Meet Poncho, Luna (right in photo) & Mabel (left in photo)
We now have four donkeys here at Hugs! Many of you will already know our beautiful donkey, Oscar, who has been with Hugs since 2021 and is part of the well-being team. Oscar arrived with a herd of miniature Shetlands when their owner could sadly no longer care for them, due to ill health. He formed a bond with our rescue pony Dude, but we knew he ideally needed his own donkey friends. Oscar is usually a little sad when Dude goes to his care home visits on a Tuesday afternoon, but now the new rescues are here, he is feeling a little happier and is slowly making friends with the other donkeys. Poncho has already made friends with Oscar and the famous Dude and they have been having lots of fun in the field!
We were recently contacted by an owner who, due to serious ill health, could no longer care for their three donkeys. It was an incredibly sad situation and the donkeys owner had turned to other charities to help but they couldn’t. With the urgency of the situation, our team desperately tried to make space to be able to take them in, which they were able to do thanks to some amazing homes coming forward for other ponies, freeing their spaces, although we are now full again!
We welcomed Luna, Mable and Poncho to Hugs and are pleased to say they have now finished their isolation, with clear strangles testing. All the donkeys have settled in well and have been making friends.
Luna unfortunately has an abscess and has been using the new turnout area connected to the barn to help with her recovery. She also has seedy toe so is a bit uncomfortable on her front feet with that and her abscess. Both our farrier and vet have seen her and prescribed a course of treatment but there is evidence of multiple previous abscesses, which could indicate a more serious problem historically, so we may need to investigate further with x-rays etc. With our vets bills already averaging £3,000 a month, we are struggling to find funding to help anymore. We simply wouldn’t be here without the kind donations from our supporters. If you are able to, please donate to help recues like Luna and her friends. Our regular donors are now donating over £1,500 monthly. How amazing would it be if we could double that and know that our vets bills were paid for every month?!
You can donate through this link. Thank you for your kindness. https://thehugsfoundation.beaconforms.com/form/656e5db6
Luna has also just received her sweet itch vaccination, which will help to prevent irritation caused by insects, which can lead to skin inflammation.
Mabel is the friendliest of the donkeys. She loves attention, treats and cuddles! The new turnout area at the back of the main barn has been perfect for the donkeys, they have been able to keep out of this horrible weather and recover.
Did you know? Donkeys coats are not waterproof like a horse or pony. This means the water absorbs, making them very cold and wet. We are so glad that the all-weather turnout area is completed for them to use. All three donkeys will get to meet the farrier this week, and in the future, we will be looking to introduce the donkeys to our Shetland ponies, who will be in the field with the track system. This will help with the correct management of the donkeys, encouraging movement and offering shelter, hay, and straw. We are excited to share their journeys with you, and we will keep you updated on any donkey news, including lots of adorable photos and videos….
