After looking at photos on line and reading about him in emails from friends in WI, Jasper is finally here in his new home in NW SD.

This is the advertisement for Casper, pronounced by us the Biblical way <grin>, Jasper. We did not buy him from these folks, we got him a year later from some friends of ours that work for and with the Therapy Riding School in N WI that did answer this ad. He had a bit of a hoof problem and their Farrier was afraid of Jasper. So far, Deron has not had a problem handling Jasper or his hooves.

I was looking for horses, a friend that knows how much I love donkeys was helping me find horses in WI, then she asked if I would like to have Jasper <for free>.

These are photos of Jasper in the trailer leaving WI. And then the other is of Jasper right after we unloaded him at home in NW SD. I look awful from lack of sleep for a few weeks, and a very long trip home, but as you can see, he looks great! The sawbuck is NOT adjusted correctly, I just set it on his back for fun. Just to see how nice he will look in it a bit later.

November 7, 2011 I thought I had waited long enough. The deal is/was that we needed to set up here for our hay (done) put up more fencing for the new equine for the winter (some finished) close out the ten acres around the house (not done) then I would have a place to ride away from the other equine, closed in and relatively safe. I could start in the round pen then ride on the 10 acres, before taking anyone new out on the open prairie. Good Plan. But you know, life gets in the way, and things take time, and the days are shorter this time of year......and so I asked Deron if we could move the equine we had into the hay pen for an hour, get Whinney the horse, and Jasper the donkey out and let me ride them....one at a time of course. Well, he agreed.

Jasper was a Prince! Nice ground manners. Let us fool all around with the halter fitting and set up and with the saddle girth to fit and off we went. What a good boy. I did not ride far or fast, just a little ride. Just wanted to get on his back. He is a master at blowing his belly out for the saddle. We tightened it, and tightened it again, and yes, again, and when I got back to the trailer....it was four holes too loooooose. <smile> the brat!

January 1, 2012

Wow! I can not believe the date! But I started the day/year off correct. I got Jasper out and had some fun. Here is a note I sent to a Donkey eList I am on.

Man! I have the best tall spotted riding donkey there is! The best! I had such a lovely time with Jasper today! He reminded me of my little horse (now gone) Missy while I was grooming him. A little bit more relaxed and he would have fallen over! He went right over one of the (low) Agility Jumps here, well, when he found out that I was not going to take "no" for an answer and that when he was over I would give him a treat. After that, he went over a few more times without hesitation. He was such a gentleman and just for fun I lifted and held each of his feet just to work with him.

Taking opinions. How do you feel about using a crupper with an English Saddle on a riding donkey? I ask because I am thinking about riding Jasper this way (Yes. I know I have to break him to the crupper and make sure he is good with it before mounting. Yes. Even at a trot and canter).

January 4, 2012

Jasper's first hoof trim here. He thought he might misbehave, but with me brushing him while Deron trimmed, and Jasper finding out that if he was good for the trim <per foot> he got to hear the word he listens for "goooood" and get a cookie. He stood as well as any well trained equine.

June 30, 2012

It is hot, but we did it anyway. We got Jasper out of his pen and while Deron trimmed his hooves, I took a plastic curry brush and Scrubby Dub Dubbed all that dead hair off. All that foooooling over him, all that fusssssing over him. No flies allowed to land. And. Peanuts for being a good boy. Jasper was in Heaven.

After all the fuss and wonderful grooming was over, we put his new Fly Sheet on him. Yes. It was too big. His size Fly Sheet was out of stock at most places and twice the cost of an average sized horse size to purchase at others. So we bought him a small horse size and did what we do for Abby (our Large Standard Jennet) every year. We used Zip Ties to hold it in place. He can move freely and has move "coverage" too. I buy all my Fly Sheets when they are on clearance at the end of the season for the next year. They are 1/3 - 1/8 the cost and store well. I can buy a couple of extras in case a couple get ruined. And I also repair tears in any of the Fly Sheets with pieces of nylon webbing sewn to each side of the tear. I then wash the sheets and put them back on the equine. At the end of the season I wash each Fly Sheet and dry them on the line. Store them for next year. It saves a lot of money doing it like this. And Fly Sheets, really do help keep the flies off equine and make them much more comfortable as they are out grazing.

May 14, 2015

We lost Jasper.

It was very hard to write the note to our friend that brought Jasper into our lives to let her know. But it also helps in the healing.

Jasper was such an amazing animal. Such a good boy. He would do or try anything you asked of him...sometimes he made sure you had treats with you when you asked, but he tried.

Jasper died wearing his Fly Sheet he loved so much. Seriously. He loved it. I swear he would come and tell us when it got a hole in it. He loved all the attention of getting it fixed. He would stand so nice while I took a horse sized Fly Sheet to make it fit him, all the pulling, adjusting, and moving and the zip ties used. When on, he would still stand there, hoping for more attention. He was so funny.

He will be so sorely missed.

I wish I had taken more photos. I wish I had written more about this amazing animal! Time. Time is something you never get back. No "do overs" in real life.