|
|
|
|
Oscar is the only donkey with a pedigree. His full name is Grafton Oscar. We usually call him 'Ozzy'. When he was young he was registered with the Donkey Breed Society and took part in donkey-driving competitions. He won several prizes and still enjoys being driven very much. It is sometimes difficult to get him to stand still while you get into the cart as he is keen to go. He loves the excitement of going to shows. Then he moved to Birmingham and took disabled people for cart rides. He came to Clovelly in 1990. |
 |
Oscar Ready for Donkey Rides |
Oscar is a very calm donkey and has often posed for photographs in Clovelly High Street. He likes it best when there are lots of people around to pat him. He also has given many donkey rides but he finds that very boring and walks very slowly. Off the lead Oscar is a fast ride but is usually obedient. He is also good at jumping.
|
|
|
 |
Ready to go for a Drive with the Donkey Waggon |
|
Age..............28 Size:10.2hh (42") Colour : Born:
|
In 1999 Oscar developed a hormone problem that stops him growing his summer coat properly. This means he looks strange all summer and often wears a rug so that he is not cold. He is still a dear donkey and we love him just as much even if he is a bit bald!
|
Oscar in Summer 2002 |
| Fortunately, he still grows a thick woolly winter coat as you can see from this picture of him about to go on a ride with Isaac, Toby and Donk and some of the village children. |
A Winter Ride: Oscar, Isaac, Toby and Donk |
| The good news is that he had a really good summer coat in 2003 and it looks as if his problem is going away. Everyone is amazed and really pleased! |
Spotty, Oscar and Jasper in Summer 2003 |
| Christmas 2008 Oscar wearing his Parka to
keep him warm in the cold winter weather.
The donkeys get very bored when they can't go out in the fields so we try to find things to amuse them. Here Oscar is eating gorse which donkeys love but it is very prickly and it takes them ages to eat it because they have to be careful of the prickles. |
|
March 2009 - Hallo Ozzy ! |
Donk and Oscar out on a winter ride in the Hobby Drive - March 2009 |
| Getting ready for work in April 2009.
Oscar's starting to look a bit bare because he is in the middle of moulting. |
|
 |
By June he's looking much better. Oscar is always very good about having his feet trimmed by the farrier. |
|
Ready for Donkey Rides - March 2009 |
Looking his best - August 2009 |
| Snoozing in the Street for Childrens' photographs.
October 2009 |
Spotty, Oscar and Jasper in Summer 2003 |
|
After
a good winter giving rides in the woods to the children Oscar became
poorly and in the spring he was diagnosed with aenemia (not having
enough red cells in his blood). The Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth did
blood tests for us and found it was probably due to bone marrow
cancer. While this can be treated in humans it is not very
practical for donkeys and would have been very traumatic for him as
the treatment is unpleasant and he would have had to go away from his
friends to a hospital. We and the vets decided it was kinder to let
nature take its course and when it was too difficult for Ozzy to carry
on he was peacefully put to sleep in August of 2010.
Oscar spent 20 years in Clovelly and we were all very fond of him. He was a very useful donkey who would do anything and go anywhere. He was easy, but quite fast, to ride and had a very friendly character. In his life he gave a huge amount of pleasure to lots and lots of people. Thank You Ozzy !
|
Eating his special food in the field - June 2010 |
