Hot and Twisted

Opening up the hay barns while I’m cleaning up the paddock gives a whole new meaning to ‘Belly Up to the Bar Mates’. 😉 Darby and Bella are tucked in behind the bale – munching their fair share of the hay. Darby has a pronounced limp these past two days. We think she twisted an ankle the afternoon the new gravel went down on Bully Road…
So I got out the bute and a syringe and gave her 5cc’s to help with any swelling and pain. Unlike Rosie she decided she was not a fan of the taste of the bute. (All the time I was trying to sweet talk Darby into taking just one more ‘squirt’ Rosie was dancing around offering to lick up any leftovers!)
That meant that this morning I went out with a different plan. I chopped up one carrot’s worth of treats and arranged things so that Darby and I had the Bully Barn to ourselves. We worked our way through the ‘Clicker Routine’ we developed WAY BACK two winters ago … By the time we got to the end of the carrot chunks we were at her letting me insert the syringe into the side of her mouth. I managed to get a good squirt in for real. Bute delivered and Darby was pleased with her carrots. I am SO happy I was steered toward Clicker Training to help the donkeys over bumps in the road! No forcing – just polite asking – and rewards for cooperation. It works – every time!