Your Donkey's or Mule's New Year's Resolutions - I will only wiggle a little (just enough to stay out of his reach) when the vet comes to give me shots. - I'll reserve my chewing on the barn for times when mom and dad can't see me. Then I can surprise them! - I will only toss the best hay on the floor. Then I can more easily sort through it and find the best tasting morsels before anyone else, while leaving the rest in the manger for later. - When mommy brings out the halter I'll be the first to meet her - but only if she's coming to take one of my buddies out instead. - Clean shavings are a wonderful gift of love from my mom. So I'll do my best every time to show her how much I appreciate my freshly cleaned stall. The ultimate way to do this is by peeing right in the middle of the shavings as soon as she is finished cleaning my stall. - I will always load in the trailer when daddy asks me to, but only if he isn't in a hurry and we aren't going anywhere. Moving floors were not meant to be stood on. - Mom always says we need to be clipped for shows in the spring. Maybe I'll start working early and surprise her with my excellent barber skills on my herd buddies. It can't take too long to remove a mouthful of hair here and there, and a chew off their tails. - Humans don't like too much noise. So I will be polite and only bray when I have a good reason to. That may include feeding times, whenever I see a person that might come talk to me, when I'm bored, when mommy is training my buddy, when mommy leaves without giving me a treat, or any other time I feel like it... - And lastly, I'll be the most lovable mule or donkey in the whole wide world!

Happy New Year Everyone!

As another year begins we can proudly look back at our accomplishments of 2009. It was a banner year filled with many events and activities which allowed us the opportunity to educate the public on our long eared friends. Our club welcomed many new members and interest in these amazing critters is definitely on the rise. It looks like it is going to be a busy and exciting 2010.

2009 Reflections

Agassiz Fall Fair

Fort Langley Parade

Driving Clinic

Silent/Live Auction

Dogwood Donkey Show Fun-filled meetingsMane Event

Horseman's Baazar

A Message from our President I am hoping that everyone has taken the time to notice that the days are finally getting longer! I think the Lower Mainland has managed to escape the worst of winter and Spring should be approaching soon.I am glad to have the holiday season behind me and am happily back to my routine with my horses and donkeys. Before the shows are upon us, I always like to make sure that everyone is in good health. Some people clean up their houses and yards at this time of year, but we at Oak Stables spend more time focusing on our animals and their health! This is the time of year that we attend to deworming, vaccinations and dentistry. I like to make sure that my driving donkeys teeth are checked by my vet and floated if necessary. We also have some older jennets that tend to get sharp points on their teeth, so they get checked too. West Nile has made its appearance into this area, so I would recommend discussing vaccination with your vet, if you haven’t already done so. Farrier attention is done year round, but it is much more pleasant to be holding donkeys for their feet to be trimmed now that the weather is milder!Don’t forget to renew your membership to our club, as it is now due. If you have any ideas for clinics or guest speakers for our meetings, please let me know. Thank you to everyone who offered their homes for last year’s meetings- it was much appreciated and made the meetings warm and friendly! If anyone would like to volunteer to host meetings for 2010 please contact myself or Pat Strang.

Virginia

www.firstmainlanddonkeyandmuleclub.webs.com

When Pat Strang's new addition to the family is not visiting with Santa she can be found in the house playing with the dogs and chasing the cats!. Charla is 2 years old and is not quite sure if she is a donkey or a human. She loved her visit with Santa but Santa wasn't impressed when she decided to have a nibble of his beard, she thought it was hay.

Cheryl & Soren Larsen graciously opened their beautiful home in Abbotsford to host our club meeting and Christmas party.  Despite the chilling weather it was a great turnout and a very fun filled day.  Members present were Bud & Virginia Allen, Trudy Leishman, Cheryl & Soren Larsen, Margaret Stewart, Marcel Sward, Pat Strang, and Helen Howell. Virginia started the meeting with everyone introducing themselves. The success stories of the Mane Event, The Fort Langley Parade, The Agassiz Parade and demos were all discussed and everyone thanked for their participation. We exchanged gifts and shared a lot of laughs. We then enjoyed a scrumptious potluck lunch.Thanks so much Cheryl & Soren for having us!!

16th General 1st Mainland Donkey & Mule Club December 6, 2009 Minutes

The First Mainland Donkey & Mule Club would like to welcome the following new members to our club.Sylvia Hardy, Mission, B.C.Gabriele Hau, Mission, B.C.Ronald & Denise Barry, Trail, B.C.Cindy Ling, Powell River, B.C.Lynda Vegsund, Aldergrove, B.C.Judith White, Hope, B.C.

JULY 31 – AUGUST 2 The Dogwood Donkey Show will be hosting it's 3rd annual show at the Agri-Fair in Abbotsford, B.C. Whether you will be participating with your long eared friend in the show or just want to enjoy a weekend of entertainment in the country, we offer something for everyone of any age to enjoy.

MARCH 21 2010 - The Horseman's Bazaar and Country Fair will be held at Thunderbird Equestrian Show Park in Langley, B.C. The First mainland Donkey & mule Club is planning to participate with a promotional booth.

OCTOBER 22 -OCTOBER 24 The 1st Mainland Donkey & Mule Club will be participating in the Mane Event at Heritage Park in Chilliwack B.C with a promotional booth and donkeys for the public to enjoy.

SEPTEMBER 18th – The donkeys were a real hit at the Agassiz Parade and Fall Fair last year. We are hoping to participate in the parade and showcase our donkeys again this year.

The  Mane  Event was held at Heritage Park in Chilliwack, B.C. The 1st Mainland Donkey & Mule Club and Dogwood Donkey Show participated with a promotional booth. Virginia & Bud Allen brought a different pair of donkeys each day for the public to enjoy. The donkeys loved all the attention and their fans enjoyed their loving nature and entertaining antics. Many donkey and mule enthusiasts visited our display where our committed volunteers answered many questions and provided hand outs on our long eared friends. Thanks so much to all the volunteers who helped make this a very successful and fun event.  A special thanks to Bud & Virginia Allen who spent endless hours transporting donkeys back and forth over the weekend and for their knowledgeable help in the booth.   

FEBRUARY 7th – Meeting scheduled. If you are interested in hosting the meeting please contact pat 604 826-4404

Apple Molasses CookiesThese Apple Molasses Cookies are simple and easy to make. My donkeys gave them 5 stars on the taste test. Even my gelding, who is a pretty picky eater, was begging for more!These cookies are also human edible, and are a great healthy snack. If you prefer sweeter cookies, you can add a little sugar to the dough to sweeten it to your taste.

Apple Molasses Cookies2 cups Rolled Oats1 3/4 cups Diced Apple1/2 teaspoon Salt2 tablespoons Molasses1 cup Hot WaterPreheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix all ingredients thoroughly.Spoon dough onto non-stick cookie sheet.Bake for 8 minutes.Remove from cookie sheet, and put on plate or cooling rack to cool.This recipe makes approximately 24 cookies.

Don't Forget To Renew Your 2010 Membership

Make cheque for $12.00 payable to the 1st Mainland Donkey & Mule Club and mail to:Sue Balcom4380 Tamboline RoadDelta, B.C.V4K 3N3

PANJSHIR VALLEY - A lack of decent roads and its towering, craggy mountains are leading Afghanistan to turn to an age-old mode of transport to ferry ballots to remote regions ahead of Thursday's election: the donkey. About 3 100 burros have been hired to carry the poll materials, underscoring the logistical difficulties facing election officials in one of the world's poorest countries, where a violent insurgency also threatens the vote. Donkeys loaded with election materials made their way through a washed-out road winding through the towering Hindu Kush range north of Kabul on Monday. No car or truck can traverse there. The animals carried the materials in blue plastic boxes tied to their backs. Armed policemen walked alongside them. About 17 million registered voters are eligible to cast ballots on Thursday to choose Afghanistan's next president and provincial council members. Aside from a lack of infrastructure, the threat of the Taliban insurgency is rattling the vote. Authorities have been forced to abandon plans to open hundreds of polling stations because of security concerns. Of 7 000 polling centres originally planned for across the country, voting can take place at 6 600, Interior Minister Hanif Atmar said.

COLLBRAN, COLORADO - When a female horse meets a male donkey, the pitter-patter of little mule hooves often follows. Yet the offspring have an odd number of chromosomes, which nearly always means that they are sterile and can't reproduce. But a female mule in has recently become a mother, and her owners are trying to figure out how it happened. In late April, Laura and Larry Amos discovered that a mule called Kate had a newborn foal. The Amos family runs a wilderness outfitter and owns a large herd of mules. Laura Amos tells Robert Siegel that she and her husband realized the birth was a rare event and knew that there would be skeptics. Hair samples sent to the University of Kentucky and blood work submitted to the University of California, Davis, verified yielded the same results: verifying that the samples came from a mule and her offspring. Amos says that further genetic testing will provide more answers about the unnamed foal's origins, and much will depend on what genetic information his mother passed on. Horses have 64 chromosomes, and donkeys have 62. Amos says the baby could be a mule (with 63 chromosomes), a donkey (with 62 chromosomes) or a chimera — an animal that has genetic material from different species. Until the mystery of the foal's birth is resolved, Amos says that mother Kate will no longer work as a pack animal.

The Donkey

An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding.The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right so they changed positions. Then, later, they passed some people who remarked, What a shame, he makes that little boy walk.'So they then decided they'd both walk! Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey.Now they passed some people who shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey.The boy and man figured they were probably right, so they decide to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.The moral of the story? If you try to please everyone, You might as well...Kiss your ass goodbye!

Bud & Virginia in the Fort Langley Parade. Virginia is driving her pairRemmington & Storm and Bud is leadingNipper.

that donkey rides were once as important to the traditional British seaside scene as kiss-me- quick hats, cockles, candy floss and deck chairs on the sand. But the gently-trudging creatures, once a summertime fixture on Welsh beaches from Barry to Llandudno, have started to disappear from our coasts. With the birth of cheap package holidays and charter flights, many of us abandoned our local prom in favour of the guaranteed sun of foreign shores. But now Dennis the Donkey, a hard-working seaside beast of burden based on Llanelli beach, is leading a fightback. The good-natured animal is bidding to become the first donkey to win the Britain’s Best Beach Donkey competition twice. The Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary holds its Britain’s Best Beach Donkey competition every year to recognise and reward high standards of donkey care and welfare. The society introduced the competition in 2004 to highlight the use of beach donkeys and remind coast visitors of the age-old pleasures of riding along the sands. Dennis, judged to have “attitude and character”, won the 2007 competition making him a celebrity in his home county of Carmarthenshire. And on Llanelli beach today, this year’s judge for the competition, Amber Brennan, who works for the Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys in Birmingham, which provides donkey-riding therapy to children with special needs, will give Dennis the once-over to decide if he could become the first donkey to win the national competition twice. The overall winner will be announced on August 30. Wales has done well in the contest with Del Boy of Aberdyfi in Gwynedd, owned by Louise Peters, winning last year. Miss Brennan said: “To triumph in this competition means an official seal of approval from the world’s largest charity committed to the welfare of donkeys. “Hopefully, it will also encourage more entrepreneurs to establish beach donkey rides and with the charity’s help we will ensure the animals are properly cared for.” While Britain has around 850 beach donkeys protected by minimum working conditions (for example, a maximum eight-stone weight limit), millions are being overworked in developing countries where they provide essential transport to millions of people living below the poverty line.

did you know........

Vet's CornerThis time of year things seem to always be wet and muddy, and thrush can become a big problem if your mules' and donkeys' hooves are not properly cared for. Thrush thrives in an environment where air doesn't get much access. If you haven't cleaned your mule or donkey's hooves out for a long time, you fill find that under all the dirt and manure stuck in their hooves there may be very stinky black stuff, especially in the cracks along the frog. This odor and black stuff is caused by thrush. A few years ago a farrier taught me about a great way to treat thrush. First, get a clean spray bottle. Fill it with one part water to one part 3% Hydrogen Peroxide. The Hydrogen Peroxide can be found in the first aid section of your local grocery store. Put the lid on the spray bottle, and shake a few times to mix well. Now pick as much dirt out of your mule or donkey's hooves as possible so that they are pretty clean all across the sole, around the frog, and in the cracks between. Next pick up each hoof one at a time and spray the under side thoroughly with the Peroxide/Water mix. I like to hold the hoof so that the sole is almost upside down and forms a small bowl where I can spray the Peroxide mix. Then I keep holding the hoof in this position for a few seconds to let the Peroxide soak down into the little cracks and crevasses of the hoof before I set it down and let the Peroxide mix drain out. Treat your donkey or mule's hooves like this once or twice a day for about a week, and it will really clear up the thrush quickly and leave your critters with nice clean hooves. Once you have eliminated the thrush in your critter's hooves, all you have to do is pick their hooves out regularly and spray their soles with the Peroxide mix as a preventative treatment. I have found this to work very successfully with donkeys I have had.

The Voice of a DonkeyA special sound, full of love, anticipation, and trust.I have to say, there's nothing quite like walking into the barn after a long day at work, and being greeted by the longeared welcoming crew. Some let out long and hearty brays to make sure there's no mistake letting you know they're glad you're home! Others give a softer little whispering squeak-squeak, as if to say "please, please come give me a gentle pat and scratch behind my ears."Whether it's a whisper, a grunt-grunt, or singing out for all to hear, there's no mistaking seeing the joy in their faces and expectation in their shining eyes! They are always happy to see your arrival! That's one of the things I love most about my donkey

TURTLE VALLEY DONKEY REFUGEIn the summer of 1992, Robert Miller, a mechanic by trade, was recovering from a broken neck sustained in a car accident. As you can imagine, he was very depressed and angry as his rehabilitation was slow and long. One day his partner took him for drive away from the hospital and one of the stops was at DeMille’s fruit stand in Salmon Arm. While Robert waited for Shirley to do her shopping, he was captivated by the donkey in the petting zoo. It was love at first sight and as he interacted with the little fella, Robert felt a release of anger and frustration. His reaction was so positive and was reinforced when he later visited a farm with twelve donkeys and they all walked up to him. As a result he bought a three month old jack called Maximo and Maria, a standard donkey over 30 years old but with bad feet. The one acre lot in Salmon Arm was sufficient for these two until November 1994 when two miniatures in bad shape were dropped off. Sara and Hannah were just skin and bones and unfortunately a year later Hannah died from complications after getting chilled. By now, Robert was well on his way to being called “the donkey man”. Summers spent during his youth on his uncles farms in Alberta and Montana gave him some of the skills to be a farmer. The herd grew again when a very nervous Jose (Max’s half brother) was added to the herd. In 2007, Shirley and Rob bought a rundown property in Turtle Valley, near Chase. Endless hours and numerous dollars have been spent establishing pastures, fencing and shelter for a growing number of rescued donkeys. This couple have worked very hard to win the trust of many abused or neglected animals. The biggest problem has been correcting the hooves. This has been an ongoing situation and the advice from the veterinarians and the farriers has often conflicted. They now have farriers who have tried radical treatments in order to save hooves and these have been successful. The treatment of teeth in rescued animals can also be problematic. Since acquiring the farm, several more standard donkeys have arrived. This has worked well until the recent bushfires in the area and a middle of the night evacuation. The experience of getting animals onto unfamiliar trailers will hopefully not have to be repeated anytime soon. Recently Rob has faced another very serious health issue and survived with the support of Shirley and the mentally healing qualities of his donkeys. Their refuge is currently applying for charitable status so that they can issue receipts for all donations. The refuge has an annual fundraiser in June and I encourage longear lovers to attend. There will be various activities going on and it would be a great chance to meet Lady, Sara, Maximo, Jose, Julio, Nova Fifi, Farrah, Juanita and Pueblo and probably a few more. You can learn about Shirley’s composting worm farms, spinning and weaving, the maremma dogs, and organic food production. Last year students from the Thompson University of Kamloops, Faculty of Tourism volunteered at the Donkey Days. For more details about the refuge and some great photographs I recommend you check out their blog: http:/turtlevalleydonkeyrefuge.blogspot.com/ Ph: 250-679-2778

To everyone,I would like to thank you all for your generosity and compassion in regards to these three donkeys.The response to there plea was amazing .Because of the efforts of the donkey membership and  the huge efforts of Pat Strang and Margaret Stewart these three donkeys will be going to their new home in Merritt.The

vet is coming out on Monday to check the Jenny to make sure she can make the journey but otherwise she will stay with us until the end.I have enclosed the picture so that you can put some faces tp these wonderful animals.Again we at Rocking Patch Mini Ranch and Jenni,Butch and Cassidy thank-you Sincerely Sue and Dave Caldbeck

Danger This is a public service announcement. Urgent Notice: Potential Danger of Donkey Hair. In a press release today, the National Institute of Health has announced the discovery of a potentially dangerous substance in the hair of donkeys. This substance, called "amobacter equuii" has been linked with the following symptoms in females: Reluctance to cook, clean or do housework. Reluctance to wear make-up, good clothes or heels. Reluctance to spend money on home or car repairs until after "baby has new shoes, pad, blanket, tack, grain, hay & supplements". "Amobacter equuii" usually results in long hours away from home and exhaustion which may lead to a loss of physical contact with other humans (especially husbands). "Amobacter equuii" is thought to be addictive, driving the need for additional sources - this may lead to a "herd mentality" or like the potato chip commercial, "you can't have just one". (Especially potent if infected from miniature equines) Beware! If you come in contact with a female human infected by this substance, be prepared to talk about donkeys for hours. Surgeon General's Warning: Donkeys are expensive, addictive, and may impair the ability to use common sense.