Blogs

On the last few days, misty mornings have given way to sunny afternoons, which has really helped the bog out the front of the stables to start too dry out. Unfortunately I woke this morning to heavy rain and when I arrived to start working with the mules, the bog now resembles a pond!

Today I decided to start clicker training Biclo in the hope that it would focus his mind. He did very well and learnt quickly, and it also stopped him from testing my pockets for treats!

When training equines, I use a technique called ‘shaping’ to alter the animals behaviour. It involves pushing the animal to the edge of their comfort zone and then slowly and steadily pushing the boundary further by using positive reinforcement.

On 19th February 2013 our rescue centre in Italy, Il Rifugio Degli Asinelli (IRDA), worked on a joint rescue with the Italian authorities, Italian Horse Protection and the National Board for Animal Protection where 104 animals were rescued from Colleferro near Rome.

Hello my name is Josh. Let me tell you what I get up to and what happens in a day of my life at Brookfield Farm.

I live in a barn with the grannies. Although I'm only 10 years old I'm only a little chap so some of the other boys used to pick on me so the Brookfield grooms moved me in with the grannies - they are much nicer and very gentle donkeys. I haven't got any of my own donkey friends but Cathy, one of our grooms, is my human friend.

A couple of weeks ago I was working at Hurfords, which is part of Trow Farm, where I met a new friend by the name of Jubilee. Jubilee is an 11 year old gelding who has lived at the sanctuary since 2008.

Hurfords is home to a lot of young donkeys (many of whom have been brought over from Ireland) where there are a lot of playful, cheeky characters living there.