For the first six months “WOS” pestered that little donkey. Please keep in mind that “WOS” did not have a mean bone in his body, but rather saw the little donkey as a play toy. One day the donkey we eventually named “Buddy” (for obvious reasons) decided to play back. That’s when the love between them was sparked. From that moment on they became inseparable friends. They played together, ate together, slept together and just plain STUCK together!
Unfortunately, “WOS” was terminally ill with a liver disease. He fought it gallantly, but died on New Years Eve of 2004. Buddy was devastated. Every morning after that, Buddy would be in complete sorrow. He would stand with his nose on the ground and had tears falling from his eyes. It BROKE MY HEART! Finally, I knew I had to get Buddy a buddy…..and off I went to Longhopes.
Buddy was a scared and gentle soul, so I knew I had to find someone who wouldn’t beat up on him. It was then that I spotted “Rocky” fka Rocket. Longhopes said that Rocky got picked on by the other male donkeys because he was sort of odd looking and had lived with his mother his whole life, and that he liked to spend time in the barn. “PERFECT!” I thought. My mission was successful.
Then I saw “Cassie”. She had been headed for the slaughterhouse when she was rescued. YIKES!! She had to come too! What a lucky moment that was! When Longhopes came to deliver the new friends our little Buddy was very ill and unable to stand. In spite of all the treatments by our vet, Buddy seemed to have given up on life. He was miserable and just lay there moaning. As Rocky and Cassie came into the paddock, he lifted his head and was surprised to see new friends….friends who looked just like him! This was the turning point! His recovery has been amazing! We now have a friendly foursome outside. Rocky and Buddy are the very best of friends. They enjoy “sparring” matches….chasing each other around the paddock day and night. Sometimes at 2:00 a.m. this playing will start up - it is never-ending! After morning breakfast they will run down into the meadow to continue their play, only returning when they think it might be time for supper.
Little Cassie has bonded with Coty. They too are inseparable. Where you find one, the other will always be. If they are separated by six or seven feet, as when the farrier comes, all heck breaks loose! You’d think by all the fussing that we were torturing her! Cassie’s “tricks’ include “stick your nose in Mom’s jacket”, “poke the vet for attention” and her favorite…”I’m a Roadblock.” She is an attention getter, an affection hog and she is as cute as she can be! She and Coty think the boy donkeys are pretty stupid….with all that running and playing. Strangely, a painting given to us as a gift before Cassie even arrived, is the spittin’ image of the two of them!
So there you have it! We are a happy little family! One mare and three little donkeys. Happiness is having a donkey….or two….or three!!!
The REAL Buddy Hawley Story by Lynne Hawley
I was building a barn so I could bring my equines home from the stables. Equines like to be HOME vs being boarded. Before I was through building, a sad little donkey showed up at the stables. His feet were horrific and his halter had grown to be embedded into his head. With much to do, we got it off his head and put him into a secure paddock with fresh water and hay. My friend, Howard, then went to find the monster who had done this to him. Confronted with this blatant animal abuse, the monster replied, “Donkeys don’t matter.” Can you imagine such cruel stupidity? My friend then offered to take the donkey or he would call the animal protection authorities and press charges. “It’ll cost you fifty dollars.” Said the man. Howard threw the money at him and returned to the stables. It then dawned on Howard that he was the new owner of a little terrified donkey. That’s where I came in. I spoke up and said, “Hey, I’m building a barn and he can come live with my horses.” The poor little thing was so scared it took seven of us to get him into a trailer! It took another five months for me to get near him. He thought all humans were EVIL! I already had two horses. A perfect Arab mare, “Coty”, and a 16.3 hand Arab gelding, “Wings of Silver” or “WOS” for short. The gelding was a scamp who had never emotionally matured beyond the level of a two year old.
