Smart Asses!

Intelligent....not stubborn!

It's official folks, mules are the Einsteins of the domestic animal world!  Finally we have proof of what we all knew all along..... we are good at solving problems and thinking for ourselves.  Stubborn and stupid we are not.... in fact it is a proven fact that we are more flexible learners than dogs, pretty impressive for a herbivore!

It seems that those nice people at the Donkey Sanctuary are busy extolling the virtues of long ears to anyone that will listen.... here's their press release shamelessly copied with our mule hooves.... somehow we don't think they'll mind ;-)

Smart Asses! Mules lead the way in the intelligent animal league!

A study published this month reveals that mules are among the best problem solvers amongst domestic animals and demonstrate learning skills far in advance of our other four-legged friends.

I think therefore I am!

The study is the result of collaboration between The Donkey Sanctuary and Dr Britta Osthaus of Canterbury Christ Church University and looked at the ability of mules, donkeys and horses to problem solve to obtain a small food reward. The results were also compared with previous studies carried out on dogs.

Einstein in disguise??

During the tests the animals needed to work out the shortest route through a gap past a barrier to get to a food reward. The position of the gap changed after a set number of repetitions meaning that the animals needed to re-evaluate their route. On the first detour task, mules were able to take the shortest route from the start point and head straight through without hesitation. Donkeys took slightly longer to solve the problem and horses longer still. After a change in the set-up mules and donkeys proved to be far more flexible than horses and dogs who got stuck behind the barrier, not realising the gap had been moved.

Roller is slightly offended.... don't mention his habit of getting lost....

The results proved that mules are as clever as dogs at problem solving and that they also show potential to ‘learn to learn’ – applying flexibility to their thoughts and actions in response to their environment. The study also demonstrated that mules and donkeys were significantly more flexible in their approach to problem solving than horses or dogs – debunking the common myth of these animals being ‘stubborn’.

Who's got the biggest brain my doggy friend??

Dr Faith Burden who assisted with the study on behalf of The Donkey Sanctuary says: “All in all the study really backs up what we have all known but not been able to prove until now: donkeys and mules are thoughtful when presented with a problem and are accurate and fast learners. They certainly put their shorter eared cousins in the shade in this study.”

This study supports previous work carried out by the team which shows that mules not only demonstrate their ‘hybrid vigour’ physically but that this also extends to their intelligence.

So there you have it my friends, Dragon and I are off to work on the theory of relativity, the secret of life and we are trying to discover a fly spray that actually works (we could earn millions with this!), with two mule brains there is no limit.... However, I think I'd rather eat grass and snooze .... time for mule school another day, don't give up the day job FH!

A Dog's Life...

One day I want to grow as big as you.....

Greetings Wooferteers!  I am starting to realise that the life of a dog is well, errm, busy....  I have had another puptastic week making loads of new friends and having lots of 'first time' experiences.

Before work was out for Easter I had a work meeting with some of my senior work colleagues.  I was taken to the creche for the meeting, odd.... no not a creche for pups but one for donkey puppies, at least I think that's what they're called?

These work colleagues of mine are really very big even as puppies, I think maybe they're Great Danes in disguise?  I have noticed something about them though, they haven't grown in to their ears yet, come to think about it, to do that they will have to grow to be giant pups? Hmmmm....

Another strange thing about them, try as I might they didn't seem impressed by my puppy barks and bows, they just kinda stood there and looked amused.

One of them did seem a bit impressed though, this nice girl, donkey puppy was very enthralled with me.....  we spent a long time snuffling and wagging and butting noses with each other until my human got bored and cold.... I'll be back sweet friend!

Yay work was done for a few days!  Woohoooo!  Puptastic!  Time to show off my new improved moves to the Cloth Dog.  I have been practicing my lurcher run a whole heap and am hoping to outrun him.  First off though I thought I'd test out the lurcher run on Cousin Archie who is a senior puppy to me but still young enough to get up to all kinds of mischief with when the humans aren't looking.  Cloth Dog stayed at home as he finds having to keep us both in check exhausting!

Cousin Archie took me to one of his favourite places..... a place with sand and lots of funny tasting water and loads of doggy pals.... it's called a beach apparently.

What fun!  Cousin Archie and me ran and ran and ran and ran and ran........

Those ears are way outta control Arch!

Oh yeah and then we ran a bit more..... 

Thank goodness for my Aunty who had treats available for tired pups, my energy was getting low.... hah only for a second though.... right let's run again Arch!

I felt that my training with Cousin Arch had left me in tip top condition ready for showing off to The Cloth Dog.  He couldn't fail to be impressed of this I was sure.  A dog's duty is to look his best at all times so here goes....

Look!  All feet off the ground sporting the upward ear look... I've been learning from those long ears :-)

Next I tried on my racing ears.... AKA bat ears, whoosh... blink and you'll miss me!

Finally I showed off an advanced skill known to motorcyclists everywhere, the 'lean' in to the corner.

Cloth Dog watched for a while and then sped off saying 'sorry can't stop I have a ball to catch'....

Haha, two can play at that game, ok so mine is a beginner ball with a rope attached but I still look good with it hey?

Puppy Beginner Ball!

As my attempts at impressing my Cloth Dog were not working I decided to have a go at impressing the most senior member of the Muleteer clan, apparently he's a tough man to impress.... his name is The Mini, hmmm can't be that big and tough then can he with a name like that?!

Whoa.... I was a bit wrong, this mule puppy is quite large for a Mini?  Hmmm I better have a closer inspection.  Nope he doesn't smell like my Cloth Dog, he has enormous ears and teeny tiny feet for his size, they're almost the same size as mine? Most peculiar. He seems friendly though.  FH is busy telling The Mini puppy to be nice to me and not do what he does with strange dogs..... not sure I want to know what that is?  A puppy eater perhaps?

When Mini met Milo

Nah, not a puppy eater but a puppy playmate, quick Mini come with me!  Let's drag the human exploring, I've heard you're good at this? Don't dilly dally, there's grass to eat (both of us), poo to hoover (me), mountains to be climbed (both of us), strangers to greet (me), strangers to be scared of (you) and adventures to be had (all together!).

Lead training for the mini mule and his puppy.....

Doing this kind of thing is sooo tiring and not in the slightest bit exciting....well maybe just a little bit ;-)

Exploring with Uncle Mini, the mule who is nearly dog sized.....

Shhhh don't give away my secret..... some might say it's a dog's life?? I don't know what they mean? ;-)

The Story of The Donkey's Cross

Good Friday is here again and with it a reminder of the story of the donkey's cross.  Have you ever wondered why most donkeys and mules have those marks of the cross on their backs, a sign for all to see?  We are not religious folk ourselves but do find much truth in the donkey's story....

Look closer at the long ears in your neighbourhood and you will see that so many of them carry a cross.  Why a cross and why the donkey and mule?  It all goes back many hundreds of years when the donkey stood by a lifelong friend - Jesus. 

The donkey had been with his friend for all his life, he'd been there at his birth and had carried his water as a child. He snuffled him gently when his tears fell, looked on benevolently as the child grew, he offered no words but a depth of undestanding as the wiser, older man grew.  If you've ever looked in to the eyes of a donkey you will understand that he looks in to your soul and offers calmness and hope.

Jesus understood the value of the most humble of all animals; the donkey.  When Jesus found himself on a trip to Jerusalem he called for his friend the donkey to accompany him, his friend carried him through the streets of Jerusalem, for the donkey is the bringer of peace, in older times his cousin the horse was a bringer of war.  On Palm Sunday the donkey carried his friend with ease and all around crowds welcomed Jesus and his donkey.

It was not to last.....

A week later Jesus was ordered crucified.  His donkey friend could not understand the evil that men do to each other.... Jesus was to be hung on a cross that he was to carry through the streets past people who had once been his friends, now they were calling for his death.

The little donkey loved his friend Jesus so much and wanted to help bear the load of the heavy cross.  As a donkey he was used to bearing heavy loads and the humiliation of the jeers of men, he asked Jesus if he could bear the load with him.  Jesus thanked him but said no, this was his cross to bear and he would do so with dignity. 

His little donkey friend followed behind watching the jeering people with horror and a tear in his eye, why are humans such strange animals? No other would do such things.

The donkey waited until the crowd had left, he went to his friend and waited with him until he was gone....

Sad and lonely the donkey turned to leave.... the shadow of the cross fell upon his back and shoulders.  And where it fell it remained and was passed to all of his kind as a mark of thanks for the loyalty and love of the humblest of all animals, the donkey.

Whatever you believe our friends, we're sure you agree that our friend the donkey deserves the mark of the cross, it would be hard to think of a more worthy bearer.  Still today he toils alongside his human friends dreaming of the day when his cross will mean that mankind shows him the respect he so rightfully deserves.

Happy Easter Friends!

When sometimes the best gift is hard to give...

Copyright The Donkey Sanctuary, used under CCL

Dear Muleteers, we have little to say today but have just read an amazing story written by a friend of ours.  Joe is a vet that works for The Donkey Sanctuary, he travels a lot and was struggling to find his wife 'the perfect present' when in Ethiopia.  His present to her was exceptional, please read his story.... but make sure you have some tissues at the ready.

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/blog/6357

We just had to share, we know you will understand why.

No Room at the Inn for Long Ears?

Dearest Pope, I am not a believer but know you are, that is why I am puzzled by your recent statement that our long eared friends, donkeys should not 'technically' be included in the Christmas nativity? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/20/pope-nativity-animals 

Anyone that knows anything knows that long ears are the holiest of animals and have always had pride of place right there next to your God.  Whether you believe in one God or another or none at all I reckon you humans could learn a thing or two about life from us long ears and the other creatures you share your planet with.  We reckon your God knew a bit about this... why was the donkey his choice from the minute he was born to when he died?

We think your Ten Commandments may hold some clues:

Service
I am the Lord your God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you serve.
We muleteers are not a servant of your God although we respect all that are who are also tolerant of our beliefs.  We are loyal and true to our own God, Mother Nature, we do not pollute her or disrespect her and we appreciate her beauty and life giving in all seasons.  

Swearing

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

Now then FH listen up, your potty mouth is really too much sometimes, us Muleteers do not possess such rude noises, if we have something to 'say' we use our ears and swish our tails, this does not offend anyone!

Holy Day

Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.

When you live with nature like we do every day is a holy day, every day is exciting and different and should be treated with respect, say thank you for something in your life every day even if it's just that you're alive.

Family

Honour your father and your mother.

We mules are so very lucky, we have mixed ancestry and are very proud of it, we have the best of both worlds with out tough and humble Dad the donkey and speedy and elegant Mum the horse.  We are tolerant of those like us and unlike us, something that you humans could do much better at.  

Killing

You shall not kill

This is simple but you lot haven't got it yet have you?  How can you be godly when you kill each other in the name of your God?  No part of the human race is not guilty of this.  Look at the donkey, he is tolerant, he is open, he is giving; you will never see him strike another for being brown and not white or being from one village but not another, when did you humans lose all perspective?

Loyalty

You shall not commit adultery

We long ears bond for life, we love deeply and without prejudice.  My friends are sacred and I will not leave their side.  My friends are my friends because I love them and I need them, we are together because we offer each other companionship, safety and happiness, we have no need for others.

Stealing

You shall not steal

FH says I have to work on this one..... I have been known to steal food from Dragon and Ro-Land, apparently I am a little greedy.  Perhaps we should look up to Ro-Land on this one.... he steals from no one and always asks politely, I'll keep trying.... hey I can't be perfect all the time, I'm only a mere mortal you know!

Falseness

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour

We muleteers are what we are, we will not lie, slander or judge, this is a human trait....

Your Neighbour's Wife

You shall not covet your neighbour's wife

I need to covet no others, although I do share my lady friends with Ro-Land, it's all platonic though folks, life is much easier that way :-) Both of my female beauties are fearless, agile and independent, perfect!

Your Neigh-Bours Goods

You shall not covet your neighbour's goods 

I've heard my neighbours make rather pathetic horsey squeals (for the record Roller's voice when he bothers to use it is baritone and manly) and I can gladly say that I never covet anything they have, when life is good and simple like mine why would I bother?  I want what I can have and wish for nothing else.

So Mr Pope perhaps the books might say one thing, but listen to your heart, we think you'll find that if your God did exist that he most certainly would have had his ever faithful companion with him when he was born; who else walked the path of life from birth to death with him but the humble donkey?

It's All in the Ears!

Greetings Muleteers!  Yesterday I was called a pony, well really! Are there not a pair of real giveaways.... It really is all in the ears! 

FH and Dragon have been out together and I have to say I was a little jealous....

But FH made it all better by giving me a good old ear rub. 

My mulificent ears are not only good for hearing the tiniest of noises (I can hear FH in the house when she gets up and if she's not quick enough to appear I will brayneigh to show her my discontent).  In the wild my cousins can hear their pals over many kilometers in the desert. 

My ears are also designed as heat exchangers.  My donkey cousins use their amazing ears to cool down in the desert.  I have inherited this and my ears are also good for cooling me down when it gets hot (hmmm no sign of that though).

Me and Dragon also use our ears to communicate with each other.... we lay them back on our heads and make grumpy faces at each other, this is like a lover's argument really as it never comes to anything but it does mean that we know what the other is thinking without actually having to be mean to each other.  This does leave us with a little problem though muleteers...... 

Where are Roller's Ears?

What on earth do we do about Roller's ears?  His are a little, errm well, on the short side?  It is not very easy for us to tell what Roller's thinking as we often can't see his ears under all the fluff.  Roller is pretty easy going and *we think* he rarely gets grumpy (guess we wouldn't know?) but Dragon and I think we might investigate some ear extensions for him!

Finally but most importantly my ears are so sensitive to touch and FH knows just where to scratch to send this mini mule a bit squiffy.  If FH rubs my ears in just the right place I am unable to think coherently and my eyes start to twitch.  It is heaven!  I also like to have my forehead scratched too, we mules don't have forelocks like horses so this bit can get bitten by the flies and it makes me itchy... FH knows just the place to scratch.

 

So next time you see mulificent donkey or mule ears remember they have a purpose - hearing, cooling, communicating but most of all they are just perfect for a good old scratch!

Ears to you all!  Have a lovely day :-)

There's No Place Like Home

Greetings Muleteers!  Ponies are not made for cities.... of this I am sure.  FH has just got back from the hustle and bustle of London, she sneaked a peek at the equestrian stadium for the Olympics in Greenwich and although it sounds magnificent I have decided that I won't attend.   I think the underground and traffic would play havoc with my hair!

The Big City just sounds so busy, lots of people, lots of noise and not much green grass.  I can't imagine what I'd live on? I'm a growing boy you know.  FH enjoyed herself but was very pleased to be home with us muleteers.  She returned to a bit of a mess though.... we have had severe flooding over the weekend, MH was left on emergency duty, ditches were dug, hourly checks made and lots of clean bedding and ample straw arranged so that us muleteers could stay safe and dry.  Wow!  We were so lucky, we had a little bit of rain that blew in through our doorways and an ample amount of mud but the deluge stayed firmly outside, unlike most of our neighbours we were not flooded - phew!  I had been communicating hard with the rain doctor and for once he listened.

FH had only been home a few minutes before she was at the tidy up, it would have been rude to let her do it all by herself so I gave her my best encouragement.  FH likes to have kisses blown in her face whilst she is organising our beds so as she had rather a lot to do I snuffled away.

Today brought welcome relief when we had a little bit of sunshine if only for it to be rudely interrupted by yet more rain... will it ever stop?  FH came home full of news, good and bad.  Some that had made her heart sink and left her in need of snuffle treatment (we obliged of course) and some that is good and bad.  FH was telling us about some poor long ears that had been abandoned in a bog (http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/press-release/5827) and one of them had drowned.  Imagine how awful that would be?  If we didn't have nice humans that loved us the same could happen to any of us.... FH wasn't all doom and gloom though.  These special donkeys have been rescued and will now be cared for by the folks at The Donkey Sanctuary, hopefully they will one day find themselves in a lovely home like ours with friends just like mine.

I guess what I was thinking today is that there's no place like home.... especially when you have a roof over your head, grass to nibble, good company and lots to do...... I hope my long eared cousins are enjoying their new home, they deserve it!

Humans are confusing!

Greetings muleteers!  Ro-Land here today!  As befits my nickname The Philosopher I'm the member of the gang that keeps up to date with the news, I've been busy stealing a glance at the human's computer checking up on the latest news and happenings.  I'm sooooo pleased to see so many new fans who have found us through Facebook - it's lovely to meet you all, please stop by and keep up to date with us!

So I was browsing through a page all about long ears (if you can't beat them join them I say) when I saw something awful.

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/node/5132

I was reading about some terrible festival where humans treated one of our cousins appallingly, what is wrong with some humans?  This poor long ear was ridden by a drunk man being jostled by hundreds of other people and fell down, not only could he not get up but the humans just made things worse by shooting guns (yes guns!!) and pouring wine on him..... I am neighless, whatever happened to these people?  Are they so cruel that they do not understand that we have feelings and get scared?  Do they not know that my cousin didn't want to carry that drunk with all of them laughing at him?

Today I am feeling sad.

They can't ever have looked in to our eyes and seen calm and love looking back at them, they have got something missing from their lives if they think this is fun.

Ask yourselves this.... would a long ear ever laugh at another creature because it fell over? No we'd be straight there to help!
Would a long ear ever get so drunk they couldn't stand up? What a waste of time!
Would a long ear ever fire a gun in a crowded square? Duhhhh stupid!
Would we ever treat others like this? No, because we have better manners.

I am now so confused, I have met so many lovely humans who look after me and love me and I never thought it was possible that they could do such things, although I am the philosopher of the group I don't want to think about this too much as it makes me very sad.  Female human whispered earlier that she has fun and frolics planned for the weekend, this will make me feel better and maybe it will reaffirm my faith in humankind?