Those Wondrous Long Ears
December 7, 2018 Uncategorized 3 comments ahilliard19
People who know me, know I have a special kinship with animals. I enjoy them more than I enjoy most human companions, and that was true indeed throughout all my life. My family has always had animals, all throughout our lives, and we have always had an ability to bond with them. This was especially true when we got one of our first of its kind to set foot on our farm. A standard donkey which we named Mayballine.
We happened to go to an animal auction one day in search for a new goat to keep our other goat company, and in a little stall away from all the rest was a mangy donkey, with a matted tail and mane, her head drooped and her ears back. She looked pitiful. We asked around for some information on her and learned that she had been in pasture with a bunch of draft horses, was easily the low man on the totem poll. The owner had decided that she was no longer wanted, and put her up for auction.
My father bought her for a mere $200, after renovating our barn to house a donkey, and fixing some fences so that she may have a pasture to herself, we borrowed a horse trailer, and brought her home. At first, she avoided all human contact all together, she would watch from a distance as we did anything. I was adamant into making our new rescue donkey more comfortable with humans. Months past and she got comfortable with me and my dad being around her, but she still did not like having us touch her. We got into a routine of feeding her, and then closing her door at night, and she would (loudly) protest if we were minutes off on our routine. A year went by, and she was comfortable enough to let us rub her face, and she enjoyed ear massages, but was still uncomfortable if we touched anywhere else.
She began to get more comfortable as another year pasted, and on one trip to my grandparents, I snagged my horse grooming tote, full of supplies, confident that I could build a relationship with this donkey that I had fallen in love with. She ended up loving being groomed, and I would groom her for more than an hour while she stood still, head drooped, her bottom lip hanging as she snoozed while I groomed her. But I was still the only one who could groom her. Her coat greatly improved with my grooming, and soon she had built a relationship with both me and my father, and her quirky personality came out. She enjoyed anything sweet, and would steal things if she had to. Her favorite thing to steal was any hats you were wearing, she would snag and run away. She was also very nosy, and if your back was turned, she would walk over and demand an ear scratch by putting her head over your shoulder, and quite literally, headbutt you in the face. With her development with allowing us into her life, I had helped her to accept that humans could be trusted, and to accept our love, and in return she helped me.
During this time, I had a very rough situation at home, my stepmother and I did not get along. She became a very emotionally abusive person, taking her problems out on me, when I had nothing to do with it. She just enjoyed having someone to pin the blame on. I was alone dealing with this, I had nobody to lean on and tell my frustrations to. Mayballine came to my aid as I did for her. I would lay on top of her stall divider, sharing an apple with her, telling of my frustrations while she nibbled on my jeans waiting for another bite of my apple. She helped me deal with the things I couldn’t, and became almost my therapy animal. When things happened, I would escape to the barn, and she would come into her stall and patiently listen with her large ears tipped towards me. She became my best friend. Her large, expressive ears that swiveled to catch my voice, and her loud, obnoxious singing was the highlight of my day, even if it did include a few holes put in my favorite sweatshirt from her incessant nibbling. She would watch me get off the bus with her head over the fence, baying to me when I got to the driveway.
I eventually left that situation, due to my wish of not wanting to be in an abusive household that I had been put into, and went to live somewhere else where I would not be placed in those conditions again. I had helped a donkey learn to love and trust humans, and she helped me through a difficult time in my life, just lending an ear to talk to, and giving me something to take care of. To this day, donkeys still have a special place in my heart, with their large long ears, their stubborn ways, and their ability to love unconditionally. All due to my rescued donkey, Mayballine.
Photo by Håkan Dahlström on Foter
3 Comments
I agree that animals can be a better companion than humans, I find that sweet you were able to grow such a bond with Mayballine, I would have to say that animals are better to talk to they do listen more. I have a kitten that I have had for about 2 months now and he listens to me when I have no one else to vent to. Olympus brings me the most comfort and happiness in the world.
Donkeys seem to make amazing companions. love that she would steal everyone’s hats and run off with them. she really wanted you to get your exercise. also that you helped your donkey get used to people even after the situation she came out of. you never know what backgrounds they come from when they have been rescued. unfortunately no one will truly know what was done behind closed doors or in the dark to this loving donkey but what we do know is that she had a human companion to love her and care for her. filling the void of her past.
I wish that we had become friends sooner so that could have at least some good human interaction…. But now that I think about it, in the last couple of years you have gained a couple stubborn donkeys in your life. You’re love of donkeys and how they act definitely explains your choice to have me and Heath as friends. We must truly remind you of Mayballine. I’m pretty sure I speak for both of us donkeys when I say that we are here to provide the same intellectual support as Mayballine did from here on out.