Wrangler

June 20 2020

WRANGLER’S DONKEY DIARY: Wrangler’s New Love! 3-30-20

Kyle Davidson Donkey Diary Chasity, Donkey training, Introducing donkeys, lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, Mr. Moon, Sir Guy, Wrangler, Wrangler's Donkey Diary 3

Wrangler came to us in 2017 and has had to be in turnout by himself because he was so rambunctious that he didn’t really fit into any of our turnout groups. He was always turned out next to “friend” like Sir Guy but never with anyone else. Mr. Moon was his stable buddy, but still, there was always a run fence between them. Mr. Moon recently turned 32 years old and developed a condition that required that he be put down. Wrangler’s “stable buddy” was now gone.

With the empty stall and run next to Wrangler, we now had space to consider getting him a new companion. I checked with my friend in Oklahoma and we found Chasity! What a lovely “Lady!” I was told she was a really FORWARD moving jennet with a lot of independence and enthusiasm. We thought she would be the perfect companion for Wrangler!

Chasity was delivered on 3-30-20 and the introductions began while she was in quarantine in a space where she could see Wrangler, but they could not reach each other. They played with excitement back and forth along the fence line for a bit! They were clearly VERY interested in each other! Love had begun to blossom!

The next day the vet came to do a health check on Chasity. She will need a lot of core strength work, but it will be a good thing to keep her occupied while she is in quarantine. Wrangler looked on with interest as the vet surveyed her condition. Two months passed before Chasity was finally put in Mr. Moon’s stall and run next to Wrangler…they eyed each other suspiciously…this was a lot closer than they had previously been!

Wrangler stuck his head through the panels to sniff and Chasity looked interested, then decided to play shy!

This only frustrated Wrangler and he began some very active male donkey antics which spooked her away from him.

She returned only to be spooked away again while Wrangler continued his antics and embarrassed himself by tripping!

Chasity thought maybe NOW he would calm down and Wrangler started up AGAIN! She thought…REALLY?!!!

I called Wrangler over and had a little talk with him about good manners and being polite to young ladies. He seemed to listen and said he was sorry. Chasity wasn’t sure if she believed him!

But after receiving their crimped oats reward for settling down…all was GOOD!!!

April 25 2020

Chasity’s Challenges: Chasity’s Health Check 3-31-20

Kyle Davidson Chasitys Challenges, LTR Blog, LTR Blog - Donkey Training Chasity, core strength, equine vet care, Greg Farrand, Health Check up, lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, New donkey, Veterinarian care, Wrangler 0

Our veterinarian, Greg Farrand, came to do a health check on Chasity the day after she arrived. She obviously needs a lot of core strength work, but it will improve her health and keep her occupied while she is in quarantine. Simple core strength leading lessons will have a dramatic effect on her overall health and welfare both physically and mentally. Wrangler looks on with interest as the vet surveys her condition.

He thought because of her enlarged, fallen crested neck and all the fatty deposits over her body that she may have foundered. But her feet were in pretty good shape…no stress rings from founder.

She did have Borium shoes on the front feet (maybe previously used for parades on asphalt?). They were inordinately grown out and her hooves behind were also a bit long in the heels. She was definitely out of balance.

When we looked at her udder, we noticed that she had possibly been nursing before she came to us. She had what looked like milk dripping from extended teats and dried fluid caked on the insides of her legs.

She has cataracts starting in her eyes which made her a bit head shy…

…but, her teeth had just been floated and they were good.

Her posture is terrible with substantial Lordosis (sway back) even though she is only 13 years old! She exhibits the posture of a jennet after several foals. Her fallen, crested neck will be another challenge. However, she is a very sweet and cooperative girl! She is obviously the victim of some negligence… intentional or not.

When Chasity begins her lessons, we will be employing a reward system of training called “Behavior Modification.” This is a more complex way of training than Clicker Training in that your voice is an important communication element that fully engages the animal’s attention and promotes a more intimate bond between you. She has already been exposed to this training process by asking her to come to be haltered, follow at my shoulder and to stand quietly for the veterinarian. It is the simple beginning to a lifetime of good manners.

When we train, we carry the crimped oats reward in a fanny pack around the waist. When the equine knows you have them, they don’t try to run off and are willing to follow you anywhere. Animals need to be rewarded for the good things they do with more than just a pat on the neck to insure that their good behaviors will be repeated. Food is the animal’s ultimate payment for doing a good job. You just need to learn what food is best to use and how to dispense rewards appropriately for the best results. For equines, the food is crimped (rolled, cracked, or steamed) oats. Contrary to popular belief, the equine that is rewarded with crimped oats is less likely to bite than one that does not get the practice of taking them gently from your hand. Your equine will always continue to work for a reward of crimped oats and the oats will give your equine the extra energy he needs during training. Carrots and other “treats” do not work the same way and will not yield the same results.

The most important thing when training your equine is to learn to dispense the crimped oats reward promptly and generously in the beginning, and only when your equine is complying. This will solidify the connection between you, insure that the positive behaviors will be repeated, and will begin to facilitate a strong, and mutually satisfying relationship. If your equine tries to pull away, just let go of the rope (if he is already haltered), call his name, reach in your fanny pack and offer the oats to coax him to return to you. Do not chase him! Be patient and do not try to progress through lessons too quickly as this is usually what causes disobedience.

It will take some time to strengthen Chasity’s core (the muscles, tendons, ligaments and soft tissue that support the skeletal frame), get her into good equine posture so her joints work properly and obtain her trust, but I see no reason that it cannot be done…and I am pretty sure I can do it!

January 31 2020

Wrangler’s Donkey Diary: Sarcoid Treatment Again 1-29-20

Kyle Davidson Donkey Diary, LTR Blog - Donkey Training Donkey Vet Care, Greg Farrand, lucky three ranch, Mammoth Jack, Meredith Hodges, sarcoid treatment, Wrangler 0

Wrangler had his first sarcoid removal on 7-20-18, but we found another one just a few weeks ago starting under his right side. It looked like he had been rubbing it as it was a bit crusty. I had a mule that did that to a sarcoid and it eventually disappeared as did the other two that were on his body. He apparently built immunity against the sarcoids. So, we opted to wait and see if this one on Wrangler would also just go away. It didn’t and it was now the size of a golf ball and would need to be removed. We treated Wrangler’s prior sarcoid with Xterra because of its location in a vascular area, but this one could safely be surgically removed.

Our veterinarian, Greg Farrand, shaved the area for the IV catheter.

We opted to do the surgery in our tack and groom area where things could be kept clean. Kim handed Greg the catheter while I kept Wrangler steady. He wasn’t exactly thrilled, but he was a good boy!

In order to make sure he landed on his left side so Greg could reach the sarcoid that was on the right side, Chad and Steve took their positions on each side and guided him to the floor.

I shaved off the long, thick shaggy hair from his barrel around the sarcoid with my #10 blade and then Greg came back over the area with his closer cut blade. We put a fleece saddle pad under his head and covered his eyes with a bath towel.

Kim prepped the area while Steve held the rope that was anchored around his hind leg to prevent any kicking if he began to wake up. Chad held the IV drip while I watched his head for unnatural breath and movement. But Wrangler just snored!

Greg carefully removed the sarcoid paying attention to getting it all. Wrangler just kept snoring!

After the sarcoid was removed, we opted not to do stitches and Greg used his Hyper Thermic machine that would trigger his immune system to fight any cells that might have not been removed. It could even cause the old sarcoid that was now dormant to drop off later if it worked to that extent. This treatment is one that replaced the old injections that used to be the follow-up treatment in sarcoid surgeries.

Kim cleaned the area afterwards and blotted the sponge onto the area to help the blood to clot.

The she removed the IV drip system from the catheter in his neck. It wasn’t long after before Wrangler began to wake up.

We kept him on his sternum and patiently waited until he was ready to try to get up. At first, he was a bit wobbly and stayed in a sitting position for a few seconds before rising to all four legs.

Once he was on all fours, we held the sponges up against his belly to further stop the blood until it could lot. Wrangler just “hung loose!”

When the blood finally clotted, we pulled the IV needle from his neck and then held sponges on that until it stopped bleeding. Wrangler was grateful to be awake again…well, sort of awake!

When he was showing some stability on his feet, we took a few circles around the room to get his circulation going again. We kept him walking intermittently around the room for about 30 minutes before putting him back in his stall and run. We removed all the bedding for a few days so it would not get stuck in the open wound that we would clean twice a day and treat once a day with Panalog until it is healed.

Wrangler didn’t have the where-with-all to be able to let out a full-fledged bray, but he did let out several grunts of appreciation to Dr. Greg as he left!

August 4 2018

Wrangler’s Donkey Diary: Sarcoid Treatment 7-20-18

Kyle Davidson Donkey Diary donkey, Donkey training, Equine veterinarian care, Greg Farrand, lucky three ranch, Meredith Hodges, Sarcoid, Sarcoid removal, sarcoid treatment, Wrangler, Xterra 2

Wrangler has almost completely shed out and during my last weekly grooming, I discovered a small sarcoid on his left forearm and decided to consult with my veterinarian, Greg Farrand. Wrangler munched in the fanny pack while we talked.

Dr. Farrand Carefully inspected the sarcoid and determined that it was not a candidate for removal because of it’s precarious location. There was no way to grab loose skin around it like there was with prior sarcoids on other animals.

I shaved the area around the sarcoid so we could get a good look at it and so it would absorb the treatment the most efficiently.

In 2011, Rock had a sarcoid on his neck in front of the withers where there was a lot of fatty tissue and the skin was loose enough to pull the sarcoid away from the body. So, we shaved his neck and removed the sarcoid with surgery. We then had it biopsied to find it was not a serious sarcoid (Better to be safe than sorry!) and it eventually just went away. In the eighties, if we removed a sarcoid, it would have had a follow-up of injections to be completely rid of it. in the nineties, veterinarians discovered another way to treat sarcoids that involved taking a piece of the biopsied sarcoid and reintroducing it as an implant in the neck to prompt an immunity response. Before he could remove one of three sarcoids the from Lucky Three Eclipse, he rubbed one and tore it open. Before we had the chance to biopsy one of the sarcoids for an implant, as if a miracle, his immune system was stimulated by HIM, kicked in and all three sarcoids just disappeared…and no, they were not anything else.

Lucky Three Cyclone also developed a sarcoid on his jaw which we successfully treated with surgery since it also was in a fatty area where we could pinch the skin around it easily. No follow up was necessary…just stitches removal.

Since Wrangler’s sarcoid was in such a delicate area, we opted to use a topical approach with Xterra, applied with a Q-Tip.

We will apply the Xterra once a day for a week, then stop for a week.

Then we will resume applying the Xterra for another week, stop after a week again and then see how it is progressing.

We will continue like this until it is gone. Xterra is surely a better way than the way we had to treat these in the eighties! Wrangler will be sure to keep you posted on his progress!

June 16 2018

Wrangler’s Donkey Diary: Second Lesson Day 6-4-18

Kyle Davidson Donkey Diary cruppers, Donkey Diary, Donkey training, Halter, Meredith Hodges, Posture and balance, training, Trot, Walk, Wrangler 2

Simple hairbrush bristles remove more undercoat

Bristles are longer which is enough to get it all

The loose hair on top scrapes off easily

No more shedding blade hair breakage

Place girth 4 inches from forearm

Adjust back girth snug enough to hold the saddle down

Lossen crupper strap & insert tail

Scratch rear for relaxation of the tail

Adjust snugly, but not tight

Place saddle over the center of balance

Much improved walking in sync

Patient while opening gate

Proper turn through the gate

Improved gate posture

More impulsion & flexibility at walk left

Improved posture & balance at walk left

First offer to trot easily

Beginning to find his balance

Begin reverse

Complete reverse on correct pivot foot

Improved posture & balance at walk right

Offer to trot right

Finding balance at trot right

Hindquarter engagement before halt

We did GOOD!

Improved in sync back to work station

Remove bridle & put on halter

Slide saddle back to loosen crupper – learns to stand quietly

Slide crupper off tail

Remove saddle

Back to the barn IN SYNC!

June 16 2018

Wrangler’s Donkey Diary: First Lesson Day 4-3-18

Kyle Davidson Donkey Diary Donkey Diary, Donkey training, elbow pull, tack, Wrangler 2

Needed to correct following from behind

Posture at the gate is a bit slouchy

First time in the “Elbow Pull” – Track Left Walk

First time in the “Elbow Pull” – Track Right Walk

Exit Gate

Enter Tack Barn

Remove Saddle – Learn to stay quiet

Exit Tack Barn

June 16 2018

Wrangler’s Donkey Diary: First Turnout Day 7-28-17

Kyle Davidson Donkey Diary Donkey Diary, Turn out, Wrangler 0

Okay, you’re on your own for awhile

Hmmmm…who’s this? Sir Guy?

You smell okay!

I see green, but I can’t reach it!

These guys look a bit familiar.

So you are MINI donkeys, eh?

WOW! They even put in a mirror for me!

Sniff…great sand!

Rather short fence post.

Great sand here!

Perfect for a good roll!

More green over here…still can’t reach it!

More green here, too! STILL can’t reach it!

Where did everyone at the barn go?

Hi, Augie! Mini donkey, eh? My name’s Wrangler!

Time to go back to the barn.

June 12 2018

Wrangler’s Donkey Diary: First Farrier/Veterinarian Check-up 7-7-17

Kyle Davidson Donkey Diary Donkey training, farrier, stall, Veterinarian, Wrangler 0

Oats will definitely make this better!

Nice to meet you Farrier Dean!

You know it’s not polite to stare!

So all you want me to do is walk around?

Nice to meet you Dr. Farrand!

Yes, the chafing from the trailer is a bit sore..

…but nothing that Neosporin can’t handle.

It looks worse than it really is.

So you want me to stand up straight?

Checking my heart rate?

Checking respiration? Ooh, that tickles!

Can you see anything through the hair?

Do you see anything in there?

That is a bit bright on the eye!

Does it look okay, Doc?

I know I have very small feet!

Yup, small feet and big ankles..fetlocks!

The other front is small, but good, too!

Checking my pulse and I passed my health check!

June 10 2018

Wrangler’s Donkey Diary: Modeling Blanket for Trailering 7-17-17

Kyle Davidson Donkey Diary Blanket for trailering, Donkey training, Owning a donkey, Wrangler 4

When “Wrangler” was delivered in 2017, he came in with awful sores on his rear end. This is not unusual for donkeys. When I was showing “LIttle Jack Horner,” we used to have the same issues when trailering him to shows. Of course, it was critical to prevent those sores, since he was showing, and would be docked points for something like that. Like most donkeys, he would lean back and brace his rump against the wall where it would rub him raw! When we hauled in the wintertime, when the weather was cold, he did not have these kinds of issues because he was blanketed. However, when showing in hotter weather, I had to figure out how to protect his delicate rear end from chafing. That is when I discovered that it worked very well if you just double a sheet back over the rear end and secure it with the leg ties AND the front tie of the sheet. That way, his entire front end could be exposed and keep him from getting overheated. When “Wrangler” arrived at the Lucky Three Ranch, I successfully treated the sores with Neosporin and they were completely healed in one week! I hope this helps those of you who have experienced this problem.