I’m sure you’re not surprised.
Little Miss Gracie is already the apple of our eye.
Just as she was the matriarch to her BLM herd…
… she’s already becoming the matriarch to her Morning Bray Farm herd.
For now, we’re simply giving her time to settle in.
I can’t help but wonder if at the age of 10, all of this change is really hard on her. She must have a lot of family to miss.
Just know that we already love you…
… Little Miss Gracie Belle. ♥
Morning Bray Farm 
August 21, 2011 at 4:48 am
What’s the bump on her right shoulder? Scar tissue or tumor? My yellow lab having died of skin cancer I notice bumps a lot…
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August 21, 2011 at 8:31 am
Sigrid,
We can’t be sure since we can’t inspect it too closely yet, but we’re thinking that perhaps it’s a sarcoid – a type of nonfatal cancer limited to skin and the tissues directly under the skin. Apparently, donkeys are particularly prone to developing sarcoids. We can see that it’s loose and not firmly attached to her shoulder, which is a good sign. We’ll have the vet take a look at it.
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August 21, 2011 at 5:19 am
I wonder how much animals remember and live in the past, or if they only live for the moment? That would be really interesting to know, wouldn’t it?
Is she taller than the other burro boys? In one picture she looks as tall as Big Red!
She’s just beautiful!!
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August 21, 2011 at 8:33 am
C,
It would be very interesting to know. I’m sure that they live mostly for the moment, but I’m sure they remember too.
I think she actually might be the tallest of them all, but she’s also the oldest. I think Big Red is finished growing, but think that Nigel, Patrick and Bernard still might have some growing to do.
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August 21, 2011 at 5:29 am
She sure has had a hard time fitting in with the boyz 🙂 🙂
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August 21, 2011 at 5:37 am
And she’s bringing so many smiles to you and Don, too !! Thankyou, Miss Gracie ❤
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August 21, 2011 at 6:01 am
It seemed to me that there was a strong resemblance between/amongst all the burros in that BLM pen. I wondered if they weren’t all related. Gracie’s blood family, not just a bunch of random burros……
I always think about their feelings — removed from the place they grew up, shunted around from place to place, pushed around by this person and that person and some other person. Separated from their (perhaps life-long?) companions……….
I think it’s a miracle that they so often end up trusting and loving us, after all our kind has done to them.
Sending loving vibes to MBF.
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August 21, 2011 at 8:38 am
Vicki,
There was a strong resemblance – you’re right. However, the geldings were all captured in California and Gracie and the other jenny were both captured in Arizona. Gracie was captured in January of this year, while the other jenny was captured sometime earlier in 2010, so we’re thinking she probably wasn’t related to any of the burros in the pen at the adoption.
I think you’re absolutely right about her being removed from where she spent her first ten years, being moved from Arizona to Oklahoma to New Mexico, pushed around, separated… I really can’t help but wonder how she feels. I know she’s smart and I know she “feels.” xoxo
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August 22, 2011 at 6:37 am
Not her blood family,then. (Which makes her mothering of the others in there with her even more sweet, I think….)
So arrogant, of people, to come up with the absurd notion that only we can think or feel……… Other sorts of critters think differently, and have different priorities, but I suspect we all have the same feelings……..
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August 22, 2011 at 6:40 am
Vicki,
I couldn’t agree with you more.
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August 21, 2011 at 6:15 am
SO glad to see more of her! I’ve been coming back several times each day to see if you’ve posted because this is such a sweet story. Then I read “Gracie Belle” at the end and got happy chills all over. “Gracie” was great, “Gracie Belle” is even greater.
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August 21, 2011 at 7:10 am
Gracie Belle has such a nice ring to it.
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August 21, 2011 at 7:19 am
Happy for you & Don….
Happy for the boys….
Happy for Miss Gracie Belle.
Adding Belle is like adding the
cherry to the top of the sundae…Perfection!!
Hugs to all.
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August 21, 2011 at 7:42 am
She’s so beautiful! I’m sure the fact that the boyz are loving her back makes all the difference in her transition.
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August 21, 2011 at 7:48 am
Such a pretty name for a pretty girl. She seems to be the quiet observant type. Does she let you touch her yet?
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August 21, 2011 at 8:46 am
Shirley,
She’s very much the quiet observant type. She won’t let us touch her yet, but she seems more of the Fergus personality… I think she’ll come around soon (I hope). She was actually in the barn stall this morning, which is something that took Nigel months to gather the courage to do. (Now we can’t keep Nigel out of the barn, which is perfectly okay since it allows him to get out of the sun.)
Another interesting fact from The Donkey Companion:
Male donkeys (both jacks and geldings) of all ages induldge in play-fighting maneuvers. Although jack foals may invite young jennies to play, jennies are usually disinclined to play-fight among themselves or with geldings or young male members of the herd.
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August 21, 2011 at 7:50 am
What a classy looking lady…she is beautiful.
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August 21, 2011 at 8:18 am
She sure is pretty!
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August 21, 2011 at 8:35 am
Gracie Belle is beautiful and I’m sure Da Boyz are gonna make moving on to a new family easier. She’s a beaut.
I’m just writing this down now so you will know that it was meant to be….the Belle that is.
Oma Linda
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August 21, 2011 at 8:37 am
Sipping my Sunday coffee with a BIG Smile
God Bless :-}}}}}
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August 21, 2011 at 8:59 am
I am so glad that you got Gracie. She is so fortunate to be part of your herd. It will be fun to see her trust in you grow.
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August 21, 2011 at 9:25 am
She is a beautiful lady! Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew what they were all thing about? Can’t wait to hear about more adventures of Gracie Belle. Have a great Sunday.
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August 21, 2011 at 9:33 am
What a beautiful girl. That lump on her shoulder looks like a sarcoid. If so, once she gets used to handling her, try putting Crest toothpaste on it. Apparently it has to be Crest, not a generic brand. I have used it with success on two of my horses and it worked for a friend of mine too. Sounds strange, but it seems to work!
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August 21, 2011 at 10:16 am
Will do. Thanks for the tip!
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August 21, 2011 at 9:52 am
Gracie makes me think of my dear departed Marly dog. There are Mother Animals out there, and I do believe Gracie and Marly belong in that group. They need to Mother, and they do it very competently and with great devotion. I don’t think they miss what they had, so long as they have their Mothering Job to do.
And Gracie, besides all that, is just delicately beautiful.
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August 21, 2011 at 10:17 am
June,
You have the knack for always making me feel better. I wish I could hug you right now.
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August 21, 2011 at 11:33 am
Well, I’m glad you feel better. I can feel your hug from way over here. 🙂
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August 21, 2011 at 10:46 am
I think the boys needed a mama and that’s how you came to be Gracie Belle’s folks. A grand plan indeed!!!
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August 21, 2011 at 11:34 am
It is going to be so much fun watching her develop and come out of her shell. It doesn’t look like it will take long — already walking through the fence to get to her herd and in the barn. She seems to be making herself right at home. Her sweet face reminds me of our little Finessa. I think your Gracie is going to be a love bug.
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August 21, 2011 at 12:36 pm
So so happy for you for opening your heart for another adoption. She is simply gorgeous.
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August 21, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Oh my.. I have apparently missed out on a bunch o’ news here at MBF!! She’s a beauty, and of course I’m very partial to Long Ears.. and especially those who answer to Gracie (or Ruby for that matter) 🙂 She’s a beauty!! Here’s to a smooth transition for all ♥♥♥
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August 21, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Tammy,
I love it! How in the world did I forget about your Gracie? I’m always thinking about names because I think they’re so important. I had decided that if we got another boy, it would be Owen… and if a girl, Grace. But then I saw our Grace and thought she needed to be Gracie… and now she’s Gracie Belle. 🙂 Hugs to your Gracie and Ruby from all of us.
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August 21, 2011 at 8:16 pm
I love the name Gracie Belle! It fits her perfectly…she’s got such grace about her. I do believe they remember friends. I have witnessed horses separated for years-come back together and recognize one another. They have a very long memory…which can be both good and bad. They don’t forget the scary stuff that happens to them. My Russell came to us at age nine and he settled in pretty quickly. He has best buddies in our herd now. I only wish I could make them all understand that they are in their forever home with us.
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August 24, 2011 at 7:49 am
[…] Welcome Gracie Belle. You have arrived in the best place on Earth. You will be famous in no time at … […]
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