Tony is getting cabin fever with all this snow. He’s roomies with the goats now, so he has playmates in the big stall. at least.
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I do not need a donkey.
I do not need a donkey.
I DO NOT NEED A DONKEY!
But…
I want a donkey 
& goats.
I do not need goats… 
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Enable mode activated.
You really need both. For amusement. Laughter keeps you young.
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LaLaLaLaLa!!!
Can’t heeeeaaarrrr youuuu! 
I have horses, cats, chickens & goldtrout* keeping me younger than my Septugenaruan Age 
Goats & a donkey might just put me over the edge
*25¢ feeders, now 6"+, living in a 160gal stock tank in my backyard
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Okay, fine. You don’t need a donkey. But your horse does. 
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I got my horses a Mini(on) 5yrs ago.
The Herd of 3 has a very distinct hierarchy.
Horse is The Boss. I am included in Underlings.
Pony is 2nd in Command.
Mini is the Court Jester & Teacher’s Pet.
They have free access to stalls 24/7/365.
Mini is most often in the same stall as horse.
He is permitted to share hay there.
Sometimes all 3 share that stall.
Mini is not permitted in pony’s stall if pony is in it. However, mini may occupy that stall if empty.
& Presumably make AllGone if hay is left.
Pony limbos into mini’s stall through the ~4’ back door & snarfs uneaten hay.
Tit for Tat
Mini enters the barn through the service door, with me.
Then plunders stacked hay while I mix grain for all.
He gets locked in his stall for grain, as otherwise he’d Hoover his, then go in with horse to share.
In the past, horse actually permitted this 
Mini is now on TC Sr, other 2 get oats.
No oats for mini!
All line up politely for morning treats.
Handfed from my seat on the bench outside the barn in most weather.
Latenight treats are dispensed - by hand - with them in stalls.
Exception for mini, who gets his share from the aisle, last one in his stall.
Where he goes when told “Go to your house”
Do I really need to add a donkey or goats to this?
I’ve made my own bed here, no more throw pillows needed!
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What sweet routines. Thanks for sharing with us!
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Back in early October, I made this video of Tony playing with his ball. Sadly, he kept pulling the plastic pin out and I had to hunt around for it. Then, he started pulling it out and depositing it in the hanging bucket for me to find. Still, it became tedious to keep pumping it up every day. I have a plan that involves supergluing the pin in place when I give it back to him. We’ll see if that works. I don’t buy the horse balls. I buy the cheap yoga balls. Same company. $30 less.
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He is so adorable though, even if he is naughty.
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Who is training whom?
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IDK … I know a couple older than you who have a whole herd/flock/gaggle of goats …
No donkey, but a herd of horses …
And a pack of Great Pyrenees to shepherd the goats.
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Reviving this old thread to prevent reintroductions.
Tony, our farm delinquent, is getting a little refresher training in anticipation of his new BLM burro companion. We’re asking him to set an example, lol.
We have given him a few tasks, such as mail fetcher down our long driveway to the mailbox and back. I don’t think we can call it the Pony Express, though. More like the Ass Amble.
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He is so stinking cute!! Ass Amble Ramble Ding Donk!
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I may have to see if I can get more use from my mini Bugs…
My mailbox isn’t far from house or barn though.
Friend had her mini mares broke as a team by an Amishman. His preteen sons did a lot of the training & told us they hooked the team to a mower & mowed the schoolyard.
Now that’s something Bugs could be useful doing! 
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Tony doesn’t look too pleased with his new duties. “Oh, mom, do I have to ?!?” :-D.
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I taught both my ponies that stopping at the mailbox meant standing like a statue on a loose rein while I got the mail. It was so convenient to stop to get it on the way home from a drive. My driveway was dirt and very steep; if I didn’t have a pony out for a drive, I’d drive the tractor down to get the mail. No way was I walking!
DH would walk down with the dog, and have her carry the mail up to the house. She also got the newspaper every day, by herself. When he first trained her to get the paper, she got everybody’s paper who lived within a half mile. Oops. Somehow he persuaded her that she just needed to get our paper.
Rebecca
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Where did your donkey get his backpack, because Pablo wants to join the burro mail brigade!
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Dont worry Tony! Reinforcements are coming! New burro gets M-F and you’ll take the weekend shift! 
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It’s actually a goat pack.
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Hahaha! Yeah, two donkeys are going to be fun! We’ve had donkeys for years, but never two at once. Previous donkeys were either rescue projects passing through for training or our big, beloved Donkeyotee who was our old gelding’s playmate.
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