Pedro
11/16/02
There I was.......standing
ankle deep in mud in a pen among some horses and a Jenny Burro,
when this lady comes tromping through the mud towards us. The
horses moved off and the girlie Burro stood behind me as she approached.
I would have headed for the high ground as she came closer, but
there wasn't any. And, slogging through mud on feet that look
like the beginnings of elf shoes isn't easy. Fast paced mobility
was simply out of the question, so I just stood there. There wasn't
really any place to go to get away anyhow.
This mud wading
woman comes up to me, rubs my head and says some stuff in a soft
voice. She then tries to approach my female burro friend, but
my friend just kept hiding behind me. The lady then sloshes over
to the horses to talk to them. The lady then looks at each of
us in that pen with a look of saddness and resignation, and then
turns away with her head down and shoulders slumped.
The next day
we are all herded into a trailer. I don't want to go because I
have a feeling that the next place I go to is going to be worse
than this one. I am picked up by two men and put into the trailer.
My friends and I aren't at all hopeful about this trip. The horses
shuffle around and the girl burro stays very close to me. When
the trailer stops and the door finally opens we all crowd to the
front of the trailer to avoid whatever/whoever is at the door.
We hear voices
and the door swings open. There stands one of the people who bodily
put me in the trailer and right behind them is that woman who
likes to walk in the mud! I hear her say "Pedro! Que Pasa?"
The next thing I know I'm being led down a driveway and there
are horses hollering hello to me. My friends in the trailer are
quiet, no shuffling, no sound......then I hear my lady burro friend
bleat out a couple of goodbyes. I say nothing........I don't know
what to make of this whole situation.
I am put in
a big round pen with water and hay. I just stand there for a long
time. Waiting. Waiting for them to bring in the yearlings that
they will tie me to so I can teach them to be somewhat halter
broke. Waiting for the people on horseback with ropes to come
and rope me while I teach their horses not to run up on me or
I will kick which will teach them to not run up on a cow so they
can become good roping horses. Waiting for someone to jump on
my back so everyone can laugh when I run.
Waiting.......and
here she comes. She doesn't have any yearlings with her...she
doesn't have a rope or lead rope. She does have something in her
hand and I know it can't be good. It usually isn't. She squats
down, this woman that wades through mud and acts like she's a
friend, extends her hand while she is holding this thing. I back
up warily at first, but she is persistent with this thing. I tentatively
stick my nose out to sniff this thing in case it is something
I recognize. I hear this pony in the background making weird happy
sounds as someone holds out one of these things to her, so I go
ahead and sniff. It smells............edible. I take a bite and........It's
PIE!! Cherry Pie! My! My!
The pony,
who I later found is named Pearl, is pretty ticked off that she
had to share her pie with me. She'll get over it I guess. The
woman realized that I wasn't going to cause trouble so she opened
the gate on the roundpen. I now get to sleep wherever I want,
I get to mow the grass all around this area and the woman's back
yard too! I'm not too sure about the water bucket in the roundpen,
so I drink out of a big trough that belongs to this tall horse
named Panache. He's really nice to me, but that Dobbin lady makes
ugly faces everytime I get close to her house!!
Everytime
the lady passes me to go feed, muck, water, turnout horses, etc.,
she comes up and talks to me. She rubs my ears and face and neck
and has told me I will be getting a manicure as soon as somebody
named Farrier comes. She did do one mean thing.....that was when
she hosed me off to get the mud out of my fuzzy coat. I wasn't
happy about it, but I didn't run off when she started wetting
me down.
And...........I
met a lady who says she is my new mom!! I will be going to live
with her right away!! She used a word I hadn't heard before......adopted.
I hear them say......"Pedro is adopted". Huh? I thought
"Pedro is a Burro"! Oh well, as long as the pies, carrots,
apples and bermuda grass keep coming, I guess I can deal with
it!
Update
11/20/02 - The gate opened and the truck roared down the drive
......headed my way. Wow! A whole truckload of goodies for me???
But, no..........two men get out of the truck, walk around to
the back and start clanking things around as they take items out
of the truck.
The lady that
feeds me and pets me everyday starts walking up to me with a lead
rope. Uh Oh......something fishy going on here! She walks up to
me and says "Hey Bubba, you ready to get some real feet?"
Uh Uhhhhh!! No way! I'm outta here! But the lady snags me and
attaches the lead rope. The two guys walk up and start talking
to me like they were long lost friends or something. I ain't buyin
it! One of them leans down and tries to pick up my front foot.........what???
Does this guy think I'm slow witted or something??? I barrell
right into him and the lady. My moves are pretty good cuz they
back off.
The one guys
says......"Gail, this boy hasn't ever had his feet done.
They're pretty bad and I don't believe he is going to cooperate
very well." Darn tootin! Ain't nobody gonna be tryin to pull
MY feet out from under me! The lady and the man talk a bit and
he walks back over to the truck, fiddles around a bit and comes
back. By this time I'm tied up next to Panache's pen. Panache
is no help at all! He hangs his head over the rail to watch the
circus. Probably glad it's me and not him that is the focus of
these people's attention! I'm thinkin maybe the guy got smart
and got a Pie or a carrot or an apple out of his truck?? Nope,
next thing I know I feel a little sting in my neck and everyone
goes off and leaves me tied up all by myself. They go over and
start picking up Pearl's feet and doing things to them. She's
not pitchin much of a fit and I'm thinking maybe she got stung
in the neck too cuz I'm feeling kinda mellow about now.
These folks
go from horse to horse, pick up their feet one at a time, do something
to it and when they've done that to all four feet, they go to
the next horse. I'm just enjoying the breeze while Slim grumbles
something about the darn wind. They finish whatever they are doing
to the horses and come back to me. Uh Oh! Not this again! But,
I'm feeling pretty forgiving right now and when they start picking
up my foot again I only give them a little trouble. Besides, there's
three of them and one of me!! Dobbin looks on with a grin on her
face as if to say....."Neener, neener, neener.....I told
you you'd get yours shorty!"
Next thing
I know I'm being untied, my head is being rubbed (that lady kept
rubbing my head and running her mouth the whole time these guys
were messing with my feet!) and then the guys get in the truck
and head out the gate again. The lady heads off saying something
about getting the checkbook and I'm left there to try to figure
out how to walk cuz they have REALLY changed my feet around!!
Did they put them on backwards or something? I can't see my toes
anymore! It feels weird to walk instead of rock. Oh well, guess
I'll see if I can get that Dobbin girl to make those ugly faces
at me again. She looks so funny when she does that! Goodness knows
I can't take a nap because Pearl is grumbling so loud. She's muttering
something about the darn chiropractor (that's the guy that was
here before the tag team got me!) and complaining about those
guys picking up her feet and not a one of those people had a Pie
for her. But......Pearl is always muttering something. Earlier
she was chastising me for not enrolling in her Weed Abatement
Program. Why should I when there's all this grass around and I'll
be going to my new forever home later???
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11-20-02
Yeah....I got new feet! |
Traveling
is a snap now! |
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Sheesh,
I'm not sure I can remember how to walk now that the elf
shoes are gone! |
BIG
difference huh? |
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Hey!
I can balance my hind feet on this hose without rocking
back and forth now!! |
And
the rear action ain't too shabby either!! |
Update
12/11/02 - Pedro goes home!
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Harry:
Okay Pedro..lets try stepping in here.
Pedro: Are you serious Mr.?? |
Pedro:
No problemo Harry. |
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Pedro:
Now what Harry? |
Harry:
Now, lets step down.
Pedro: Are you getting confused Harry? |
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Harry:
Good Boy Pedro. Im proud of you!
Pedro: Its walking Harry. Ive been doing it
for years!! |
Harry:
Okay Pedro, lets learn to give to pressure.
Pedro: Give to pressure? Im a donkey!! |
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Harry:
Its okay Pedro. Youre doing great!
Pedro: You dont get it do you Harry? |
Pedro:
Youve really got a hang up about this giving to pressure
thing Harry. Well, so do I! |
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Harry:
Okay Pedro, now that you have the giving to pressure thing
down, lets get in the trailer again.
Pedro: Harry, you have some serious problems....... |
Harry:
Thats a good boy Pedro.
Pedro: Harry, are you seeking medical help? |
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Harry:
Thats a good boy Pedro!! Now well head out to
your new home!
Pedro: Harry, Ill just stand here and keep you in
until the little men in the white coats arrive. Poor guy!
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Many
thanks to Harry for his continued help!! And......of course,
thank you to Pedro for being such a star student!!! |
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Pearl:
Is that little furry fella with the long ears gone? I was
going to share my treats with him! (NOT!!!) Gee.......too
bad he left already, he was kinda cute! |
Update
5/7/03 - Pedro De Burro is a doll! He is getting healthy and
all the yucky coat is falling out at once, looks kinda mangy but
I keep swat on the bald spots, especially on his legs. He isn't
much on normal horse treats but LOVES french fries!
Update
11/25/03
- Had to share, needed a smile. Pedro seems to be good for that.
The "redhead" is Gemma, stuffing her face. Pedro at
least was curious about what I had in my hand. He propbaly thought
it was food! His newest food like is pumpkin spice bread (with
butter). I love my donkey!
Update
12/28/03
- Pedro the love bug is absolutely the bestest, no fuss nice guy!
We are still working on feet picking, but at least I have finally
found a farrier willing to work with me! He is fine with the fronts,
getting better with the back. Pedro has his own napping spot and
the dogs will actually lay by him nicely. Usually they bark when
the horses roll and irrate them, but not the donkeys. Pedro was
wormed today and will be getting the same MSM as Annabelle. I
wish I could tell if that front knee bothers him, but no limping,
tenderness, heat, etc. I just figured he may get a little "creaky/stiff"
with this cold weather. He is getting more personality...even
pinned his ears and gave a little buck at Reza when she did her
"mine, all mine!" drama dance at feeding time. He only
tolerates so much in his quiet way. He love to go for walks and
see the world with me. No spooking at anything, he just stops
and looks if something bothers him, you can just see him thinking.
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