Seeing Spots

Troublemakers

Happy Mule Day

Sorry for the long delay in posting and the general poor blogging lately.  I've been dealing with an overabundance of work/life drama that isn't fit for the blog, but is taking up waaayyyy too much time and brain space.  However, I realized that today is International MULE day and I can't possibly let that pass by unnoticed. 

Have you hugged a mule today?

Happy Mule Day!

Group Effort

Gelded on Wed. looking for trouble by Friday....

Until Sheriff Ramsey chases out the riff-raff.  Ramsey has appointed himself THE LAW and keeps junior from getting too full of himself.

 "Emma, my sweet girl, would you like to tell everyone why the seat on the ATV is now made up of duct tape that covers a folded pool noodle?"

 "I have the right to remain silent....."

"And you Ben, aren't you supposed to be setting a good example for the mule baby back there?"

"I am setting a good example, he is behaving like a very proper donkey - even if he does have all that goofy hair and his ears are a bit short.  Who do you think you have to thank for that?"

"Yeah, don't worry Ma, we'll have that kid trained up proper in no time."

My New Gelding

It had to happen and better sooner than later....Qilin became a gelding today.  No one, but no one wants an ungelded mule and I prefer to do it in the Fall after the flies have gone and while he still has mom around to offer comfort.  It all went very smooth, Qilin was cooperative and my vet did a fantastic job.  She had a fourth-year vet student with her who will be let loose on the animal world in May and we were able to tell her all about the differences between castrating donkeys/mules and horses.  That is one more vet going out into the world who now knows what to do different for the long eared patients.

Qilin is feeling a wee bit sorry for himself, but is doing well otherwise.  He took after his more sensible donkey half and stayed lying down until he was truly ready to get up.

It is a cold and rainy day and the drugs made him shivery so he got some scruffy blanket practice as well.

I am very glad to have this done and over with.  It is a routine procedure and completely necessary as ungelded mules have a nasty habit of turning mean and since they are sterile anyway, it really does have to happen.  However, any procedure has its risks and drugs don't always work the same in mules and donkeys as in horses, which provides fertile ground for my worry-wort brain. 

Now that this is done, Qilin can get back to doing what he has been, which is growing at a prodigious rate.  The vets thought he was as big or bigger than most of the 10-12 month old babies they see!

My vet asked me if I had cut back on Tessa's grain yet, which just makes me laugh as I never give her grain.  Qilin has never even seen grain and likely never will.  They both get 1 pound of alfalfa pellets and a ration balancer along with the mediocre grass hay I have.  The last thing I want to do is increase Qilin's rate of gain by feeding him more.  He is managing to get enormous quite well enough on his own.

A Growing Boy

Embrace it While it Lasts

After the WORST fly season ever, all the equines are out enjoying and/or hiding from the erratic Fall weather.  I am scrambling around trying to get all the jobs done that I was supposed to do this summer and didn't because of mule baby, heat, FLIES, puppy (I never meant to have a mule baby AND a new puppy at the same time, but that is how it worked out).  While the herd is out of sight, the puppy(s) are under foot.  Puppies grow fast so embrace it while it lasts.