A young foal who was challenged by a physical impairment affecting his two front legs is now sharing special memories with clients of our Donkey Assisted Activity centre in Leeds.
Ted was first brought to our attention when his owner made contact with Sally Bamforth, one of our Donkey Welfare Advisers, in 2020.
When Sally first observed Ted, she was concerned about the condition of the young colt. Ted had been purchased by the owner with another donkey, thought to be his mother, from a donkey dealer.
Sally recalls: “When I went out to see Ted, I was immediately struck by his front two legs, which bent in at the knees and affected the way he walked.
“Ted was very curious about me, but at that time he didn’t have the confidence to approach or be handled.”
As part of her visit, Sally sent photos and video footage of Ted to one of our vets, who drew up a plan with Ted’s owner’s vet to help correct the young donkey’s impairment.
Sally says: “Part of that plan involved Ted being walked on hard surfaces each day. As a result of this regular activity, Ted learned to trust in his owner and soon became a very people-orientated donkey.”
Due to a change in circumstances later in 2020, Ted’s owner became unable to care for him and he was relinquished into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary.
“Ted was considered for our rehoming scheme, but further examinations uncovered a few health issues that meant he was ineligible,” Sally says.
“However, Ted had become such a friendly donkey, we knew he would shine in an environment where he could spend lots of time with people.
“We decided to transport Ted to our Leeds centre to undergo training for our Donkey Assisted Activities scheme.”
Ted arrived at in Leeds in October last year, and has hit the ground running.
Cathryn Hampshire, Centre Manager at our Leeds regional centre, says: “Ted has settled really well. He’s a loving donkey, who was obviously used to a lot of interaction with his previous owner.
“He likes to be the centre of attention. When the grooms are out in the stable yard or in his paddock, he’ll always come over to be a part of the action.
“It’s the same for our Donkey Assisted Activities sessions – he is the first to come and say hello. He will put his head into anyone’s arms for attention.”
Sally adds: “It’s such a joy to see Ted doing so well and sharing all the love he has with people. I often think back to the lost foal I met on that first day and how far he has come.”
