riders on the storm - not

I had a post all planned, called riders on the storm, and I was going to take photos of our bravery as we faced thrashing winds and torrential rains. However, thankfully, we got about 5 inches of rain but had no flooding, no branches or trees down, and by mid-day today the sun was shining.

The grass in both fields is growing faster than the horses can graze it, so the big event of the day was buying a grazing muzzle for the pony. August and September are hard months for him weight-wise, and with all this wonderful rain it's either lock him up or muzzle him. He was not very impressed with the muzzle, aptly titled the My Best Friend.

I think if you put a sketch of a fat pony snorting steam out his nostrils you'd be closer to the truth.

He went in the trees and tried to get it off once - although there might also have been a horse fly after him so we weren't sure of his intentions.

But after his ride tonight, and his dinner, back on it went and we'll see how this approach works.

Rafer Johnson is doing well. This morning he was flinging his feed tub around the stall, which is one of his favorite things to do when he finishes his breakfast. He had a little time outside his stall tonight to graze and enjoy the evening air. It's time to add in another item of intrigue, I think, so tomorrow I'll be surprising him with a new toy.

I hope Hanna was as kind to everyone as she was to us.

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! :)