First of all this is a RE-POST from way back when nobody was following me….excuse the not so perfect photo’s, it is the story that counts.

I’m choosing to re-post this post since this week marks one year since my sister and I adopted two wild burros from the Bureau of Mismanagement (BLM).   We adopted them for Rosie to be a guard donkey for my goats and Francis to be a guard donkey for Susie’s sheep.   I agreed to tame Francis until she was ready to go to her new home across the valley.  I would keep Rosie at Sundog.  This post was a little more than half way through their taming.  Enjoy

The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

As I meandered to the kitchen sink to rinse out my coffee cup Friday morning Rockin Roy calmly informed me of the fact Rosie and Francis were OUT.  The burro’s getting out is a HUGE fear of mine as I am convinced they will say “screw you Jo, we are finally free again and are going back to were we came from”

Fortunately for me they did not take off so fast.  From the kitchen window I could see them happily munching away on our overgrown lawn.  Maybe I should just let them stay up here for awhile I thought?  That thought did not last long.  Visions of fresh budding roses chomped down to the nubs prompted me to make a move.  I grabbed my camera (of course) slipped into muck boots, put a smile on my face and was out the back door.   No big deal I told myself, with all the loving and training we have been doing these gals will just follow me right back to the barn.  Well not quite.  After a few more munches of lawn Francis took one look at me in that cute way looking down, and Rosie too using her monocular vision.  They had other plans for the morning.

Off they went into our newly tilled vegetable beds.Whoa……what nice soft dirt.  But where is the grass?Here it is!  At this point it was apparent the donkey’s had plans other than following me to the barn.  And food is always in their plans.   I called out to Rockin Roy who unlike me was getting ready for his work day.   I NEED TREATS!!Well so much for that plan.  I guess they did not see orange.  At least today they did not.  They were having WAY to much fun being knotty.Oh….. maybe they are going to run right back into their stall for breakfast.  Not a chance.  Francis wanted to show me how beautiful she looks in a more natural environment.
Francis looked at me as if to say goodbye and Rosie started to travel down into the canyon.  This is when I thought my worst fears were going to come true.  Rosie and Francis were starting the next chapter in their life titled  ” The Wild Burro’s of Rock Creek Canyon”

But no sooner than I could say BOO…..they made a swift decision to high tail it back up the hill and back to the ranch.  There were many things to investigate.  Like the pool pump, and the picnic table.  I this point I had to stop and think about how far they have come since they arrived at Sundog Ranch.   They WERE actually curious and investigating and NOT being scaredy cats.

     OK I said,  you guys have had way too much fun today.  While I have you on the OTHER side of the fence how about I put into action some of the training we have done.  Time to put down the camera, put down some grass hay then grab a halter and lead.
As soon as the grass hay went down Rosie made no bones about it and trotted right into her stall.  OMG big smiles from me!!!  However,  Francis being the girl that she is decided she was not going anywhere quite so fast.  But she DID stand quietly and allow me to halter her  HALLELUJAH!     Francis then took one look back at the canyon as if to say “so much for The Wild Burro’s of Rock Creek Canyon”.   At this point I had to AGAIN put my camera down and get down to do some serious training…..or so I thought.  Francis did eventually allow me to lead or DRIVE her into the stall.  I can honestly say I did not get kicked or run over either.  Let’s just say we need to work on leading some more and put off that video presentation we thought we’d do.

Needless to say my day got a little off track.  Rockin Roy was off to work and I was living on donkey time.

Adios Amigo’s