Thought you might like to see this photo of me. Some of my donkey friends seem to have the knack of taking off their collars pretty quick and it's quite a good game leaving them around the paddocks for the grooms to go and find!
All's well down in the barn at the moment and the news is that with Winter just round the corner, you won't be able to see us out in the fields on the webcam because they get waterlogged and very muddy. The good news though is we'll still be out and about around the other side of the barn and in a week or so you'll get a new view of us on the concrete yard. I'm quite looking forward to being there because I don't like getting my feet all muddy.
I've also heard that there's a special treat in store for you all on Candlelight evening in December. It's too early to let the cat out of the bag, so watch this space!
Dear Little Pippa, how pleased I am to hear from you after such a long time and what an absolute delight it is to see you sporting your collars with an elegance no one could challenge. You may well be launching a new trend in donkey fashion.
All my love.
Mame Baudet
You do look a saucy minx, Little Pippa, with your collar worn at that jaunty angle! I shouldn't tell you this but you can have alot more fun with collars - here is a 'shaggy donkey' story.
Many years ago, a group of us 'Donkey Weekers' fell in love with a donkey called Henry at Town Barton Farm. He had many charming ways, such as resting his heavy head on the back of anyone who would obligingly bend down near him and he loved lots of cuddles. The following year, we looked forward to seeing and fussing Henry again - but could not find him. We searched the field for ages (this was in the days when we were allowed to go into some fields and mingle with the donkeys). He was very distinctive - very shaggy, white with coloured patches. Each of us in turn thought we saw him but, no, that donkey was called 'Heracles'. Asking a groom, we discovered that WAS our 'Henry' from the previous year. Both donkeys frequently lost their collars at the same time and had mistakenly been given each other's collars.
So you see, Pippa, if you find a willing accomplice, you can fool a lot of the humans for much of the time!
Interesting discussion on collars! We visit our guys at Town Barton on a very regular basis (each month) and often we find either one or both have managed to shed their collars! When you watch the donkeys playing and roughhousing in the fields it is easy to see why they come off too :-) I actually brought home a broken one from my chap Hector on one occasion and it is now hanging by the back door! Always makes me smile!