Merry Christmas to you all! Hope you all are enjoying time with your herd!
So far we were lucky to get a nice Christmas Eve. Got a tree home from the forest, decorated, had a meal (my mum is here so she made it while we were down at stables). At Christmas morning it was time to wash our foster swan. We did it in the dining room, in front of the open fire, next to the Tree. Our mistake. The swan really enjoyed the bath, but about 12 gallons were splashed out 
Then mum tried to cook the gingerbred, but not much luck as cat stole the whole icing
The worse was today.
Nice frosty day, no wind or wet snow so time to let horses out. Ours went out nicely - they do like the time out, of course. Then we tried to take out our Big Girl - one of the rescues. Our mistake. We tried it just in halter and a rope. No luck - she walked out of the stables, looked around and run back to hide in her box.
The second attempt with braidle and bite was the same. Nicely walking out, stop, quick run back into her box. Bite was not stopping her - there is no way that you can just hang on reins - she is huge and strong.
OK, we decided to try to take out other rescue in hope that Big Girl will follow her. Brenda walked out nicely, went into pastures, instantly stopped at the first hay pile and that was it - she was not interested in anything else.
Then Peter tried the slowly way - some hay down on isle, some on the road, some - near the pasture gate. A lot of kisses, a lot of patience and she went into pastures by herself. Our herd understood that she is frightened so they were not coming close, not making the usuall silly games like “Who is the boss?” or something. We thought that the problem is sorted. Wrong.
Big Girl suddenly, out of the blue run to the fence and flied ower it. Then she run into our winter paddock, through electric fence, jumped over the wooden fencing (at least 5 ft) and hide in the shelter (there is plenty of hay). As she was inthe paddock, we tried to get back our horses who enjoyed the damaged fence and were heading through the garden to the house. My mum got Inka (she is the naughtiest troublemaker), Peter got Giva and me - Shella. See, our horses think that escape means great fun around the house, not running away, so to get them back is quite an easy job.
Brenda, our calm rescue was a really a good donkey - she was just standing at the broken gate waiting for us to take her home or leave her there - she was just standing and waiting for us to tell what she needs to do - at least she is not a problem.
But another one… Big Girl dashed out of the shed, run around paddock 3 times, then jumped ower wooden fence on the other side, run into the neighbours yard, around their pond, run back, jumped back into the winter paddock (she was able to run down along the fence, but she decided to jump thus taking shortcuts so yes, she can jump), spotted that the barn door is open and with an excited squek run into her box, crashing again through the electric fencing that was left.
The good news - she always run back to her box if she can. The bad news - we have no idea what’s wrong with her. She had been to shows and was jumping with a rider so she must be controllable somehow (I have show records on her, it is for real). And she somehow was loaded into the trailer to travel here too. And she unloaded very easy here.
So she must had seen some outside world, but now she is acting like outside world is frightening her to death. And she is nice, sweet and polite in her box. She is quite sweet outside, she comes to you for a kiss and cuddle and then again runs away in a panic.
Her beheivior is so confusing! Maybe you can throw some ideas our way?
