Brinn’s donkey has the personality of Donkey (from Shrek in case you don’t recognize Donkey as a proper noun), but was named after the donkey from the song, “Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik_kznmI324).  It took weeks of hunting and sorting through dozens of online ads from Craigslist and LSN to find a suitable donkey for Brinn’s 2008 Christmas present.  Finally Elise emailed an ad to me so off I went to Clinton with the horse trailer in tow to examine the little bugger.

Dominick was raised in a former owner’s basement, so he was extremely comfortable with people (unlike some Donkeys), and therefore came potty trained!  When I went to look at him, he wasn’t in the best shape.  His feet were grown way out and his hair quality was so poor that every time it rained, he soaked right through and would freeze.  I looked at him for maybe 30 seconds and handed the owners cash.  Another 30 seconds and I almost asked for a refund.  That little fart-knocker wouldn’t get in the trailer!  Finally the guy had to pick up him (Dominick only weighs about 175 pounds) and set him in the trailer.

By the time we got Dominick to my grandmother’s (where he would hide out for the two weeks until Christmas) he had completely decimated the bale of hay we’d put in the back with him.  I thought maybe he’d munch.  NOPE!  It turns out that donkeys like to play with things…and destroy.  He’d scattered the entire bale more efficiently than those machines that landscapers use to scatter straw.

For Brinn, it was love at first sight.  He desperately loves his rotten donkey, and Dominick loves his silly human.  They are definitely partners in crime.  Our marriage was on shaky ground for a few minutes when Brinn discovered that I’d set up an appointment with the vet for having Dominick gelded.  He sat and held his donkey through the entire process.  When Dominick woke up, he crawled in Brinn’s lap.  What a pair…

Dominick is a source of never-ending entertainment.  The horses don’t necessarily agree…  Bear is sick of Dominick constantly wanting to play, mainly because Dominick’s idea of play resembles that of a rottweiler.  He wants Bear to grab the other side of the bucket and have a tug of war contest.  From time to time Bear will give in and tug back with him.  When Tabitha had her horse with us for a few weeks, he became the new object of Dominick’s mischievous affections.  When Jay was not paying adequate attention to his 3 foot high buddy, Dominick would randomly whack Jay in the face with a feed bucket.  Unfortunately Mogwai does not appreciate Dominick’s playful nature as Dominick likes to beat Mogwai to the tennis ball (or frisbee…or stick…) and gallop away with it, with a mad little dog hot in pursuit.

Dominick became a show donkey this year.  Brinn took him to Tri Color Acres’s monthly saddle club show back in April, and won the donkey at halter class!  Of course, the class was created about half way through the halter geldings class…and there were no other donkeys in attendance… but Dominick had to trot past the judge and stand quietly in line up with all of the other horses.  Being roommates (well, pasturemates) with Bear and Reggie has acclimated Dominick to horses, but several of the horses at the show were less impressed with Dominick.  Gracie’s little appy gelding just couldn’t be convinced that donkeys aren’t fire-breathing, horse devouring, dragons.

Life at the Kiser house would definitely be quieter without Dominick’s presence, but it’s awfully sweet to pull in the drive way and have a little donkey gallop up to the fence and sound like he’s having a panic attack all because he’s so happy to see you.  Sometimes I feel like Shrek must have felt like when Donkey invited himself to move in and announced that he’s making waffles for tomorrow’s breakfast.  Dominick has a way of announcing his presence that leaves you standing back scratching your head at his gall… or running after him through the field screeching because he’s just taken off with your bridle while Bear stands tied up waiting to be ridden…