My friend Bob Erickson from Westby came down with his donkeys this afternoon to plow my about 3/4 acre garden. He used a homemade type 10" plow. He has a new old 12 inch Oliver plow coming from Tommy Flowers but it wasn't here yet. The donkeys did great. Never broke a sweat not didn't huff and puff. Here are a couple videos and some picts. I'm sure Bob with be watching here if you have any questions. Just don't ever call his DONKEYS mules!!!

First a couple short videos

http://s384.photobucket.com/albums/oo281/Rodhorses/?action=view¤t=bobplowing1.mp4

http://s384.photobucket.com/albums/oo281/Rodhorses/?action=view¤t=notamule.mp4

Some picts

They sure step out, nice looking pair of donkeys.

That is one nice team. Bet they don''t work for just anyone.

how big are the donkeys look just like a team I had back in the 80's sure brought back memories seeing them mind were real workers they were a jack and jennie sold them to a guy that just needed them so i helped him depart with some of his money later i heard he ended up taking them to a sale barn so guess he didn't need them that bad real nice looking team of donkies wish him the best of luck with them

First off,let me say that is one heck of a good looking span of donkeys.Second, my hat is off to the owner.Training them to do that was no easy tsk for sure.

Nice team. You can tell he's done that before. Author Carnal died a couple years ago. He was one of my mentors.(94) He pointed to a building he had one time and said, me and another ass built that one year. Come to find out he was talking about a donkey he had. There were some big beams in that old barn.

Here is the finished field. He did a nice job!

Did it all in one afternoon.

Those are handsome Donkeys!

try that pict again.

He does camping with them. Has a real slick wagon/camper he made from scratch out of aluminium. He will take off for 4 or 5 days and camp in someones field overnigh. Does about 20 or so miles a day. Will try to find some picts of that.

Never seen donkeys work in harness before, other than pulling a cart. Dang impressive, would love to watch that fella train those donkeys. wow. thanks for sharing this!

Now this is my kinda team! My 14 hand driving donkeys have almost 450 driving miles on them in two years. I just started a new team see them at www.2011teamdonk.wordpress.com
Doing field work is in our near future plans.
Kristi
www.teamdonk.org

Great photos of beautiful donkeys. Donkeys Can Do!!!!!

Ann

www.saveyourassrescue.org

Nice job Bob see you don't have your winter coat and stocking cap on today as you did Saturday when we were plowing at Mikes

I am impressed!Most of the Donkeys I have seen working are on TV and in the middle east! Congrats!

That is really cool.

What a great looking team. My driving knowledge is limited... but I do have Jackstock experience and this is a nice pair. I love the NOT A MULE leather banner.

It takes a special person to understand and train donkeys. They are brilliant and ask "why" far more often than horses....kinda like teenagers compared to toddlers!

Thanks for posting and thanks to Bob for turning out such a nice span.

Thank you for sharing these photos and videos. It is so good to see donkeys working like this. We also use our mammoth donkeys to do garden/farm work and they are wonderful creatures. Really nice team of donkeys, Bob.... can sure see the results of your training with them.

Thanks for posting the pics and information. I'm VERY interested in seeing pics of the wagon-camper. Been trying different ideas on paper for something similiar that my Morgan could pull.

Thanks again!

wow wounderful photos I too am curious bout donkeys. How tall are these fellows??

Isn't it wonderful that in our modern ,technology maniacal world people are still out there who even plow with donkeys? Wonderful pictures and great story. That would be the meaningful aid in many instances for developing countries to teach farmers there that work can be done with frugal draft animals in a humane way.Note the well-fitting harness! What size of plow are the donkeys pulling? They do not look strained a bit.

The girls are three years old this month, 15h tall weighing 950# each. I don't know what make the plow is but it measures 9" across and is probably intended to cut 11". I tried out my new plow yesterday. It is an Oliver #20 - 13"plow. I find a pair this size to be lots of fun and useful but they certainly aren't going to plow like a big pair of belgians.
Pictures of the camper are coming when I can find them.


thanks,
Bob


PS He sent me a camper pict. I will try to get it posted

Rod

W. Pat Me,
Thank you for the complement.

Bob

Jonathan Shively,
Thank you, they will work for any one who knows how to command them.
Bob

Thank you all.
Bob

I visited Bob Erickson today and spent some time with him, his family and his donkeys, Olga and Bernice. Here is a shot of them spreading manure this morning.

The other shot is one his wife, Laurie, took last winter of them put to a sleigh Bob built from scratch.

The frame and runners are aluminum and the body is made from blue water barrel material. Bob has a large number of well-designed carefully-crafted implements about his farm, all made by Bob in his shop. I will have more in the next issue of RH that include a snow plow, trolley, buggy, plow, gooseneck horsetrailer, and more.
Thanks to Rod Sale for bringing Bob and his donkeys to our attention.

Joe

I met an old fellow at Sodbuster Days about 7-8 years ago. He had a team of donkeys harnessed in his trailer. He never unloaded them that I know of. He was recovering from open heart surgery. Said the donkeys were like him; to old to do any work anymore. I have never seen him there again, I think he just wanted to be there with them one more time.
I did ask him what was better a donkey or a mule. A donkey he answered; you don't have to put up with a horses foolishness. He bred them from BLM stock. He had a deal with a trucker that ran west with goats to look for any white donkeys at one of the BLM sites on the way back. He wanted white because he felt they were more true to the arabian type. Standard donkeys around 4 feet tall, maybe 600 pounds?

Thanks so much to Rod, Bob for sharing, and U Joe for the recent photos-those donkeys are just lovely, and am also happy to know their names, makes them almost family now! Also have to love their work ethic. Just a very very neat team and owner and am so happy to be able to see 'em in action.
My black jenny Rachel is 22 and basically retired, but these pix have almost inspired me to hitch her again and go for a spin thru the garden with her and a cultivator.........

i would LOVE to get theplans for that plow for my own donkey

great to see these guys in action! Here's a question: does anyone tackle snow removal with a team of donkeys? We have a long driveway on 70 acres; husband wants to buy a toolcat ... I prefer to adopt a trained team of burros from the BLM. Chores are snow removal, transporting feed, water & manure, spreading manure. Thanks for ideas & suggestions!

Susanne

Just loved seeing all the beautiful donkeys teams pulling.I have a 14 hand jenny that I drive and we would love to find a partner for her to pull a sled in the snow, a plow in the pasture or a wagon down the trail. Or a team would be great. If anyone can help, .