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Member's Stories
An Old Soul
By Deb Jones
I first saw Poncho at an animal shelter near Eureka, Ca. I had been looking for a stable mate
for Missy, my then, 3 year old standard jennet. Poncho is an old (20-25 years) fuzzy brown donkey. About 12 hands.
He has a BLM tattoo. He was in a small pasture with a herd of goats that had chewed his tail off. In his eyes was a look
so old and resigned to his life that it broke my heart. His feet were long and twisted and he had large bald patches of
skin all over his back. I wanted him. I had to take him home, to help him and to love him. The ride up the mountain
was grueling, long for me and agonizing for him. When we arrived it took three of us to help him out of the trailer and
an hour to walk to the barn. I called the vet immediately.
Doc. C. came out as soon as he could to start work on his feet and go over his care and feed with me. He got his
first shots that day too. Poncho had Laminitis, with rotated coffin bones, white line and hoof wall separation. His
feet had to be routered to drain the abscesses. It was so horrible we were both gagging. The regime of meds.
And hot soaks began and for months and months we worked on his feet. I moved into the barn, spending hours
each day grooming and talking to him, lifting his feet and massaging his legs. I didn't see an improvement for
what seemed like forever but it was happening all the same. Missy loved him at first sight as did Buck, my
German Sheppard (who are only months apart in age). They seemed to know to be gentle around him, not,
their usual rambunctious selves. Buck and Missy had bonded young but Missy really did need another equine
and Poncho, so gentle and quiet was perfect.
Poncho healed, his hair came back in thick and glossy, his tail grew back and his feet, which will never
be perfect, are so nice now that he actually trots and "kicks up" once in a while on sunny days. For
his joints I started him on Platinum Performance (I know!, but the HORSES get it!). He is able to be
trimmed by our farrier now but we are still cautious about lifting his feet too high and straining his
legs.
Today Poncho is healthy, happy and loved. He lives with my small mixed band of horses and
donkeys with a nice warm barn for cold nights and rainy days. (He melts when wet you know). I love
to see him grazing along with these huge horses. Missy never tries to steal his food bowl anymore
either. The first time I saw him actually chase her away from it, squealing his indignation, I cracked
up laughing and crying at the same time. She was shocked!! And he was like a grumpy old man who
had had enough of pushy youngsters. It was so wonderful. That sad old soul now has a sparkle in his
eyes.
Poncho
Poncho with Willie on his back
(her favorite warm spot)
Troy (quarter horse) Missy (grey Jennet)
and Poncho
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A Donkey's Letter To Santa
by Erika Williamson
Dear Santa,

I still think you’re an old fat person in red clothes but my little owners talk about you non-stop. So I thought if you
granted wishes or gifts, I might as well try. I really would like for this so called Christmas (I don’t know why you
humans have names for just days of the week) a life where I am spoiled and treated like a king. You see life is hard
for me right now, I have to share my big pasture with 3 other animals and two of them are creatures like me. The
other animal is a horse with a big fat butt, who likes to smash me against the fence. I think she should get a nice big
fat rock for Christmas. But don’t tell her I told you that, or I might be stuck on Christmas day. Whispering in the
barn also says “we get to talk on the eve before this day? I was wondering of one of my wishes can be all year long???
I have lot to say and would like to voice my neglect to my big owners, who put me on time out a lot. Wasn’t like I bit
any one, I just feel that they spend way too much time hovering over that big old ass name Sissy. She is mean; she
kicked me a few times and even threw me. Not like I was being mean to her, she didn’t need to be eating a whole
flake of hay. She needs to watch her calories, before people start thinking she is a member of the cow family down
the road! Not my fault that my tiny size, I need more hay then her fat body. Then they always treat Paco, who is
such a wuss. I mean you sneeze and he runs away. Talk about a baby, but there again they spend so much more time
with him. Again I like to say it wasn’t my fault he got scared of the road cone, the tarp or me dragging the whip
around. I mean gee I was just helping my big owners move things and it just so happen he was in my way. Don’t
believe everything they have told you, I didn’t chase him with things. You can’t look things up can you???
I am a really good donkey and have been so neglected. They say I am chaos and always into trouble, and that isn’t
true. Wasn’t my fault those stupid feather head ducks came into my pen. The darn chickens stuck the feathers to my
mouth, I swear. Plus those stupid chickens wanted to stay in my hay, I tried to nicely tell them to leave and they
refused. I know the big owners thought I was stomping at them, but it wasn’t me. It was that fat butt mare, I
promise.
I was wondering if for a wish if you can take every one else away and I can stay here? There not bad people, they
just need one donkey is all.
Thanks a lot Santa; I hope that by calling you a fat person didn’t make you angry.

Sincerely the first donkey to ever type to you I bet
Colby
p.s. can I also get apples and carrots all year long too???
Colby (updated
picture coming soon)
Margie’s first horse
By Margie Payne
We had adopted a burro at the Longears Celebration in 2003, our first equine and that led to a buddy for
him and so on and we soon had three burros. By this time, I had gotten to know Ginny and loved to stop
by her place to see all her critters. She was fostering Sky, a yearling cremello who had digestive issues
and had been passed over at a few adoptions. I found myself liking him although I had no intentions of
adopting a horse! He was so mellow and affectionate. I visited him a few more times and found him hard
to resist. I finally took the plunge and told Ginny I wanted to adopt him. He came home in 2005 with his
best buddy, Itty Bitty(Lydia) since they were extremely attached. She is Jim's first horse! His stomach
issues have resolved and he has grown quite handsome. I hope to have him started in spring.