A Home At Last story: We have a donkey that is really old. Like close to 50 years old. Shes white with some faded markings and her ears flop over. We like to say the elastic has worn out. Her name is Hannah. When she arrived, she really didnt like people. She wanted nothing to do with us. She did make friends with Willy, our youngest donk and they hang out together pretty often. Willy knows better than to try his silly games with Hannah. Its sort of like a pesky kid being around a stuffy old great aunt. Not a push your luck kind of situation. Well, anyway, all of this leads to this story. Hannah, like most equines that are nearing the end of their life cycle, has begun to have trouble holding her weight. Its a result of both worn out teeth and a loss of digestive efficientcy. About the best we can do is supplement her diet with sack feed that is more concentrated, formulated for seniors, and easier to digest. Hannah lives with the Backyard Bunch. They are not noted for their gracious manners and willingness to stand by and let Hannah work her way through a meal. Thats not how equines go at it. Its part of the way herd animals make sure the most fittest are there to carry on and it can be a crueler aspect of how theyve needed to evolve. So, because we can, we get to intervene. Hannah meets Donna at feeding time, at the gate, when the others are fed in the evening. The Frontyard Herd is put away. Its a time for Hannah to be left in peace. She toddles in, and has her evening feed and will stay and eat and doze during the night. She gets her morning feed, enjoys that, and meets Donna at the gate, to go back with her own herd. Donna commented this morning about how she and Hannah had worked this arrangement out. It was because they knew each other and Hannah was able to let her know what was needed. We know every single one of the critters here. Make it a point to know em. Make it a point to listen to em. Make it a point to respect when they would like us give em some space. Hannah is getting down towards the end of her journey. She knows it and we know it. Like all of us, she has the days that she has. We want them to be the best they can possibly be. Shell live up to the bargain and be the best donkey she knows how to be, all of the time, everyday. They do set a high standard for us to try to match. Jim
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 15:01:05 +0000
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