Meditating with Animals

Animals respond to centered calm peaceful energy.  Meditating with your animals not only helps you relax and feel good; it also really helps your animals.  Animals and people sometimes have misunderstandings about behaviors because of the emotions involved.  For example: several cats have told me that they scratch the furniture when the people aren’t looking because they want to spare their people from the stress that they experience when they see the cat scratching.  This is sweet of the cat, but she obviously does not understand the person’s true feelings. 

In such a circumstance it is important to show the cat that it is not the act of scratching that upsets you, but the place where they are scratching.  To do that you can meditate on the topic and visualize the desired results.

I have often seen misunderstandings arise when a new animal joins the family.  The humans often panic if their animals fight, and sometimes react with quick movements, yelling or even punishment.  The energy and emotional tone of the reaction actually matches the energy of fighting.  This only leads to more stress and discord.  When my animals fight, if I have the proper mindset, I sit quietly and meditate.  I try to understand the deeper issue of the conflict and visualize peace.  I find it more effective than punishment.  (Of course if there is danger of physical harm then you need to end the fight first.)

To meditate with your animal, you do not need them to be physically present.  Simply sit and be quiet, evoking their image, love and well-being.  After a few sessions you might find they join you physically.  I notice that my animals bring me a lot of comfort and good advice.  They all have so much to offer if we listen.  Enjoy the animals around you, give them hugs and try to match your energy to your desired results in life.

For specific meditations and more ideas about how animals think join my email list here.

You Can Communicate- without me!

"I’ve been skeptical that animal communications are even possible. But I opened your book sort of randomly and followed directions to think positively about my Sophie, telling her in my mind how much I love her. She’s a loudly yowling kitty, sort of mad at the world but after doing this practice for just a short time, she calmed down and started purring. She’s been much more docile since then. Not totally transformed but much improved. It feels like magic!" - customer note on facebook

I love you- my clients- and certainly want to continue interpreting your animal's thoughts and feelings for you. More than anything, I want you and your animal to have a deep, loving relationship. Over 20 years ago I studied with Penelope Smith and she suggested that we agree to a code of ethics. Part of that code is to empower people to communicate with their own animals and not to foster a feeling of dependence. For years I met that criteria by teaching workshops. Lately that hasn't been the right path for me so I wrote these books, The Art of Meditating with Cats, The Art of Meditating with Dogs, and Animal Whispers: A four week course in animal communication.

Have a wonderful day!

Relax Like a Cat

My cat knows how to relax. He doesn't consider it to be a life skill- it is just life. Often people call me to communicate with their animals about a certain subject. When I communicate with my cat on a daily basis it is usually about "nothing". I tune into him and just enjoy thinking the way he does. It is very relaxing. I am not sure I should call it "thinking", maybe I should say I enjoy feeling the way he does. Today he was having the best moment of basking in the sun. Look at how relaxed his body got!When you have a moment try being quiet and tuning into your relaxed animal friend. Try to feel how they feel. Imagine your body feeling like their body. I promise it will feel good!

Have a wonderful day, Dawn 

20 Years

February 2018 was officially my 20 year anniversary as a professional animal communicator. I had been doing a few consultations here and there for 2 years before I printed my first brochure but I don't count those years as I was still in college at the time (I graduated in February 1998 from Goddard College).

I thought about writing and celebrating my anniversary but every time the thought came to me I started remembering all of the human clients that I loved who have passed away. I knew I would lose a lot of animal clients over the years but I never expected how attached I would become to the people and how many of them would die. It is strange grieving clients because usually I don't know their friends and families. I just quietly miss them, alone. I get to think about them with their animals in spirit which is nice.

I send love telepathically to those clients I have lost and to those of you still in body I send this blog post. Thank you for being such fantastic clients. Thank you for loving your animals.

Just a quick update on my animal family, Ton Ton (rabbit) continues to struggle with severe dental disease which is incurable but managed with medication and surgery every 5 months. You would never know it the way he hops around the house and shows great enthusiasm at meal time.

The cats Henry and Owen are great. The both do a wonderful job giving love and affection and sleep enough for all of us!

The equines are very happy in their huge pasture and cozy barn. Ichabod (donkey) has a chronic wound that I am try to get to heal but he is not concerned by it. Mallory (horse) has a sore hoof which is also chronic but her primary focus is on eating! She also love winter time and gets a great fuzzy coat.

Burrito (mini donkey) is doing great. The one thing he hates is the rain so lucky for him he always has access to the barn.I continue to offer my animal communication services... onward to the next 20 years right?

Have a great day, Dawn

Donkey Love

I am so fortunate to have my equines living in my backyard. I get to watch them graze from my office window (look at my amazing view!)

And I can visit them throughout the day. Mornings are the most fun. As soon as one of the donkeys sees me moving around in the house (they watch the windows) I hear a big bray. I rush around finishing up a few chores- trying not to feel guilty about them waiting for me! Finally I hop outside and open the gate to let them out for grazing. My Haflinger horse, Mallory, having given me a "hurry up" whiny and grumble, stomps right past me. She honestly doesn't even look at me- when it is time to eat pleasantries are off the table.

But the donkeys... they give me the love. First the black mammoth donkey, Ichabod, walks up to me. I give him a big kiss on the nose and a rub on the forehead. Then little Burrito comes for his kiss. I scoop him under the chin and raise his head up so I can reach his nose- I still need to bend over a little. He lingers for extra rubs and sometimes asks me to snuggle his face against my chest. When I turn to leave, Ichabod occasionally requests an extra kiss. They are so sweet!

Have a great day!

Equine Music Therapy

My Haflinger friend Mallory has struggled with a sore front right hoof on and off for years. (Don't worry, the vet is working on it and she gets good care). She is typically very happy and willing to work with people but a few months ago she did not want to give the farrier her left front leg. He needed to trim her hoof and she knew that, but each time she gave him her leg she had pain in her right hoof. She was nearly laying down to avoid the situation. She and I kept talking and she agreed to try but the pain was upsetting her.

I offered her treats, hoping that would help because she loves to eat. She took the food but it didn't really help. Then I had a great idea- I would have her play her piano! She loves to play her toy piano, she swishes her top lip over the keys and grumbles while she does it. The solution worked like a charm. As she played the farrier finished her left hoof and she seemed to not even notice. She stood perfectly still and played her music.

Step on a crack...

The parking lot where we wait for the school bus was recently paved and lines were painted. Ichabod didn't mind walking on the new pavement but he carefully stepped over the painted lines. I took him there daily and practiced walking across the lot, hoping he would overcome his reluctance to step on the lines. He did not. He told me that the lines looked 3D (as a deep crevice) to him and he really didn't want to risk stepping on them.

OK Ichabod, you can keep stepping over the lines!

Here is a video of Ichabod stepping over lines. Notice with all of my weaving in and out, I did "trick" him into accidentally stepping on a line with his back hoof a few times. At the end he was so focused on my husband with the camera he stepped right on a line. He was unaware of the mistakes and does not consider it proof of the safety of stepping on lines. Watch the video.

Rabbit Poses

My husband and I have had pet rabbits for many years now and we enjoy naming their adorable poses. When we spot a cute rabbit pose we call it out so everyone can enjoy the sight.

This post is a fun way of illustrating the most important element of Animal Communication: Enjoying animals. Appreciating them. Being thrilled to have them in your life.

Here are a few of my favorite rabbit poses:

Left: Superman and Right: Clark Kent

Giving an Ear- can be added to most poses. In this case another Superman.

Left: Muffin and Right: Loaf (with an ear) These two poses are very similar, but the muffin is more round.

Two variations on Slope.

Kickin' It (One leg instead of two- which would be Superman.)

Croissant (with or without assistance)

Triangulation (requires both cats to execute), in this case also a Muffin.

As always, enjoy your animals!

20 Years of Animal Communication

On my "About" page you will see that I have been a professional animal communicator for 16 years. But it all started a while before that... Sometime around 1995 I purchased a book about animal communication. I was subletting an apartment in Colorado and looking after the cat that lived there. As I read the book I tried the exercises on Sita, a sweet chubby calico girl. One exercise suggested imagining sending the image of a ball to the cat. I really couldn't tell if I was getting through to her or not. Humble beginnings for sure. Soon after I got the book I woke up with a freshly killed bird on my collarbone and a very proud Sita staring down at me. I screamed and jumped out of bed. Poor Sita, she thought we had a real connection- I was sending imaginary balls and she was offering me a prized hunt, and then I spoiled the whole thing by screaming. We reconnected later and I like to consider her my first official teacher of telepathy.

Sita in her yard and me on a mountain, both in Colorado 1995.

I have been reflecting so much on the beginning, and everything that has come since then, because this year marks half-way. I am forty and I bought that book when I was twenty, half my life spent in the pursuit of this profession.

I am proud of what I have accomplished. It started with reading books. Then I took workshops from several teachers, and then I practiced a lot. I graduated from college after writing my thesis on Holistic Methods (including telepathy) of Working with Animals- Titled Deepening the Connection. (I had to take the thesis out to remember the title! Now I am so curious to read it again. Some of my ideas have shifted I imagine. If you have access to the library at Goddard College you can read it yourself!) I started with a few clients during college in the years between 1996 and 1998 before I officially started Dawn's Animal Connection.

Over all these years thousands of people have trusted me with their most precious relationships, best friends, tears, and life stories. And I have never, not once, been bored by an animal. I am still delighted by what they "say", their sweet faces, their new ideas. Honestly I can talk about animals almost endlessly. Those of you who have attended my workshops know I have a policy: Pause for Cuteness. If at any point an animal becomes more interesting than the class, we all stop and enjoy the moment. I live my life at home that way too. Nothing is more important than a bunny cleaning his ears or a kid cuddled up with a cat.

Bunny ear cleaning must be seen in person to appreciate the full cuteness.

20 years...

6,000 (human) clients

24,000 consultations

48 states and at least 6 countries (clients in...)

3 children's books about animals

40 or more articles about animal communication published here (and elsewhere)

70 workshops taught

All of this happened almost exclusively from word of mouth and a few clients who came to me from my website. Pretty amazing right? I have always been one to write out my goals, and I can tell you that these statistics by far exceed the goals I set when I named my business in 1998. Thank you to all of my clients and an extra special thank you to the many clients who have stayed with me for all of these years. Just today I had a session with my first ever client (from 1996!)

May you all enjoy animals as much as I do, and don't forget to Pause for Cuteness. (And don't forget to book a session right?)

Cats Do What They Want

You know that fun icebreaker question when you ask someone which superhero power they would most like to have? I never really settled on an answer until I thought a bit outside the box, then it came to me. The perfect superhero power would be the ability to make cats do what I want! A girl can dream a little right? How about if I could just control where they pee? That would make a lot of my clients happy!

Free will is what makes this whole world fun and scary at the same time. Scary when you start believing that your happiness and survival depend on other people and animals doing what you want, and super fun when you can enjoy the ride and see what delightful surprises in are store. I do a little of both.I sometimes wonder if cats are in our lives to help us remember that we are not in control of others. They teach us so much right?

My cat, Owen, doles out little lessons each day. One of his favorite teachings is called, "My Chair, Not Yours". I have a stand-up desk at work, so when I bring up client files and make notes I stand up. Then while consulting I sit down. Basically I stand then sit at least 15 times each morning. Almost every time I stand, Owen slips in and curls up on my chair. He has his own couch, but of course my chair is more desirable (and warm). One morning I moved him 8 times. "How annoying", he said! Sometimes I just give up and work standing up.

When Owen decides he wants to sit somewhere, very little can deter him. Even a too small box will not stand in his way.A wonderful client wrote to me, "... that you have a similar Tuxedo boy is heartening... if a pet communicator and lover of animals is subject to the whims of her kitty then it is not isolated to me." I love this note! So true, we are on the same ride because communication and control are not synonymous. I understand what animals are thinking and feeling. Often in the process of understanding, solutions to various issues can be found, however that does not mean that my cat does whatever I want.

I find that loving and appreciating my animals is one of the most enriching aspects of life. I am so thrilled that I can't control them, because if I could, I wouldn't be surprised by donkey brays, and bunny snuggles, and cat purrs.

Owen carefully laid next to the dominoes, staring at us and tempting fate, then slowly lowered himself on top of the tower as dominoes crashed around him.

Mallory Models

My new children's book, Animal Fairy Magic, co-written by my daughter Hannah, was just released last week. We had a book launching party on Saturday which was amazingly fun. All of my animals are in the book, and Mallory is the co-star (along with Hannah).

For the party I braided ribbons into Mallory's mane. (Ichabod watched me intently and insisted on having his own ribbon. I gave him a blue bow in his forelock.)  Then, each kid at the party had a chance to model on Mallory- recreating the book cover. Mallory was very patient and looked beautiful. She had fun offering her "smile" trick for the camera!

Of course Mallory loves performing so she also played her toy piano for the crowd. (I really must get a proper video of that for you.) She has enhanced her "style" and it is so cute! Ichabod is also learning the piano and he played a few notes too.

The fairy models had such a fun time playing together and signing books.I read one of the chapters to the crowd, "Owen Gets Painted".

Animal Fairy Magic is available on my website and Amazon.

Donkeys Remember Everything

The issue of whether or not donkeys are stubborn has been explored in books and online. Basically they have reasons for the things they do and don't do, so technically they aren't stubborn. BUT... when you are living with a donkey it is hard to resist the urge to think, "This animal is stubborn!" I have experienced that often it is the impeccable memory of the donkey that leads to them to act "stubborn".

I am working on overcoming my exasperation with my donkeys by really carefully listening to them when we work together. Asking the donkeys, "What are you noticing? What is different? What are you expecting?" For example, Ichabod will not be lead on my left side. He insists, "That is not how I do it." In other words when he was trained to lead he remembered the details, such as the side his trainer was on and he wants to stick with the rules!

A few days ago I had a great clicker training session with Ichabod. Toward the end I wanted to work on a new trick. I dropped the lead rope on the ground to free my hands. He dropped his nose to the rope, then looked at me. This was not what I was asking him to do. But then... he reminded me that I had taught him to touch ropes on the ground with his nose. (It is a good "safety" trick in case a rider drops the reins.) Of course I rewarded his good memory then asked him to continue our other lesson. He kept putting his head down to the rope, ignoring my "new" topic. I realized at that point he wasn't being stubborn, he was just sticking with his topic instead of mine. In such an instance my horse would have easily moved on, but my donkey was not going to move on. Easily fixed by moving the rope!

Part of the issue with me and the donkeys is that I am not the best clicker trainer. I try and I am OK, but donkeys are very specific, have impeccable memories, and get very attached to things being a certain way. I must constantly look at my own behavior and ask myself, "Are you being consistent?" They also come with memories from before I met them, so I need to be listening and understanding their beliefs about how training "should" be.

Another thing that has really helped me relax about donkeys, is to stop being attached to them doing what I want. (Of course safe behaviors are still essential.) I find when I love them, enjoy their company, and stay unattached, we all have a nicer time.

Rabbits Chewing

Pet rabbits will chew your stuff. Really they will. People ask me, "How do you keep him from chewing your wires?" Well here is my answer: I move my wires.Rabbits need to chew daily to keep their teeth from growing too long. That may be why your rabbit chews things like your baseboards. Maybe. But it is not usually why your rabbit chews wires.

Rabbits plan their escape routes in advance. When you see a wild bunny zigzagging through a meadow into the briars, that is not random. In an absolute emergency they may go off course, but normally the escape has been practiced and planned. They run the course daily clipping any vines or briars out of the way so they have a clear, rabbit sized path, to move through swiftly when being chased.

(See he just had to move that Lego house!)

Your sweet indoor bun is simply clearing his escape routes when he clips your wires. Usually rabbits like to plan sneaky escapes, so squeezing behind the couch is a favorite path of many pet rabbits. People often have wires behind their furniture to "hide" the wires. You can see the rabbit's only option is to clip those intrusive "vines".

My rabbit Bramley used to keep the couch "clean", as it was one of his escape routes. He would take my daughters books and toys and toss them like a Frisbee (from his mouth) onto the floor. Once the entire couch was clear he would flop down and relax.

(Legos everywhere!)

Moral of the story: Your rabbit will plan an escape route (or 2 or 3). You can learn what his plan is by watching how he hops through the house. Then you won't put anything you don't want chewed in his path. (Sometimes rabbits even decide your couch is in the way.)

I know it would be nice if I could just "tell" the rabbit not to chew. And sometimes that works or at least helps, but going against their nature is very difficult. Moving your stuff is generally easier.

The above article has been written based on feedback from rabbits. I don't know what "science" says about this escape route concept.  

Animals and Pain

One of the most common questions my clients have for their animal is, "Are you in pain?" Pain has so much power in our culture and can mean many different things to different people. Years ago my fingers were sore for months from Lyme Disease. It was inconvenient but not devastating. But what if I had been a concert pianist? I image the finger pain would mean something very different to me in that scenario.

So how do animals think of pain?

A few months ago I watched out my office window, day after day, as my horse lay on the ground, her foot throbbing in pain from an abscess. I was doing what I could to relieve her discomfort medically, but hoof abscesses take time to heal. I think I "suffered" more that she did as I fretted over if she would get better and how would she get better. She, on the other hand, took the situation as a moment to moment issue. When it was sunny she would lay in the sand, enjoying the sun, resting her foot. When I threw hay down from the loft she would stand up and focus on her one true love - food! She never wondered if or when she would get better. She just knew to lie down when her foot hurt. She definitely felt pain, but how she perceived the pain was different from how I might under similar circumstances.

Asking rabbits about pain is one of the most difficult tasks as an animal communicator. They prefer not to talk about pain. Even amongst other rabbits. Showing any vulnerability puts these animals at the top of a prey list and they want to avoid that. When my rabbit Bramley was young he fractured his hip. It was obvious that something was very wrong because he was dragging his hind legs. He hardly complained, still ate, still used his litter box, and barely altered his routine. As he grew older he occasionally communicated to me that he had back pain (from the resulting arthritis). I was so fortunate that he was willing to share his vulnerability with me so that I could help him. I believe his willingness to communicate about pain came directly from his experience with homeopathic remedies helping him.

Most animals do not "naturally" believe that humans can change pain. But many domestic animals do eventually learn that humans have some ability to help (although they usually see that as very limited). Often dogs will understand that you can take a thorn from their paw, but they have no expectation of you fixing their chronic hip pain. Sometimes when I suggest to an animal that people might help with pain they think it is very odd, as if I suggested that I could make it rain less often!So what does pain mean to animals? That has many answers, and some are unique to the individual animal, but I can comment on some generalities regarding species. For example, often to small prey animals pain means vulnerability. To most animals it is in the moment. It is very unusual for an animal to speculate regarding the future consequences of their pain. Sometimes pain is very upsetting to animals. For example a cat with impacted anal glands may run from the litter box in fright as they believe "something" is biting them. Sometimes pain is ignored; like the dog who is born with hip dysplasia and doesn't know life without some pain.

What I have learned from animals is to take my own pain moment to moment. To avoid making it mean something about my future. And to acknowledge the pain without making the pain a bigger part of my life than necessary. (Of course, that's me on a good day. I am not yet as easy going as my horse!)

Donkey Games

Donkeys love to play. When Ichabod (the Mammoth Donkey) was growing up, he had other youngsters to play with. He arrived here and expected Burrito to play with him, but Burrito was not interested... at least not at first.

Their favorite game is tug-of-war. The favorite toy is a rubber food bowl, but they also enjoy large sticks and an old bicycle tire.

Aside from tug-of-war, they also enjoy racing. Burrito corners really well, but Ichabod has the long legs, so they can really run quite vigorous races. Sometimes they use Mallory (my horse) as a turning post and end up running circles around her. She completely ignores that and all other donkey games.

They also enjoy wrestling! Burrito has found some great strategies for completing against his giant friend. Sometimes he stands on the high side of the sloped paddock to gain a height advantage.

Donkey games are a highlight in my day. I can see them playing from my office window and my dining room window. My whole family enjoys tug-of-war contests while we eat dinner!

How Henry Came to Be "Ours"

Our animal friend's come to us in so many different ways don't they? For me, I have inherited a cat, been given a horse, selected animals from shelters, purchased a riding donkey, had a cat walk in as a stray and so on...

A few months ago we were ready to get a new cat and we wanted to be sure the new one got along well with Owen (rambunctious male kitten) and we needed the new guy to be comfortable in an active household with young kids. Also he needed to be rabbit friendly. And we wanted the new cat to be the right match for our daughter Sierra. It was a tall order to fill!

We went to the shelter after being tipped off about a half grown kitten that might be a good match. We went into the room with the kitten and two other cats. That kitten might have been one of the cutest cats I have ever seen (aesthetically speaking). And he was friendly and playful. Most likely a reasonable match for our family. There was also a fat, slight disheveled cat there who immediately walked up to me and pressed his forehead into my leg. Then pressed his face into Sierra's hands. While the kitten we came to see danced around and largely ignored the children, this other guy stayed committed to his cause of getting to know us. I asked Sierra to look into her heart and ask which cat was truly best for her, not considering the physical appearance (she was hooked on the cuteness of the kitten). She was quickly able to see that Henry was meant to be with us!

Henry came home that day and immediately became one of my most beloved friends. He is the perfect match for Sierra, he loves sitting on laps, he plays wonderfully with Owen, and he is stunning to look at.

As for getting along with the rabbit... well that didn't go so well at first. When Henry went snooping in Ton Ton's food dish, the rabbit chased him down, knocked him over, and jumped on him. Needless to say that was terrifying for Henry. They have since worked out a reasonable relationship, but Henry is sure to stay away from the rabbit's food!

Isn't it fantastic when the perfect beings enter our lives just when we need them most? (Like this little Cinderella and her Prince Charming.)

Mallory's Teeth

Mallory has been with me almost 2 years now, and for most of that time she has been telling me that chewing is uncomfortable. I had her teeth filed by a horse dentist about a month after she came. Then a second filing a few months later. And yet another filing by a vet about 8 months after that. Still she let me know chewing was not comfortable. Better, for sure, but not right. (I am not implying that these professionals didn't do a good job; the issue in her mouth was complicated and was not easily resolved.)

In the summer of 2012 she started limping with her hind legs. The vet said it was locking stifles (knees). He told us to walk up and down hills everyday. That helped but she was still sore.

Then, I talked with a horse chiropractor, Bud Allen, and I asked him which I should do first; another dental or an adjustment for the hind end. He said dental first. So I hired a third dentist to come check her out. He does things a bit differently than the other dental filings she had had. He uses a Dremel tool. He felt he could help her but the proposed job had risks. He was going to file down some teeth quite a bit and whether it helped or not, the job was irreversible. Mallory and I felt it was worth a chance; she really wanted to feel better.

So we did it! And the week following the dental was not great. She had trouble chewing. She had a bit of liquid in her manure due to the lack of chewing her food well. I was worried but she said she had much less pain. She and I decided it was a matter of her getting used to chewing in a new way. Sure enough, after one week she stopped dropping her food and her manure firmed up.

You haven't heard the best part yet; her locking stifles resolved within three days of doing the dental! I never even needed to have the chiropractic adjustment. Bud Allen had told me that the jaw and hind quarters interact with one another but this result blew me away.

Needless to say, Mallory and I are very happy with the results. But I do want you to know that this is a personal, individual story, and is not meant to be advice about dentals or locking stifles. And Mallory and I promised each other before the "extreme" dental that we would not look back with regret if it didn't work. Of course it did work, but I am sure we would have kept our promise if it hadn't.

Requesting a Behavior Change

calvin

In my Animal Communication Workshops I offer a segment on Requesting Behavior Changes. Of course the workshop provides a lot more in-depth information, but I wanted to share an idea from the workshop that you can apply with your own animal friends.

Animals do not have the same culture as we do. You acting unhappy or telling your animal that the situation is "making" you unhappy, will not motivate change. They will perceive your mood as related to who you are being at that moment, not as a commentary on them. In other words they will look at you and think, "Unhappy person", not, "Oh look how my behavior is upsetting them". They will not hold themselves accountable for your unhappiness because animals don't believe that they control human moods.

This might be confusing because you have experienced animals offering you comfort when you are sad. They are offering a behavior that makes sense to them- being loving- but they are still not believing that they "control" your mood.

So, if you are wanting to change a situation the first step is getting emotionally in sync with what you want. If you want peace when two cats are fighting; then FEEL peaceful. If you want your dog to be less scared; then FEEL confident and calm. After you achieve the emotional state you can move on to communicating what you want with your animal. (Getting the emotional part without the communication can result in behavior changes.)

Postscript: I am not offering workshops lately but I do have my book, Animal Whispers: A four week course in animal communication available on my website.

Ichabod Gets Lost

Ichabod is a 6-year-old Mammoth donkey from Connecticut. He came directly from his breeder, and other than going to competitions this is his first new home. After the first few days, he started settling in and I decided to give him a tour. I walked him on lead around the 7-9 acre pasture. He looked around and seemed quite happy with the place.Later that day the herd (pony and two donkeys), crossed the stream to graze on the far pasture. That night I went to feed them and Ichabod was missing. I asked him where he was and got the reply "lost".

Did you break through the fence? "No".

Good, I thought, he is still in the pasture. I went out into the pitch dark field looking for a black donkey. It felt a bit hopeless. I called out his name but got no response.

It was really dark, but I heard a little rustle. Ichabod came up next to me. He was so scared. He gladly followed me back over the stream and once he oriented he took off sprinting for the barn.I gave my pony, Mallory, a stern talk. "How could you leave him alone in the pasture? From now on all friends must stay together." She told me she understood.

The next day I called them in before dark, and the two came running across the stream without Ichabod. Then Mallory turned around, went to the bridge and gave the big guy an encouraging whinny. She waited for him to cross before continuing on to the barn. I could hardly believe my eyes! She is such a special pony.

Postscript: The three never left each other for the next 8 years. Mallory died on the far side of the brook in October 2021. She could not be buried until the next day. Ichabod refused to leave her alone that night. He stayed on the far side of the brook. Burrito had come back to the barn and was braying for his friends.

I begged Ichabod to come home and be with Burrito. He refused.

After we buried Mallory the donkeys took a few days to normalize their bond and once again they always come home together.

Walking to the Bus Stop

My daughter started kindergarten this year and we have come up with a very fun way of getting to the bus stop. The spot where we meet the bus is a 1/4 mile away but we don't have to go on any roads. We can walk through our horse pasture, duck under the fence, and emerge at the bus stop.

Of course traveling with animals is more fun, so we bring the donkey and pony with us. Mallory (the pony) enjoys the walk very much- I bring her on a lead rope and Burrito follows along behind us. One day we decided not to bring the animals because they were still eating their hay. They were both very upset.

They stood at the gate watching us walk away without them. Mallory whinnied for us four times. I promised we would not leave without them again.

Below are a series of photos documenting our journey to the bus stop on October 4th. It was a foggy morning with lots of dew, but by the time we got to the bus stop, the blue sky was visible. There were lots of spider webs covered in dew.First we greet the pony (and donkey).

Then we make our way across the field (usually I am in the middle leading the pony, but someone had to take the photo!)We stop to enjoy nature.Across the stream on our homemade bridge.

Finally we are almost there! Just duck under the fence and past the church to the parking lot.

Looking back we can see our house tucked in behind the trees. Hannah and I will head back after Sierra gets on the bus. The donkey and pony will stay behind and spend some time grazing.