Hello and Happy New Year!
Us donkeys (and the ponies) are ready to celebrate the New Year, although we still have no visitors and that is not great, we are missing our fuss and people saying how lovely and sweet we are – we have been video stars as we have been filmed by the humans and have been showing our tricks and training on live videos (If you have not seen them, they are on our Facebook page – and will be rolling them out on YouTube).
Lilac has been bought a new rug, and she is showing off in it to all of us – equipment and items for us can be bought thanks to your kind donations and when you help us by adopting, joining the donkey club, or making a standing order – so thank you!
We were very lucky at Christmas to win prizes as a result of people voting on Facebook so we were excited to see a lorry load of supplies turn up, and cash donations. Our humans were pleased too, as this makes life a bit easier, as last year has been a tough one.
Everyone here is hoping that very soon we will be able to announce dates when we can have get togethers again, as all of us love the excitement of the fairs at Hope Pastures, and we all love seeing the Dog Show – (although none of those pooches are a patch on me or Coco) although I am told it may be in the Summer or even early Autumn.
We have some new arrivals on site and we have waved some of our friends off who have gone out to forever loan homes.
Bruzo, everyone’s favourite little pony left for his new home, in a lovely big horse box, and has settled in very nicely.
Belle has done really well, moving to her new home and making new friends.
We have been joined by three new friends, two ponies who have had a difficult start in life, Stanley and Ollie, who have come to us needing feeding up and some help with basic handling.
…and Sully, the one horse mud machine who is also new who has has spent a long time on his own and is now adjusting to life with us all, and the busy yard – but he is doing really well – despite the mud!
We also had to say a sad goodbye this week to our friend Toffee (left image). He was a lovely Shetland pony, but despite lots of work by the humans and the vet and farrier, his feet did not get better and he could not move about like he wanted to. It is never an easy time losing one of our friends.
So for us here at Hope Pastures, we are looking forward to a brighter 2021 for all of us and we hope you are all managing this lockdown the humans are talking about, and staying safe – we are just waiting to be able to see you all again soon, to show you our tricks and japes in person.
Banjo x
