Donkey People!!! Question!!

[Sillymoose]

I am an animal science major and am taking an introductory animal handling class at my school. On tues. for our lab they brought out a donkey that we were going to practice herding around on our horses. At first I didn't pay much attention to him so I didn't notice anything amiss until I looked over and saw him cantering. He had the choppiest action I've ever seen so I took a closer look and sure enough his feet were horrendous. One was very very long and he was completely rocked back on his heels but the other front one was worse. It was so bad that it was already doing the turkish slipper thing. And it wasn't just starting to do this, I mean it was already curled up a couple inches. Anyway I was horrified and asked the teachers assistant why his feet looked like they do. I didn't want to look like a snot so I was trying to be nice about it. Anyway, she told me that his feet were a little long but that donkey's just have weird feet. Now I've been around horses for over ten years and get upset when my guy's feet look even a little unbalanced so I didn't believe her at all. She kept trying to justify it to me but I was pretty frustrated at that point so I just left with her standing there glaring at me. :mad:

Now I like to think that I have a pretty good knowledge base with horses and I'm pretty sure that no equine should have feet like that. I'm also pretty sure that this is a case of blatant neglect but I'm wondering if there could be any possible justification out there for this. I have been becoming more and more frustrated with this program and I'm getting ready to stop listening to them altogether so I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt before I write them off completely.

As it is I am a junior and am just ready to be done with school so I'm not willing to switch my major again, but I am frustrated thinking that I will have to spend the next three sememsters witnessing this kind of treatment. This is not the first case of mistreatment I have seen. Every single lab they have had at least one horse that was lame that they were out riding.

So does anyone have any advice for me? Is this donkey issue the last straw or could it be that they might possibly have an excuse and I should give the program another chance? I'm trying to stand up for some of the things I feel strongly about but I am pretty shy and speaking out has been a big challenge for me especially when everyone in my class acts like there's nothing wrong with it. Can anyone give me some advice to deal with this? It's turning out to be a great learning experience even if it's learning what not to do but I am becoming so discouraged with it all. Any advice or encouragement would be welcome on how to deal with this situation and the others that I'm sure are to come. Thanks so much.

[rmh]

Can't give you advice except think deep down and do what you think is right. The donkey's feet should not look that way. I have a mini donkey. She gave me a terrible time trimming her feet so I would put it off longer and longer until I realized how bad they were. I got someone who trims a lot of donkeys to help me. She is pretty good with handling them. I have spent a lot of time with my donkey and now I can trim her feet. It has taken about three months to get them back. Now I am maintaining and waiting of a new hoof wall to grow in. Yes they are different than horses feet but subtly.

[Tutt]

The feet absolutely should NOT look like that. Poor donkey.

We trim my donkey's feet every five weeks.
When I switched blacksmiths a few years ago, he was afraid to take too much off. They got too long. The vet was adamant at spring shot time. She came back and tranquilized the donkey and waited until the blacksmith trimmed them nice and short. I have great pics of this happening in a snow squall!

Donkey's feet should be trimmed more upright than horses'. Toes should be only slightly longer than heels

[Chief2]

It's always easy to see what's wrong. It's a lot more difficult politically to step in and do the right thing if your future will be negatively impacted by a ticked off prof or department head. That is doubly true if you are planning on continuing on to graduate school there, or need these people for rec's to another grad school. Being a junior places you in a trickier position than if you were still an underclassman. Continually taking down a prof in front of her class would not be the recommended way to play politics here. :D

It sounds like the program probably cannot afford to use one of the more competent local farriers, so they are using one with lesser skills who may be giving them a multiple horse discount deal on the services. One way to help the little guy, without getting yourself screwed, would be to go at it sideways. Instead of taking this prof down in public, simply bring it up quietly with the farrier at a point in time when she is not around. The farrier will be the one dealing with it anyway, so let him do it. Maybe he/she will make an extra effort if they know someone cares about the little guy. Maybe you could hold him so they could get a better trim done. Another way is to quietly begin promoting a good local farrier and seeing if it takes. Don't bang them over the head with it, but find a way of dropping the idea into their idea tank. If you have a good prof in the department who you know will find a way of helping the situation without shooting either of you in the foot, then by all means go there with this.

All of that said, if you are rock bottom certain that you will be done at that institution soon, and will not need them for anything again, then by all means, wade into it and start campaigning hard for some changes. If you can find a few friends to help you, that might be even better. Remember, most folks here who fight the good fight don't need the folks they wage battle against for anything in their careers. You may have to play politics here in making changes simply because of your current status at the school.

[billie]

We have two miniature donkeys and no, their feet should never look like that. Our two came to us around 6 months of age and had already had their feet handled since birth, had their first couple of trims, and with continuing work on our part (picking feet regularly, having a great trimmer) they are as easy to do as the horses.

The older one will actually bring you the hoof pick when he wants his feet picked, and both of them meet the trimmer at the gate every six weeks.

[Sillymoose]

I'm pretty positive that I'm going to high tail it out of here as soon as I graduate. I'm from the city in GA so rural Idaho is pretty much culture shock for me. Also I talked to the TA alone after class. I wouldn't say anything like that in class. I'm pretty wary about my classmates anyway. They all seem to think I'm weird. I got laughed at the other day in my lab for wearing a helmet while riding. I know that I'm a little different from them when it comes to horse care. For me doing things like keeping my horses feet trimmed and using fly spray are necessities but everywhere I go people keep telling me that I spoil my horse. I accept that there are just certain styles of horse keeping but some of the things I've seen here are just straight up neglect. I have been keeping quiet because I know I will have to take classes from some professors over again and I don't want to burn any bridges but I'm becoming more and more frustrated and it's getting harder to just suck it up and pretend like nothing's wrong. Normally I would have been able to say something more profound but I was very frustrated at that point and thought it best to leave. I was not attacking in any way but I know that she could tell I was disapproving and that I didn't believe her. It was not a bad or heated conversation in any way though. And now that I think about it I do have a great professor who seems very open about different ideas and opinions. I'll try to talk to him and see if he can give me any advice.

[Maybeapril]

My mini donkey's feet look great. His feet seem to grow slower than my horse's. He hates to have his feet messed with, but were working on that. It sounds like that donkey hasn't had it's feet done in a really long time.

[Petstorejunkie]

Darlin' it depends on who you are in all honesty. you are a smart enough cookie to know that donkeys shouldn't resemble elves, and horses shouldn't bob unless in rehab under saddle.
If you are looking for opinion on what others would do i'll tell you from day one i have been the type to speak up for what is RIGHT and true regardless of the foreseen consequences because when you stand up for what's right, you can never go wrong. I've been known to yank strangers off their horses at a show in front of God an everybody because they were being an ass to their horse. Yes i look like an ass too, but more than once someone has taken me aside afterward and thanked me for doing what others couldn't.
Figure out who you are, what you want, and what you are willing to accept and stick to it! i'd be concerned about what type of 'education' i was getting from a system with practices you describe.

[draftdriver]

Can you get a few pictures off the internet of what donkey feet should look like? Then, the next time the donkey is used, you can pull out the pictures, approach the instructor, tactfully, and suggest that rehabing this donkey's feet would make an interesting and educational case study for the class.

Good for you for recognizing an animal in need, and wanting to do something about it.

[Guin]

Make an anonymous call to Animal Control and tell them that the school is abusing the donkey in its program, and also inform the local newspaper. A visit to the school from an authorized official will work instantaneous farrier and vet visits. The LAST thing a school wants is to get in the news for something like that.

[decorum]

Hopefully they have a knowledgable animal control officer, around here they know nothing or can do nothing unless animals are actually dying and there is no food on the property and no water available. Hoof care is not a concern here.

But the newspaper might get stuff done and just the knowledge that someone is watching.

Ann Szolas

[RougeEmpire]

Where the heck are you going to school? Redneck University? Class consists of "herding a donkey"?, over grown feet? helmet issues? I went to an Equine University and I can tell you I NEVER heard of a college or a University having an issue with anyone wearing a helmet, infact most REQUIRE it and you will be kicked from that class if you arn't using an approved helmet when mounted. And honestly NO animal husbandry class ANYWHERE would condone keeping ANY livestock in bad condition! Especially in Midwest and the South livestock are peoples LIVES, how they run their business, how they make money, how they pay their mortgages! Honestly what are they trying to teach in "Herding Donkeys 101"? Sounds like a very half-assed "Animal Handling" class if they arn't teaching you to use squeeze shoots and hog ties. Agg schools thrive on teaching animal husbandry, its major SCIENCE. Sounds like you need to look for a BETTER school.

[Sillymoose]

I will look into animal control but I'm pretty sure they're just as backwoods as these people. My only experience with them so far was with a stray dog I called about. They said they wouldn't come for it and instead directed me to the police who said the only thing they would do is come out and shoot it. (luckily this got resolved with a happy ending)

And yes it pretty much is Redneck University. I came out here for other reasons and the school is actually pretty great but it's the animal science program thats giving me so much grief. I am actually casually looking at other schools but I've already transferred and switched majors once and I just really dread doing it again. Ugh.

[Watermark Farm]

The feet should not look that way. What a load of BS.

Contact Keith Dane, the director of horse programs for Humane Society of the United States, and talk to him about your situation. Sometimes a letter from a big organization like HSUS is all it takes.

Another route is to contact your local Representative and talk to an aide and ask for assistance. If your school received any state or federal funds....your Rep can be surprisingly effective in issues like this!

[BornToRide]

Ouch - yeah not cool at all. I hope you can get someone to listen and so something about it. Best wishes!

[deltawave]

Think about the value that the rest of the world will put on any degree you earn from a program like this if and when their version of what passes for "quality education" comes to light.

[JMurray]

Ack-k-k. Poor donkey. They do not have weird feet! Donkey feet are just like any equine foot. My blacksmith trims mine every 6 - 8 weeks. they stand very nicely for him, though he looks a little silly.

Here are Annabelle and Tucker...with their normal donkey feet

[Sillymoose]

Thank you guys so much for your encouragement. Like I said I'm pretty shy so I really needed a kick in the butt to get going and knowing that I have people supporting me really gives me the motivation I need.

I think I'm going to start out by talking to my professor on tues. and get a feel for how responsive he is. I would love to be able to get some things changed without creating a big fuss but it might come to that so I'll start looking into my next step. I'm sure they would step things up if they felt a little pressure so I just need to start thinking about the things I want to bring up. Definitely animal care but I'm also really concerned about kids not wearing helmets, especially since a lot of the kids riding have never ridden before. I just think thats an absolute must for a university's riding program so I'll see how that goes for now.