1.  Trust GOD in Jesus Christ name for all things – Donkeys good enough for Jesus how about you?

2.  Enjoy life

3.  No worries

4.  No rushing

5.  Play

6.  Dance

7.  Eating Low Sugar

8.  Drinking clean water

9.  Take a nap

10. Kissses

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

http://www.donkeywhisperer.com

Four Ways to Help Four-Legged Friends in Your Community.

Howdy,

Here is the YouTube video Harley The Jack Mammoth Donkey Pulling The Sleigh Enjoy!  Rio will be trained to pull the cart and sleigh one day, he will be amazing 16’1 hand Mammoth donkey pulling the cart/sleigh.

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

https://www.facebook.com/Donkeywhisperer

Howdy,

Donkeys naturally have deep-rooted self-preservation skills.  What are predators for the donkey? Coyotes, wolves, cougars, bear and yes our precious pet dogs.  If we think about it the dog resembles the wolves and coyote the donkey does not know the difference until they are trained and understand their life is not in jeopardy. 

Donkeys can learn to tolerate a dog but it takes a really good trainer utilizing outstanding leadership with the dog and the donkey.  Did you know adult mammoth donkeys are used for protection of livestock? Make sure your donkey has at least one more donkey as a companion as all equine are healthier and happier when not left alone. Here is a Video of me working with Rio with the Parelli carrot stick.

Safety tip:

Place hot wire beneath the paddock fence to ensure no dog or predator can get in by crawling under the fence.   The Parelli carrot stick works as a great tool for me creating an extension of my arm and helps me stay in the leadership role when working with the equine and the dog.  Please never abuse the dog or the donkey with the carrot stick, that’s why Mr. Parelli named it the carrot stick no abuse.  Remember donkeys never forget anything ever.

Safety is the most important concern when working with equine (donkeys, horses and mules) and our beloved dogs.  

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

https://www.facebook.com/Donkeywhisperer

Did you know donkeys prefer to ride loose in a horse trailer? Yes indeed donkeys prefer to ride loose in a horse trailer with the added bonus they are safe and much more comfortable.  I was really surprised to learn this after purchasing my donkeys as my horse is locked in the front for her safety. Why? She is not a donkey she is a horse smile. 

Donkeys freeze when scared so they are safer and more comfortable riding loose in the horse trailer and this helps them find a place to stand and hold their butt against the trailer to balance.  Most important consideration is to have a two door trailer in the back to unload them.  I highly suggest teaching your donkey to back out of the horse trailer in lieu of jumping out fast.  Here is a video of Rio backing out of the horse trailer what a good boy just took a few training sessions to teach him how to do this.   Keep one side of the door closed so to keep them calm and backing out slow.

In an emergency situation I wanted to ensure I could get all of them in the trailer fast and by myself. I highly suggest each of you do the same as you don’t want to be training trailer loading and unloading during an emergency. Donkeys freeze when scared!

Six Steps To Successful Trailer Loading of Your Donkey or Mule: 

1.  Ensure Your Donkey or Mule Trusts You – Taming is number (1)

2.  Always load the honor donkey, horse or mule first as Donkeys Are Visual Learners if you load the naughty one first your trailer loading experience will not go smoothly.

3. Plan ahead, practice trailer loading and letting the equine stand in the trailer and eat go no where. After you load them to eat lunch stand on the outside and talk to them let them know they are safe.

4.  Practice taking the donkeys, mules and horses for rides, just give them 40 minutes or so of time to adjust to the trailer, get  their legs and not have any more stress on them. DO NOT TAKE THEM ANYWHERE AND EXPECT THEM TO GET OUT AND IN until you are sure they understand trailer loading.  Just go for a drive a few times, practice getting in and out at home.

5.  Remember when driving to accelerate slowly and stop slowly as it is very difficult for the equine to keep their legs on the ground.  If you don’t understand have someone drive the trailer and get in the back ride down a bumpy road and see what it feels like for your equine I think you will have a new perspective.

6.  Gradually work up to trail walks, yes walking next to the youngster as they are too young to ride and then riding when of age.  I think it is safer for older equine to have the opportunity to observe what is expected a few times before riding.  We did lot’s of these before Lily and Rio were old enough to ride (preparation) is the key.

7.  Another important consideration in teaching trailer loading and unloading; is do not take them out of the trailer when the truck stops wait for about ten to fifteen minutes.  If you take them out immediately upon the truck stopping they will expect it and get impatient every time the truck stops.  Equine learn from consistent repetition so remember to always be a good leader and have a plan be consistent.  When the emergency comes and they all come in life have a plan and be prepared as preparation makes the process much easier on the human and the equine.

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

http://www.donkeywhisperer.com

One of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou, You Cannot Use Up Creativity. The more you use, the more you have.

Inspirational quotes for women about life: The spoken word of Maya Angelou.

Website of Maya Angelou

What is your favorite positive quote from Maya Angelou?

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

http://www.donkeywhisperer.com

Howdy,

In a few weeks it will be two years since I was able to slip my leg up and wrap my legs around my horse and mammoth donkey’s warm belly, feels like forever.  Oh how I miss riding my horse the fun trail rides we had, trail riding is serious business!  When I was a kid trail riding in this area was no big deal, I rode my horse every day after school in this same area.  Moving forward thirty-four years it is not the same sport.

The area I would ride by our home is beautiful thousands of acres of trails and in these trails were others wanting to enjoy the same trails.  While Lily and I were trail riding we encountered; lots of wildlife, coyotes, deer, and birds and even a cougar (the cougar ride my trail buddy was dumped from her horse) and I stayed on.   Lily and I took off and retrieved her older well-trained gelding (a safe trail riding horse ha, ha) this was another day I was really grateful to GOD.   We encountered the highway (traffic noise) people shooting in a distance, joggers some with big dogs, some loose not on a leash, bicycle riders and one motorcycle rider. 

Trail riding was euphoric for me it was truly a special time to escape life!  Safety is number one when stepping up to trail riding it is best to ride with a buddy.  Have a cell phone I like it turned off, map and I was about to start carrying a spot as safety is the most important consideration for me and my equine. I quickly made friends with anyone who could ride when I could ride for safety.  Working around schedules of work, families it was challenging and I was looking forward to Rio growing up so my husband could go ride with me.   I call these people trail buddy as they have been long gone since the car accident, I guess I really knew this was all the friendship was but I did not see it until the semi-truck accident.

I was so proud of myself after all I had trained my young filly all by myself.  A very big accomplishment for women in her late forties out of shape and a little lost in life after leaving my long time career in the big business world of twenty-three years.

Wow the last trail ride memory was a big one!  Lily is an extroverted horse she loves to explore new things so each time we went for a trail ride Lily would lead the way with my trail buddy riding her/his horse following behind us.  It was a beautiful day warm for winter not too cold and not raining just right. Soon Lily and I were in our groove I could feel her every move, her body was relaxing, ears forward and she was super calm.  We found a part of the trail where I would let her trot a little trot (western riders call this a jog).  I was posting, holding my stomach in her ears were forward such a wonderful memory.  The next thing I remember is picking me up off the ground a woman with her gigantic Rottweiler was jogging but she did not have her dog on a leash.

What happened to my trail buddy?  She got dumped off her horse too!  The dog came out of the woods into the trail we were on in seconds to Lily no doubt the dog looked like a big bear.  Lily spun on her big quarter horse cow butt and went the opposite direction.  I fell off.  All of my training was important now unlike any other time as she was running away when I yelled “WHOAA Lily”.  Lily stopped turned around looked at me on the ground like hey I did not realize you were not on my back.  She came back to me.  The lady with the Rottweiler was sorry for sure and I made no big deal out of it.  Just got back on Lily and my trail buddy got back on her mare, we parted at the trail head where my horse trailer was parked and I went home alone.  

My trail buddy had a bad accident the summer before while riding with other trail buddy’s I was not on this ride.  She had such a bad trail riding accident that she was airlifted to Harborview and had surgeries and pins installed in her foot. Thinking back now as we rode our mares out of the trail her face looked white and pale, this was the last time I saw her. I loaded my horse, drove home, cleaned her, brushed her, carried my saddle into the house and sat down.  The pain started in my left side.  The next day I went to the doctor after x-rays I learned I had fractured one rib on the left side. As a kid I don’t recall breaking any ribs and I fell off a lot.  At age 49 I guess I don’t bounce.

Before the car accident I was healing from the one fractured left rib, I was getting close to being able to ride again and I had a new plan to stay safe.  Funny thing is I thought one broken rib was insane pain; my point is any kind of pain is pain and we need to address what it causing it.  Never say it is no big deal our body does not give out pain signals for no reason.

While waiting for the left rib to heal I was making plans to ride in my arena, finish my horse Lily after all the arena is soft and riding is well “riding” it is the art of keeping our legs wrapped around our equine. Fewer obstacles in the arena than trail riding.  I was planning on getting Rio started as he was getting older not such a little baby donkey anymore.  I am happy to report both Lily and Rio are patiently and happily enjoying their life while I work on rehabilitation from the semi-truck accident.   Happy trails to you!

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

https://www.facebook.com/Donkeywhisperer

Howdy,

This post is from “one of my Word Press friends Leslie Carter” she reads and leaves little likes on my blog all the time.  Thank you Leslie!  Have fun with this one as life is truly precious and a gift we just don’t know when our time is up.

Bucket List Publications – Accepting Submissions!

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

https://www.facebook.com/Donkeywhisperer

Here is an amazing post written by my dear friend Kelly Probst, Sacred Wildlife Blog named Heart Of Africa  she is an amazing writer and a fierce protector of all the animals GOD has created in our world.  

Here is a small amount copied and pasted from her blog; There are recorded behaviors of near spiritual proportion: the tender fondling of bones belonging to a dead family member by a surviving family member, or the mutual touching of herd members trunks on the dead carcass of another herd member. Mothers have been observed standing over their dead calves for days on end refusing food and water until their mourning is confirmed by time. Calves frequently die of heartbreak from the loss of their mothers and abuse by human beings. One of the most profound insights is that “suffering” and “loss” are the experience of a self-reflexive mind. There is no doubt that elephants experience suffering, loss and betrayal and express it in complex, emotional behaviors similar to human beings.

Please this share her link with as many people as you can as knowledge creates awareness and it is our prayer that awareness creates change.   http://www.sacredwildlife.org/theheartofafrica.htm

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

https://www.facebook.com/Donkeywhisperer