Peter the Donkey

Peter the Donkey – 10/2/10

So, as you all know, we are staying on a farm. We feed the goats, sheep, rabbits and Elsa the Pig all of our produce, bread and grain leftovers and bring carrots or apples to Tequila, the white, but extremely muddy mare and her donkey companion in the field, Peter. Since the weather has improved and Caleigh’s social life has subsided just a bit, she began to eye Tequila with the way only a 13-year-old girl who adores horses could. “Mom, do you think I could ride her?” “Could you ask Isabelle?” “There’s tack in the shed. Do you think I could as least brush her?” Anyone that knows Caleigh knows that she won’t let up until we get some answers. So, I talk to Isabelle about it and she and Thierry say that it is fine, but since she has not been ridden in quite some time, she might be a little difficult to ride. “Oh,” they add, “be careful of Peter the Donkey as he can get pretty ‘jaloux’ which is exactly want it sounds like – a jealous donkey.”

So the next day, Caleigh has a half-day from school and we go out in the field and stealthily try to avoid Peter in order to retrieve Tequila. We have one of three halters with us and of course it is the wrong one when she tries putting it over her head. I run back and get the rest of them and we finally find one that fits. By this time, ‘ol Peter starts hee-hawing as he makes his way toward us and we know that we had better get out of the field quick. He begins picking up speed and as we scurry over to the gate, he begins a full on charge. It’s actually very frightening, but I am certain was hysterical to watch and hear us yelling and running for the gate with a big white, dirty horse and a donkey bearing down on us – so close that he actually nipped off Caleigh’s coat. Thankfully, Caleigh does know what she is doing and stands up to Peter, swats at him with the lead rope and grabs her jacket back. I was probably still screaming and running for cover at this point. I can’t quite remember. But we somehow make it out of the field alive and away from Peter the Ass and proceed to brush off the dirt until Tequila is white again. Caleigh then managed to put the bridle and saddle on and has been riding her on a regular basis which is a dream come true for her to have her very own horse and Hank and I are happy as we would rather she focus on a 20-year-old mare over the local boys.