[Robert MoonShadow]

@jac 23783 wrote:

Hey Ixy I agree:D.. could our American cousins be talking of the border collie perhaps ??..
John

I think they’re descended from BCs, aren’t they? Anyone know of any ES breeders out west?

[Robert MoonShadow]

Hey Geoff – gorgeous dog – I recently picked up a Newfoundland x Great Pyranees “puppy” – she’s 16 months and just a sweetie…loves the neighbors’ kids & their pet (orphan) mule deer fawn…won’t let anything (‘cept people) near the goats at all. With work, I’m suspecting she’ll fit right in for a guardian dog – we’ve got wolves, cougar and bear hereabouts, so my BC x Aussie bitch isn’t big enough for guard duty.
I’ve heard good things about Airedale Terriers…being VERY easy to train, and multi-purpose, too.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Sounds to me that from her perspective, not much has changed: she still has total faith in you and your ability to always keep her welfare and safety at heart. You haven’t changed, so why should she? As circumstances change (as they have daily throughout her life), you’ve always been there – and she trusts that you always will be. Speaking as a one-eyed man, myself, it’s not a handicap unless it’s perceived and accepted to be one. As long as you don’t accept it as making a meaningful difference in her life, why should she?
She can be a blind (or semi-blind) working horse doing what she’s bred,
trained and (it sounds like) motivated to do, or a blind pasture ornament that would probably be bored silly.
She’s got you…from what you’ve described of her actions and attitude, that’s enough…and just what she needs.

This is all just my opinion, of course.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Hey Jen! You have the magick of coming up w/ beautiful horses time & again…!!!

I’m curious as to if you’re perhaps chasing bubbles, here? From my travels, I recall that Ohio & your area have a bit of real estate between them – do you expect an actual visit from them? Because unless you’re actually in mid-pull w/ a log attached to him as they pull down the drive, how would they ever know? Just don’t post any photos of him actually pulling a log anywhere online, and I, for one, can guarantee that I won’t ever snitch you out! 😉

{I knew you had a wee bit of pirate in ya, you outlaw, you!!} :p

[Robert MoonShadow]

I agree w/ Ron = a jack will likely kill a calf or sheep. A mammoth will work for a guard animal, if gelded or a jenny…IF it has just the other animals to bond with & not another ass. (And I found out the hard way that Mammoth keepers do NOT like their animal to be called donkey…its an ASS, although I don’t see what the fuss is about).
American Donkey and Mule Society (email at lovelongears.com) has a lot of info on housing and caring for the breeding jack, as well as training the guard animal.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Yeah…whatever you call it – I’m just glad its not a full-blown runaway or upset!
I guess I was just commenting that w/ most horses I’ve known, there would’ve been a lot more “activity”. But then again, sometimes when we’re going at “donkey” high-speed, I could wish for a little more of that horse-type “activity”! :rolleyes:
Being very inexperienced to it all, and the attendant increase in danger to being a neophyte, I find the size, speed, and mentality of the donkey to be just my thing – I can concentrate a bit more on “getting it right”; I don’t worry quite so much about blowups and runaways with a donkey. They seem to be much more forgiving of my screw-ups.
{Maybe its a sense of ‘kinship’ w/ this one-eyed jack…ass?}

[Robert MoonShadow]

Glad it’s working out for you!

[Robert MoonShadow]

Erika ~
Any update on this from Pioneer?

[Robert MoonShadow]

I talked w/ my driving mentor about this, and her questions/comments were: Is this when driving solo or a team? {If team, she might not like being on that side}. This happens when hitched to…? …or ground driving, too…? Were there any commonalities in these bolt attempts? One of her big boys (Gallahad) (she has 4 mammoths) just can not stand to pass an aluminum can if hitched on the right side, but is okay if hitched on the left or if it’s a coffee can, etc.; Merlin, on the other hand, doesn’t like a certain gate on a neighbor’s farm.
Her other comment is this: Be glad it’s a donkey & not a horse…it’ll more likely be consistent in the spooking & thus a bit easier to unravel the mystery. As well as being a lot less likely to totally panic-bolt.
We had a “spook-in-place” occur yesterday {her terminology} while driving through wheat stubble fields, when a covey of quail exploded literally all around their feet {This was w/ Gallahad & Lippy-Luvver Luc on a 2-wheel cart} –> Both boys spooked severely, as can be expected; but they didn’t bolt. One bird actually took off from between them! Shook us all up, let me tell you!
I hope you figure this out, w/ your donkey – please keep us updated.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Hey, now, Roberson…it’s not “stealing” my thread! I’m glad you’re contributing your experiences. My first thought was to wonder if there might be something on her right side, such as harness or bridle irritating her or causing pain? In my (very) limited experience, it’s usually pretty severe to cause a donkey to actually bolt. Any update on this problem?

[Robert MoonShadow]

Having lived (in the recent past) in a 9’x12′ prison cell w/ another inmate for 5 years, I’d say anything larger that affords any sense of privacy could seem a great blessing of the gods…I guess it’s all in the perspective, ayuh? My point being, w/ freedom & family to enjoy it with, almost anything can become a home, if you all truly desire it to be…without that desire, it’s just a house – no matter how many square feet it is.
Just my stray thought on the subject. 🙂

[Robert MoonShadow]

Thanks, Ira….

[Robert MoonShadow]

Anyone have Les Barden’s contact info? I want to purchase the video/dvd on making the D-ring harness for my local harness guy to study & use for making a set for my donkeys…
Thanks!

[Robert MoonShadow]

I’ve got a mother/daughter pair of large-standards for 3 reasons:
1) Cost = I bought both for $600 – you can usually get 2 trained lg-standards for the price of 1 mammoth (green).
2) Efficiency/adaptability = 2 ‘power units’ can be divided, combined, or used in relay as needed. Also, if one comes up ill, lame or dead, you’ll still get at least some work done.
3) Not much difference in power between a 52″ lg. standard and a 54″ (jenny – 56″ for a male) mammoth…but the price can easily double or triple over that 2″ difference in height.
BTW: Kinsey (the 19 yo mother) is about 50″ and 725# (Overweight by about 100#) and Jenny-Mae is 10 yo, 52″ at 675# (just about right, weight-wise). Jm’s dad was a mammoth –> check w/ the mammoth breeders for “undersize” geldings; they sell them pretty cheap, since they don’t “measure up”.

[Robert MoonShadow]

I’ve got a friend/mentor {Kristi} who has 3 mammoths & 1 lg-standard…uses them for riding & cart/wagon driving & parades. I’ve noticed that as w/ most donkeys, “whoa” can be their favorite command :rolleyes:, but they DO trot out real nice. Perhaps if you contact her, she can describe just what to look for in the way of signs the animal is more energetic. Her website is: http://www.teamdonk.org
{I don’t know how to post it as a link}
She also has a blog at http://www.teamdonk.wordpress.com (or maybe .net?)

Anyways, she’s a great help on mammoth donkey info & like most of us, loves to “talk donkey”.
You might also check out Rocky Mountain Songbirds website: My lg. standards and some of Kristi’s mammoths came from them. They’re located in eastern Montana, and actually USE their animals, not just breed/sell them. They can certainly help you learn what to look for in a prospective work donkey/mammoth.

Hope this helps. 🙂

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