Alcott

donkey montessori

Rafer is doing pretty well - his mood is somewhat subdued, but he doesn't seem depressed. More like he can't quite believe we're keeping him in a stall.

Today I took the grooming kit in again and let him select what he wanted me to do. We went through each brush, curry, etc. and he picked the ones he liked best. We have a little rubber mitt that is very soft but nubby and he loved that one on his neck and back. He liked the big soft brush and the face brush on his face and cheeks. He also loves having the insides of his lovely ears brushed very carefully and will stick his neck straight out in pure delight.

My goal was to get as many happy donkey sounds out of him as I could - those soft little grunts that I initially thought meant he had a cold!

I took a trip to the tack shop and feed stores today to see what I could find. We added a mini salt block and a hanging ball that looks like something a bird might like. Rafer stared at it for awhile, and then he smelled our hands after we touched it, and finally he decided to walk over and give it a lick, and discovered he likes it.

My daughter took him some hand-picked grass mid-morning, and this afternoon he got some apple and carrot chunks. Tonight we brought in some new hay, so he was able to monitor that.

Tomorrow is the big day - the changing of the leg wrap/rig - and I'm a bit nervous that we won't be able to get it just so like the vet did. But I will be glad to let that leg air out, look it over, and see how he's doing under all those layers.

A question - anyone know where to get a hay net with tiny holes, as recommended by jme? I can't find one locally and the only ones I'm seeing online are in the UK.

Keep us in your thoughts tomorrow morning, and visualize dexterity with various wrapping materials, a cooperative donkey, and a stabilized leg! :)

the next day - keeping the little donkey happy

I meant to take a few pictures this morning while the light was good on the convalescent corner of the barn - will try again tomorrow!

We managed to get things set up yesterday in a way that I think works well for this period of confinement for Rafer Johnson. He has the front corner stall, which has a front door, back door, and window to the barnyard.

We were able to put a much smaller stall door on the front so he can see over and under, and get more air flow. I've also closed the middle stall (right next door) off to the paddock, secured the door to the barn aisle so it stays open, and removed several boards from the wall between the two stalls. This allows Salina to stay right with Rafer. She can hang her head over the stall wall now, and they can touch noses and talk. She can walk around to his front door and hang out with him there. This morning she stood with her head resting against his flank, and it was obvious her touch made him very happy.

She also has access to the barnyard where she can both graze and get some movement, which is important for her 25-year old arthritic knees. Last night she grazed a few bites at a time and then stuck her head into Rafer's stall window to nicker softly to him and let him know she was right there.

I think this set-up will keep Rafer happiest, and Salina, and will make the days not quite so difficult for him.

He's been getting Arnica since yesterday afternoon, and I've been doing a visualization for the bones to heal well. White light and Linda's (the 7msn) blue sky have been the primary components. Somehow I think it's working.

We keep a camp chair handy so we can take it in and sit with Rafer. This morning I took the grooming kit in and let him play with the brushes and rubber curries while I gave him a good brushing. He has his Jolly ball and I'm looking for something called an Amazing Graze treat dispenser. Someone suggested I actually put his day's worth of pellets inside so that he can play with the dispenser and have something to work on all through the day.

Dickens (the cowboy cat) can now walk under the stall door, and since he is one of Rafer's best buddies, he too is visiting and providing some distraction.

One of my biggest concerns was alleviated this morning, when we discovered that Rafer can indeed lie down and get up with the rig he's wearing. I was so worried he wouldn't be able to do this, and would get tired. But he can do it, and it's nice to see him stretched out sleeping just like normal.

So far his appetite is great. At some point we will get some kind of portable corral so he can join Salina in the barnyard for some grazing but still be confined safely.

It's still hard to imagine this going on for four months. But the vet reminded me yesterday: "It will be a tough four months, but that is nothing compared to the 20+ years you have to go with this wonderful little man."

On other fronts, the pony is doing a most surprising and hilarious thing with regards to his herbal mixture. He seems thrilled that he gets something morning and night now, and is intensely interested in the mix. BUT - while he sniffs and looks and pricks his ears toward the tub, he will only eat the mix if I feed it to him from my hand!

He stands right by me and I hold the small rubber tub in one arm. I scoop up a handful of the wet goopy mush and he licks it out of my hand, then licks my hand clean. Then we do another handful, until the tub is empty and I have scraped every bit from the bottom and sides. It amazes me that he is engaging this closely with me over his food, and that he trusts me enough to eat something that clearly smells very odd to him. I have a feeling this whole way of eating it is part of the treatment and the solution.

His massage was good, and we should have the acupuncturist here tomorrow or Wednesday.

All of this reminded me earlier today that one of my favorite books when I was young was Dr. Dolittle. It kind of feels like that here this past few weeks. So much going on, so much learning, so much conversing with these amazing animals.