Wrangler’s Donkey Diary: Modeling Blanket for Trailering
7-17-17
When “Wrangler” was delivered in 2017, he came in with awful sores on his rear end. This is not unusual for donkeys. When I was showing “LIttle Jack Horner,” we used to have the same issues when trailering him to shows. Of course, it was critical to prevent those sores, since he was showing, and would be docked points for something like that. Like most donkeys, he would lean back and brace his rump against the wall where it would rub him raw! When we hauled in the wintertime, when the weather was cold, he did not have these kinds of issues because he was blanketed. However, when showing in hotter weather, I had to figure out how to protect his delicate rear end from chafing. That is when I discovered that it worked very well if you just double a sheet back over the rear end and secure it with the leg ties AND the front tie of the sheet. That way, his entire front end could be exposed and keep him from getting overheated. When “Wrangler” arrived at the Lucky Three Ranch, I successfully treated the sores with Neosporin and they were completely healed in one week! I hope this helps those of you who have experienced this problem.
Joy
June 6, 2019 @ 3:20 am
Hi Meredith
I was wondering if you have some advice on how I could introduce/train my new donkey (long eared Irish Donkey) Lenny to being rugged during the bitter cold winter months offered here in Canberra NSW Australia. He doesn’t have a very long or thick coat and while I have a stable for him, he is also new/scared of this if ‘enclosed’.
He is very timid.
Should I try to train him to accept a rug or simply work on him becoming comfortable in the stable, hoping he will remain in rather than out, in feral weather?
Warmest regards
Joy
Meredith Hodges
June 13, 2019 @ 11:08 am
For a detailed response to your question, please email me at meredith@luckythreeranch.com. Thank you!
Meredith
June 23, 2019 @ 7:50 pm
I do cover blanketing in DVD #2 of my Training Mules and Donkeys DVD series offered in the STORE on my website at https://www.luckythreeranch.com. We also have alot of TRAINING TIPS under TRAINING that you might find helpful.
Ashley
January 6, 2020 @ 6:03 am
That Is a great idea! I am trying to find blankets for my mules and donkeys but I need some help. First what blankets do you use for your donkeys and mules and what do you like about them?