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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Working on Star......

What a week!
My camera took a shit dump
as you know by my last post.

Will NOT EVER buy another Sanyo product!

So this past weekend we went to 
Best Buy to check them out.
We would of bought one there, but they did not have any in stock.
So I came home and went to Best Buy on line!
Guess what?
They were $20.00 cheaper ON LINE
(Go Figure)
and
FREE SHIPPING!
So it is on its way to me! 
I can't wait to get it and try it out.

Since my last post, 
I discovered that Libby was very tender
on her belly between the front legs,
and on each of her front shoulders.
She is not a biter, but if she was,
I would of had some chunks taken out of my arm.
I figured it was due to the fact when she was running and 
slipped on the grass,

(Movie in my last post).

So today I went out and 
cleaned her feet, and touched her all over.
She was really good in the beginning,
but the more I rubbed her the more she got irritated.
Then all of a sudden, 
rubbing her with my right hand,
my left hand was shocking her!!!!!!
You know those big ass, little shocks you get
walking across the carpet and then you go and touch your computer
and you get a shock and it shorts your whole system down!

Well now I am thinking this was what was happening.
It has been cold and dry here, and the static electricity it pretty bad.

 Star looking cute as ever!
 A friend came over, and he is NEVER interested in my equines.
He is a Harley dude, and hubby's huntin' buddy.
But yesterday he wanted to pet Star.
So I gave him two cookies. One for Star and one for Libby.
At first Star ignored him.
 Star: "You got something yummy?"
 Huntin' buddy: "Yep I do!"
 Of course Libby was on it like stink on shit.
Star figured if he has a cookie he isn't all bad, and allowed a pet.
Immediate friendship was born.
I work with Star every single day.
I can't wait to get home from work, and go out to the pasture.
It calls me.
It is in my dreams.
It is an addiction!
The other day, I thought we would work on desensitizing.
This is when my camera died.
But  I did get this picture with the 'arm extension' leaning up against her.
I don't like using the word: whip.
 Here is Sydney and Sassy. They think Star is someone to play with and Star is not to keen on on that idea. I will have to work on all them, to get them to all get along. That will be later this summer.

 The neighbors chickens are a daily occurrence.
They work really hard getting bugs.
I hope they can keep up with them this summer because as mild of a winter as we have had, they should fatten up real nice.
I am going to work on clicker training Star.
Kris over at The Dancing Donkey
is working with Emma on clicker training.
She recommended a book which I have on order from Amazon
and should be here any day, as well as some clickers.

This afternoon Star and I worked, again, on getting past the gate!
She will not step foot past the gate, to go outside the pasture to go for a walk!
I can not even entice her with a cookie.
Her feet are planted right at the gate line, and no matter what I do, 
she will not budge.
So this afternoon I went to the end of the lead rope and SAT DOWN!
I studied her.
"Star I know I am not asking you correctly."
She stares at me.
I see her trying to communicate. 
Her ears are up.
She is staring a hole in me.
So I THINK!
and think some more.

A light bulb turns on!
She has problems with ALL THE GATES!
Especially the round pen gate.

So we exercise walking thru the round pen gate, and all the other gates that go from pasture side to pasture side.

The round pen gate was the worse.
She got pretty good at going thru the gate so we quit on a good note.

We will work on gates till there are no issues then we will try to go outside, once again.

So I took Libby for a walk. We went down to get the garbage can, 
and I thought she would have another fit, but no, she acted as if I 
did not even have that noise piece of plastic barrel behind me.

All the while, Star is braying and running back and forth, 
just like Poncho did!

So....this brings to mind.......
Another donkey?
So that when I go riding, 
Star isn't beating herself up by missing Libby?
Two Donkeys eat as much as one horse.
Two Doneky's take up the space as ONE horse.
I do think that Star needs a Donkey friend.
Only wished I could borrow one somewhere.......

2 comments:

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

You better be careful of you're going to end up like Morning Bray Farm and have a whole pasture full of donkeys. lol!

As for leading Star past gate openings, maybe you should check out Linda's posts on Donkey Training and her Come Along Hitch that she has to use on stubborn Lucy to make her follow while on the lead rope.

http://www.the7msnranch.com/search/label/donkey%20training

~Lisa

Lois Evensen said...

So cute to watch the socialization of Star. :) I'm looking forward to lots of pictures when your new camera comes.