Welly

The Donkeys

Gingerfigs is the small lady mule.

She is usually called 'Giffy' because its easier to say and because, being a fast mule, she gets where she's going 'in a jiffy'.

She needs an experienced rider or she will go rushing off wherever she pleases!

However she is a very gentle and rather shy person really and very easy to lead in hand.

Here she is looking very smart in her brown saddle blanket and new orange and yellow browband.

She is showing off her little black eyebrows and lovely black-tipped pointed ears and demonstrating the swishing tail that shows she's a mule.

Mules and donkeys swish their tails every time they think a thought - and mules are very good at thinking.

This is what Giffy likes doing best - pulling the little cart that was made specially for her and has her name on the back.

When she is doing this she is very well behaved, not afraid of anything and loves to go exploring.

Age..............34 in 2013

Size:12.2hh(50")

Colour:.....Chestnut with Black mane and tail, mealy muzzle and upside-down shoulder stripe.

Born:possibly Wales

Our two mules Giffy and Remus were friends and usually stayed together at all times.

Remus was older and when he died, aged 34, we were afraid Giffy would be lonely.

Remus and Giffy

Fortunately Wellington immediately took her on as his friend.

Welly is a very caring donkey who will sometimes stay behind to wait if a donkey has got left in the field. Also, he used to live with horses so he probably speaks horse.

Now they often stand together and 'kiss'.

Here they are waiting to go out in the field.

They stand at the electric fence and snort and make rude faces at each other !

So how can you see that Giffy is a mule?

A mule has a horse mother and a donkey father and she is truly half-and-half.

Her ears are smaller than a donkey's but larger than a horse's and have donkey markings.

She has a donkey mane but a horse tail.
In fact she has a native pony tail so her mother was probably a pony native to Britain, possibly a Welsh pony.

Her feet are round like a horse's but smaller and tougher like a donkey's.

She gets her chestnut colour and lively nature from the horse but her markings,white nose and cleverness from the donkey.

She has a donkey shoulder stripe but it is upside down! It is wider at the bottom.

Giffy in Winter

Here is Giffy looking cuddly in 2011

And her she is with Eli who is also a fluffy donkey.

We think Giffy has done a lot of travelling in her life - she loves the horsebox and will push all the others out so that she can stand in it.

Here she is out for a ride in the Hobby Drive >>>

<<<<
Here she is with Welly out in the field in 2012

>>>>
Out for a walk in the Hobby.
Left to right :
Charlie Bart Peter Donk Jake Noah and Giffy

Now that she is very old we feed Giffy special food all winter.

She's always trying to get into the feed room to help herself !

Hallo Gif !

Fluffy legs

<<<<November
Being a mule Giffy doesn't object to rain as much as the donkeys.She often stands outside in the rain from choice. Here she is chewing sticks in the rain.

Soggy Giffy again.>>>>
Well, I left the broom there when I rushed off to get the camera !

Giffy in Summer

In summer Giffy looks very different - she has a lovely shiney smooth summer coat.

She likes to lean over the barriers and tease the visitors.

Kissing with Wellington.

Kissing with Peter - who is more her size !

A Summer Wedding

Sarah took Giffy to a village wedding and made such a lovely job of the flowers we had to take lots of pictures

Here are Sarah and Giffy going for a ride.

Off they go !

In September we joined the

International Horse Agility Club

so that we can take part in horse agility competitions.
It's similar to dog agility but with horse obstacles you can make yourself and, best of all,
we can compete from home using video recordings that we send via Youtube.

Click here for the Horse Agility Club

Click here for our Horse Agility page.

You can see the Donkeys in action in the real films we have entered for the competition.
Go to our eeore blog at www.clovellydonkeys.blogspot.co.uk and click the links to the films.