Story two
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Mum tells me that she is teaching Angela, Bentley and me to be therapy donkeys. She said that we will be working with people who do not feel good about things or themselves. I don’t understand what that means because I feel great every day.
Mum spends lots of time talking to us. As soon as she brings out this thing that she sits on I know we are going to have a chat. She told me that being a therapy donkey requires me to be nice to people. That’s easy. If they are nice to me then I am nice to them. She said our work was called donkey assisted therapy.
But mum said that sometimes people are not able to be nice and our job is to make them feel better.
Mum and me chatting.
Angela had found something interesting.
Mum told us that a little boy was coming to visit us who had autism. She explained that this little boy would feel that everything around him was frightening. That he had trouble understanding things and was not able to feel safe. She said that he did not speak words.
I too cannot speak words but I do understand when mum is not happy with us or when we have been good. So I guess things must be really hard for this little boy.
Anyway this little boy came to see us. Mum gave him one of her brushes that she uses to make us more beautiful. Mum asked this little boy if he would like to brush me. He stood very close and began to brush my back very lightly. I could feel he was frightened. I knew I just had to stand still so I did. I could feel that this was the first time he had brushed someone that was bigger than him.
After a short time he began to feel better about touching me. I still didn’t move and waited until he moved away.
Mum later told us that the little boy kept on saying the word “donkey, donkey” over and over. Mum was very happy because the little boy never spoke.
Mum explained that what we had done that day for the little boy was the work we would be doing. Our work is to say hello to people, allow them to touch us, to brush us, to talk to us and for us to make them feel better. This is a great job.
What is also great is that after we have done our work mum takes us down to the treaty paddocks.
Mum said that for us to do our work properly we need to be happy. A treaty paddocks makes us very happy. We have different types of paddocks to play in with each one having a different name. We know all the names now.
Going to a treaty paddock means that there are always interesting things to see and do along the way.
OOPS. Mum will not be happy.
Thank goodness we are out of there.
Every day we follow mum past a big room which she calls the “girls” home. The “girls” come out to play with us and Angela loves chasing them.
One day we found that we could push open the “girls” door into their home. We wanted to see inside. But the door closed behind us and we could not get out. Usually we call out for mum to help us but we knew we were in big trouble so none of us said anything. Sometimes later mum came by and saw us. She opened the door and out we came. We all agreed that we have a much better home than the “girls”. Now mum makes sure the door is locked.
We often share the paddocks with the “girls” and the other things that live in the wetlands. We don’t like water so they can have that all to themselves.
Sharing our pond paddock with the “girls”.
Watch out girls - Angela might chase you!
Our pond paddock is part of the wetlands where frogs and birds live
One day many people came to see us. It was well past our dinner time but we had to wait for them in the pond paddock where we do our work. There were small people and big people who looked after the small people. With them were two lady people who looked very unhappy. One of them came into the paddock to see us. She stood alone away from the others. Bentley saw this and went up to her and placed his head against her to give her a cuddle. She patted his head and then wrapped her arms around his neck with love pouring out of her. It was beautiful to see. She just held him for a long time and Bentley just stood there, not moving. When everyone was leaving the paddock so the lady had to leave as well.
Mum told me later that the lady was so happy that night. Her sister who had not come into the paddock was also happy to see her sister happy. I guess you don’t have to get a cuddle from us to be happy. What a great job we have.