Tag Archives: Blog

16 Comments

Posted by Donkey Whisperer Farm on May 16, 2013 in 2013, Award, disability, donkey, INSPIRATIONAL

Tags: Animals, award, Blog, donkey, Family, farm, GOD, Inspirational, photography

Deep Blue Crescent Lake Oh How I Have Missed You

09 May

“As a young girl I can remember going camping with my family to Sol Duc Hot Springs in the Olympic National Park as soon as we started circling around Crescent Lake I would get excited as the road feels like you are almost in the lake as you circle around it and the bonus we were close to the hot springs. Soon it would be time to swim in the pool, eat camping food, ride my bike and get in the hot pools to warm up and do it all over again, oh the life of a kid.”

Here are a few of our photos from last weekend when Western Washington State was in the 70′s and 80′s a wonderful surprise from GOD.

Select Crescent Lake Lodge nestled in the Olympic National Park. I pray one day you can experience this magnificent sweet place in the Olympic National Park of Washington State.

melodyscottscrescentlake lakesparklesphotos 203 crescentlake6

lakecrescent2

213 cresentlake2

205 216 236 222

212 234

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

Melody

2 Comments

Posted by Donkey Whisperer Farm on May 9, 2013 in GOD, Jesus, marriage, nature, photos, 2013

Tags: GOD, Jesus, Family, spring, Pacific Northwest, Summer, Nature, photography, Washington, Blog, News, camping, Olympic National Park, sol duc hot springs, crescent lake

Help My Donkey Has Not Pooped In Two Days

08 May

rio6jan2013

This is serious business NO POOP can mean colic and colic can mean death. Call the vet immediately!!!

Donkeys should poop a bunch each and every day our three equine (one horse, one mammoth donkey and one mini donkey poop a full wheel barrow full of poop in 24 hours.

Diet for the Donkey Whisperer Farm Donkeys

Orchard 7% Low Sugar/Protiene Hay

Loose salt, white salt block,

Exercise as much as possible

Limited time on green grass, eating stumps and brush of the Pacific Northwest, Washington

Fresh Water each day when dirty and at least every other day – Donkeys will not drink dirty water and can colic

RocketManage192013

You may also enjoy Thinking About Poop for more information on fecal samples and not over worming your horse, donkey or mule. Slow Feeder to help stop colic diet and much, much more.

Lilyage8spring2013 (2)

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

Melody

Reblogged from The Soulsby Farm:

5 Comments

Posted by Donkey Whisperer Farm on May 8, 2013 in 2013, donkey, health, horse, mule

Tags: Animals, Blog, donkey, Family, farm, Health, Horse, News, Pets

Build your own Cold Frame - the super-easy way

28 Apr

Want to start your growing season early? Maybe extend in into the winter months? Then build a cold frame or sometimes called a mini greenhouse. A cold frame is 4 walls that secure heat and protect plants from the elements and a top that allows light through.

Step 1) Find a good location that gets lots of sunlight and faces south.

How Do I Train The Abused Donkey or Mule?

24 Mar

Howdy,

I received an e-mail today that made me cry, made my heart ache I have been praying for this mule and his new human family and will continue to pray. We must never forget that animals just like people who are abused need time to feel safe before any form of training or education can begin. I believe animals get post traumatic stress from extreme abuse just like us humans.

Animals need to be tamed first and the human needs to stay safe, not be abused this can take lot’s of time even years. I am a home study student of Parelli as they offer the best training tools for all equine (horses, donkeys and mules) and most importantly they teach the equine personalities. I highly suggest learning this natural equine training method. Parelli home study teaches in great depth the importance of taming an equine before attempting to train.

Here is the edited question:

Hi Melody! I was thrilled when I found your website. I have a three-year old gelded mule that I purchased from a stockyard auction. He has been abused badly. I would love to talk to you , perhaps you can provide some insight. I am in Mississippi and can not locate anyone to provide assistance with his training. Thanks so much, Linda.

My answer

Hello Linda,

I am here to help you for free, due to the car accident I am not able to start my business, not able to attend Parelli. I am helping for free as my health allows me for the love of all the Donkeys, Horses and Mules in need via the website and blog. Horrific events animals and humans endure at the hand of the cruel human.

Taming First NOT Training

This magnificent equine needs to be safe, provide him with a safe environment, fresh water, medical attention if need be, NO TRAINING in the beginning it is imperative you tame him first. Please understand no animal or human can learn anything when they are living in fear, donkeys freeze when scared. Does he have an equine buddy? What is his living arrangement like now? Photos always help me to connect so if you can send me some. Send me the living arrangement and your plan to provide the best optimum care for this boy and I will do my best to help guide you.

Training tips:

Donkeys are visual learners the mule is half horse and half donkey - I highly suggest you take your honor horse, donkey, mule out and let the equine see them getting brushed, taking a walk for a bite of grass, picking feet. One step at a time for taming to begin, donkeys are really smart so be sure each and every time you are with them you are in the leader role and you have a plan for safety. My arena is strategically placed in front of the paddock for the donkeys to watch me training my horse the lead mare amazing how they respect me when they see her doing what I ask. smile.

Help my donkey or mule is running at me with his ears back! Donkeys and mules are very playful, their ears go back when they are in deep thought and playing when abused anything is possible, safety is most imperative when working with equine. Be careful keep your personal space safe. Jumping jacks work, yelling whoa, snapping fingers, clapping and most important tool carrying your parelli carrot stick.

Learn the difference between respect and fear. Donkeys and mules are very athletic they can kick, forward, backward and like a cow. Taming them is a necessity before attempting training. Safety is one hundred percent the most important first step, having a plan as working with any equine is dangerous. My mare can look at the donkeys and they run out of the barn, just a look this is respect not fear, Parelli is an excellent teacher to learn these important techniques. Body language is essential and timing think about all of these things before you go into the same space with your equine.

You can not make a donkey or mule do anything donkeys must respect not fear their leader learn what this means and execute your plan each and every time you are with your donkey, mule or horse. This is why a relationship formed with the human teacher and the donkey and taming is the first step to success. Donkeys and mules can learn faster with leadership, love, patience and a few small pieces of carrots or apples. Keep your training sessions short and never ever get frustrated when they don’t learn as they never learn like a horse.

Training these magnificent equine is similar to fishing you may catch a fish and you may not as you are on donkey time slow and analytical every step of the way. Keep the training sessions short each new task is no more than three or four times of teaching the task and no more than 30 – 40 minutes total in school time. Remember to end school with something the equine has mastered, stop school on a good note. Remember how hard it was to learn from a teacher in school that was not friendly and boring, very difficult to learn from this kind of teacher.

With the donkeys I am continuously amazed how I can come back to training, weeks, months later and the donkeys do not need a tune up thus they never forget the good or bad. Amazing how one day they just get what I have been attempting to teach them enjoy each and every moment you get.

Withholding Water? Never this is not training in my eyes. I highly disagree with this old school training tool, donkeys, mules and horses can colic and by the time the human realizes the donkey or mule has coliced it can be too late. Donkeys are so strong they don’t want to show any form of pain or suffering. Donkeys are donkeys they are not horses, mules are half donkey and half horse and depending on the mule they can have more attributes towards the donkey or the horse one thing is consistent they are indeed a mule.

Free information on feeding and care of Donkeys and Mules by Dr. Andy K. McLean, PHD, DVM.

Melody

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

http://www.donkeywhisperer.com

Fun Donkey Videos

03 Mar

Me and Rio our Mammoth donkey he is almost 7 years old now and 16’1 hands tall. This video was taken when he was only 2 years old.

Rio summer of 2012

Rioage62012sept

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

Melody

4 Comments

Posted by Donkey Whisperer Farm on March 3, 2013 in 2013, animals, donkey

Tags: Animals, Blog, donkey, Family, Pacific Northwest, Pets, Video

Versatile Blogger Award

01 Mar

Versatile Blogger Award

versatile blogger award

Versatile Blogger Award rules:

• Thank the person who gave you this award and include a link to their blog.
• Select 13 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly.
• Nominate those 13 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.
• Tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.
• You can find more information and other winners here.

Thank you so much to Connective Tissue Disorder – one of my many, many, very favorite blogs and bloggers – who nominated me for this award.

7 things about me:

1. I love GOD, I love my husband and he is my best friend. I live my life grateful each and every day. I miss my health and my life before the semi-truck motor vehicle accident. I miss not having pain each and every day!

2. I have learned to enjoy being alone with GOD’s grace upon my life after three long years of practice due to the motor vehicle accident while riding as a passenger.

3. I love dreaming, planning, and creating new things

4. I love to talk about GOD, inspire, help people think outside of the box and create a better life for all animals and people

5. I enjoy having a purpose and passion in everything I do, I pray my pain and suffering will inspire people to depend on Jesus Christ and Never Give Up

6. I pray my advocacy for the equine makes a difference for people and animals

7. I thank GOD every day for all of my blessings and for each closed-door and each new opportunity as GOD is still on the throne and still in control.

My nominees:

Howling For Justice

Uthamz

Patcegan

Retopnaraic

Tuesdays Horse

Munchow

Cancer Killing Recipe

Straight From The Horses Heart

Write It Sideways

Leerentz

Writing Sisters

Hurt Healer

Lilies Sparrows And Grass

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

Melody

4 Comments

Posted by Donkey Whisperer Farm on March 1, 2013 in 2013, animals, Award, nature

Tags: award, Blog, donkey, food, GOD, Horse, My life

If We Get Quiet and Pray GOD Will Tell Us What Is Next In Life

21 Feb

Howdy,

My 50th birthday was going to be in Maui, Hawaii or at a minimum some place dry and warm as I am a planner, I had been thinking about this big milestone birthday since I turned forty. Sadly just weeks before my 50th birthday I found myself fighting for my life in Harborview hospital, Seattle, WA intensive care. My 50th birthday sucked and was horrific I will never ever forget my 50th birthday.

Just weeks before the trauma hit with the semi truck I was planning a huge surprise 50th birthday party for my husband. I had a fun party space with old cars, motorcycles, Elvis stuff, music, catering planned out and I was going to have a brand new Harley Davidson motorcycle sitting in the party spot with his name on it. I had called many of our life time friends and family and it was to be a huge deal. Just a few weeks before the accident GOD placed a heavy weight on my heart to not do the party cancel it, I have learned to listen to the nudges of Jesus so I cancelled the party. Received all my money back and took my husband to pick out his Harley many months before his big 50th b-day, it was indeed the right thing to do as GOD knew what was coming and I did not. I took my husband to get his Harley just weeks before the semi truck accident and three months before his birthday, chilling how GOD works. GOD is amazing.

Interesting thing; when I think back to this event I would pray and GOD placed a heavy burden of pain and suffering over my body, “I felt like my husband was weeping, crying and in great sadness.” I thought something horrific was going to happen within his family as his parents are aging, this sixth sense I was feeling was all about me. I did not know it was me that would be the cause of my husbands tears, loss and stress but this I can share I knew something horrific was going to happen and I knew he would need a great escape. A Harley was something he had wanted since he was a young boy just like I had wanted a horse since I was a young girl. Since my husband made my dreams come true I wanted to make his dreams come true.

What if I was too busy to not pray and get quiet every day? GOD could have never ever given me the sixth sense I needed to take care of my husband. Remember to always take time for GOD, make time for GOD as he knows everything that is best for his children. GOD is amazing.

Me & my husband on his 52nd Birthday 2012

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

Melody

8 Comments

Posted by Donkey Whisperer Farm on February 21, 2013 in 2012, marriage, prayer

Tags: Blog, Dreams, Family, GOD, Jesus Christ, Love, marriage, My life, personal, Prayer, Trauma

Hoof Abscess

28 Jan

rio6jan2013

The Donkey Whisperer Farm is officially six years old in 2013; time has literally flown by so much has changed and yet so much remains the same. Rio is now a full-grown Mammoth donkey as he turns seven years old in 2013. Rocket Man turns nineteen and my horse Lily is eight years young.

The most frustrating and difficult issues I have had with our Mammoth donkey is hoof abscesses. It appears that Mammoth donkeys should live in the desert with no rain poor boy was born in Western Washington with too much rain. Each of them get their feet picked out daily and their paddock has very little mud and yet the Mammoth donkey suffers from abscess, networking via the internet I have learned this is sadly the health issues associated with Mammoth donkeys.

Before I brought all three equine home I researched, networked and read every book I could get my hand on to create the dryest paddock to prevent hoof problems as I have lived in Western Washington most of my life. I placed 3/4 clean gravel down on the hill between the two barns to avoid mud, thrush and abscesses. Rio has had horrific abscesses and we are now laying pin chips down (no cedar) to help him. I made the decision to shoe Rio’s front (absessing yearly) with Dr. Hills overseeing the process this last fall. Rio’s custom-made Mammoth Donkey shoes are helping him get more exercise on the gravel as he is running and playing again, he is much more comfortable.

I place 3/4 clean gravel in between the two barns where they walk back and forth day after day to stop the mud. Additionally I suggest laying pin chips down so they have a place to lay outside and it is soft and dry the only problem I have noted with pin chips is it needs to be replaced at least every other year or it will turn to mud.

RIOLILY2012JUNESUMMER

Hoof abscesses in donkeys are not the same as the horse. Why?

Donkeys hoof anatomy is of a donkey not a horse. Donkeys are strong and will not show any pain until it is a serious medical matter. Here is another post I wrote explaining the emergency kit and the hoof abscess. The horse would be limping much faster than the donkey or mule with an abscess thus the seriousness and need for a vet immediately. Please call the vet for draining a hoof abscess do not leave this to the farrier.

What can you do for your donkey, horse or mule suffering from a hoof abscess?

Call the Vet hopefully you have a vet that has experience with donkeys. Donkeys are not horses and thus their hooves do not behave the same as a horse. Please only authorize your vet to find the abscess and drain it,never let the farrier do the vet’s job! Your vet will cut out a very small hole for drainage releasing the pain and pressure almost instantly. Never authorize the farrier to do this as this is a medical need not a farrier need.

Follow up maintenance is necessary the hole needs to be kept clean, pick the stuff out of feet every day, I suggest getting a spray bottle and using Beda dine solution with some water in a water bottle to spray the hole clean every day. We use the solo spray bottle as it gets all the gunk out and keeps it clean, Soaking a cotton ball in beda dine solution and sticking it in the hole is necessary until the hole has grown out. The hoof will not grow completely out for at least ten months to a year so keeping the hole clean from mud and gunk is a full-time job to say the least.

One of the best things we can do as an owner of donkeys, horses and mules is keep the hooves trimmed and make sure they are being trimmed correctly. Select Pete Ramey to learn how to trim a donkey, trimming needs to be done at least every 6-7 weeks. I highly recommend you the owner viewing this dvd and asking your farrier to review it. Trimming equine is not a back yard hobby and it needs to be left to professionals in my opinion as incorrect trimming will cause abscesses and sand and grit to travel into the white line. As the owner we must be picking the hoof out each and every day and making sure no thrush is growing in the hoof. Diet of the equine is imperative to optimum health so test your hay, do not give grain and treats to the donkey just clean water and low sugar hay. Orchard hay around the Pacific northwest is what we use and a slow feeder is also a good idea as long as it is covered to keep the rain out.

I am trying a new slow feeder out will follow-up with the results in my upcoming blogs.

Video of a Donkey Suffering With A Hoof Abscess

Summary:

Diet, exercise, professional trimmer of hooves every 6-7 weeks, clean out hooves each and every day, clean dry padock, morton loose salt, white salt block, clean water, low sugar hay and no grazing in green grass for the easy keeper. Donkeys are always easy keepers.

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

Melody