Of Donkeys, Roping, Blogging and Activism

I have gotten several emails about another Donkey Roping event in Texas coming up on May 25.  I have mixed feelings about posting this.  One of the things I have learned well in the past year is about the immense power of social media, for good and bad.  The last time I posted about donkey roping, it  touched off a firestorm that still amazes me and frightens me a bit.  The end result was that we managed to cancel two donkey roping events, which is fantastic, but the whole thing also left me feeling a bit singed and wary.  I believe that radical fanaticism in ALL its forms is a dangerous and ugly thing and I have found that is difficult to be involved in any sort stand against injustice without encountering such radicalism.  On the other hand, if we don't speak out against cruelty, if we hide from it, is that not a way of condoning it? 

I believe that animals can and should work for us and with us.  My horses enjoy trail riding as much as I do.  My donkeys absolutely love going for walks in the woods with me and they would be perfectly happy to carry a reasonable load while doing so.  I know that roping is a very valuable skill, and there has been more than one occasion when I wished had such skill.  I even know that donkeys can be used in roping practice without harming or frightening them, I have seen it.  I could go out right now and toss a rope around Ramsey and he would think it is a fun new game.  He would bite the rope, tug on it, play with it and ask for more.  However, if I were to climb up on Gabe and chase Ramsey at high speed, only to throw a rope around his neck or his back legs and jerk him off his feet...well, if Ramsey survived, he would never be the same again.  He would not be the sweet, lovable, trusting friend/child/pet/companion that he is.  He would be what so many people have made of so many other animals, nothing more than a means to an end. A way to win a prize rather then being the prize he is.

My blog has become many things to me that I never envisioned.  It is a creative outlet for my long neglected interest in writing, a way to share my budding fascination with photography along with the joy and tribulations of donkey ownership.  It is, more and more, becoming a way to connect with people I would otherwise never know about.  It is a way to organize my thoughts and share some of what I have and am learning.  It is never going to be just one thing; just donkeys, just horses, just pictures,  just hoof trimming, just activism.  It is not just one thing because I am not just one thing.  I have many interests and I care deeply about many things, just one of which is how we care for, treat and think about our animals.  So I am posting this and will probably post other such things when I feel the need to.  That is after all, the beauty of blogging, it is and can be whatever the blogger chooses.

Today is World Donkey Day.  A day to think about and celebrate donkeys, which are wonderfully intelligent, loving, quirky, beautiful creatures who are more than a means to an end.  They are amazing animals who do not deserve to be brutally roped, dragged and thrown about as though they were no more than animated garbage.  So lets use our powerful, collective voice to once again stop this brutality.  Lets do it politely, resolutely, with kindness and without harsh words or hatred, because the means are the ends. 

The following information comes from donkeysdeservedignity
They will be posting further contacts and updates as needed. 

Organizers:

Casey Round 918-520-5208
email: caseyaround@yahoo.com and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casey.round.3)

Dan Conway 806 339 5328 (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hornytoadsaddlery)  

Brad Ingram 918 244 3732 (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brad.ingram.946)

Guthrie Murray 918 533 6926

 Town contact info:
PO Box 277
Welch, OK 74369
918-788-3616
Mayor is Winston McKeon

Craig County Sheriff: Jimmy Sooter 
E-mail: sheriff@junct.com
210 West Delaware Suite 101
Vinita, Oklahoma 74301(918)256-6466

I have been unable to find actual Chamber of Commerce info for Welch, but have the following info for the county seat of Vinita, OK. You can contact them and tell them that you will not be spending any money or visiting their communities due to the cruelty to animals going on in their county.

Vinita Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 882
Vinita, Oklahoma 74301
Phone:918-256-7133
Fax:918-256-8261
E-Mail:chamber@vinita.com
The following contacts are in state government and both serve on the Tourism Committees. Please write to them to make them aware of the event as well as the cruelty to animals #1685 law that is at the bottom of this blog post. Both of these men represent District 1 that includes Welch. (Thanks to the National Miniature Donkey Association for providing us with these two contacts).

Senator Charles Wyrick
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 535-A
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
Home: 58500 E. 155 Rd.
Fairland, Oklahoma 74343

Representative Curtis McDaniel
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd. Room 539-B
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
Home: P.O. Box 366
Smithville, Oklahoma 74957

Connectivity

I had a nice phone call this morning from Tessa's original breeder/owner.  She tracked me down through the breed registry just to see how Tessa is doing and where she is.  I have done this sort of thing in the past, but I have never before had anyone track me down.  I appreciate a breeder who cares enough to want to know where her babies end up and how they are being cared for. 

Emma has been shedding profusely, but not fast enough to suit her.  She is itchy and since the weather has warmed up, she is often too hot even though it hasn't gotten above 70 yet.  I have been trying to help this along and had been seriously thinking about shaving her.  However, today's cold, miserable, raininess is why I haven't done it.  She does not like the shedding blade much and her coat was still quite thick.  Yesterday, I finally remembered a blog post from the7msn ranch about using a Furminator on her donkey Lucy.  I happen to own one of these gadgets which I use on Tanner....

It works GREAT on donkeys.  The last two days, I have pulled a whole bucket full of hair off of Emma and she loves it.  She would happily stand all day for more Furminating.  She has lost all of her coarse outer coat and what is left is the soft, downy fuzz of the undercoat.  It is hard to describe just how soft and silky she is.  I hope all of you get at least one chance to hug a freshly Furminated donkey:)  Thanks to a fellow blogger for sharing this useful bit of trivia.

I also want to thank everyone for your comments, well wishes and advice regarding Emma and her baby.  I don't always have time to respond, but I read and appreciate all of them.  Mel was particularly helpful to me today in providing some reassurance that donkey babies do indeed flip-flop quite a bit before being born.  I should have known that a donkey baby would already be thinking outside the box. 

I had been thinking about trying to set up a webcam to monitor Emma when I have to be at work, but  I don't know anything about the subject.  DonkeyBum suggested the same thing and was kind enough to share some very helpful info.  Unfortunately, after reading everything, I don't think it will work here.  My Internet connection is slow and cell phones don't work here.  If anyone else has any ideas I'd be glad to hear about it.  Just keep in mind that my tech skills are pretty limited and so is my connectivity out here in the boondocks:).