It’s with great sadness that we announced the loss of our beloved mule Ebony in July 2022 .She came into our care in 1992 when she was found roaming the streets of Gainsborough and was a popular member of our Adoption Club for many years. Ebony was one of the most-loved characters and celebrated her 30th birthday earlier this year. We are all truly devastated and know this loss will be felt greatly by our supporters too.
Read her full tribute here: https://bransbyhorses.co.uk/goodbye-ebony/
Please enjoy her updates below from her time with us.
December 2019
Unfortunately Ebony has had a bout of Laminitis so she is currently in a stable on the yard to recover over December. Luckily she is getting better with the help of the yard staff and Vets, hopefully she will have some turn out soon.
October and November 2019
Ebony has been moved to a new area with our older Shetlands including Penelope. This is to help with her weight and make sure she has enough hay. Ebony also had nine teeth removed as they were causing so much pain for her. However she is now recoving well and enjoying all the extra fields.
August and September 2019
After having to wear her special rug over the summer (to protect her from flies), Ebony is delighted to now not have to wear it for a while. She has been losing a little bit of weight recently which is not good, particularly with winter around the corner, so she is being given some extra feed at the moment. As well as extra feed, because of the colder nights, we are making sure Ebony wears her pyjamas. Once in her pyjamas, she is all nice and cosy and don’t need to worry about feeling chilly after the sun goes down. She has also had a visit from Lara, our dentist, to keep her teeth nice and healthy. In other news, Ebony has taken to escaping her field so the team are thinking about renaming her, the Great Houdini!
July 2019:
Ebony is back having her not so favourite rug on – her fly rug. She knows that it is for her own protection but she still likes to protest about wearing it! She is also having a treatment once a week for sweet itch to prevent her from rubbing and being itchy. She stands very still for her treatment and gets lots of fuss which is why she is so well behaved.
June 2019:
Ebony has had a quiet month which is good as she needs to start preparing for the busy summer holidays ahead. She has been enjoying spending time out in the field with her friends, meeting. visitors and receiving a fuss from staff. Ebony has also been having a pamper and enjoyed a good groom so she is looking her best.
May 2019:
Ebony has had her monthly weigh-in to monitor her condition and weight, which staff were pleased with. She has had more time out in the field with her friends and although she is really enjoying the big field, her and friend Penelope are always the first ones to lead the girls back to the pad in the afternoon to go to bed.
April 2019:
Ebony has started to need her fly rug again, which she is not at all impressed about, although she has enjoyed the sunshine despite having to wear it. Like her fellow donkey friends, she too has been treated to a little pampering session. She was very excited to come up to the yard one afternoon to have her first bath of the year, the first of many we are sure.
March 2019:
Ebony has been enjoying the warm weather and hasn’t needed her rug at all! Staff are still monitoring her weight as we head into spring and the grass starts to grow again. The dentist is also now monitoring her wobbly teeth to make sure she is comfortable and able to eat properly. Ebony was pleased to welcome her good friends Jemima and Matilda back to the field and enjoyed playing with them!
February 2019:
With spring on the way staff have been carefully monitoring Ebony’s weight and have decided to decrease her feed as she was looking a little too well. The sunny and milder weather has meant that Ebony has enjoyed some time without her rug which she thoroughly enjoyed and celebrated with a good roll in the mud. Although the warmer weather also means it is getting closer to her sweet itch rug coming back out, which she will not be impressed with.
January 2019:
Ebony is being very good and continuing her medication for Cushings, which she takes without any trouble when she eats her food. Ebony has been in a bit in the wars at the moment though, as when she saw the dentist on a routine visit, he discovered a loose tooth, so staff and the dentist will be monitoring her regularly.
December 2018
Ebony has recently had a blood test which showed she was positive for Cushings, so she is receiving medication to help her with this, and staff will be monitoring her for the next six months to make sure her management is correct. She has also had a microchip due to the recent change in legislation, and was very well behaved for the vet who, was very impressed there were no tricks played on them!
November 2018
Staff are very pleased with Ebony’s weight and condition so far this winter. She has moved to her winter paddock where there is some grass for them all to still enjoy, but they have had extra hay as well which is a real treat for her! She is still having breakfast but will soon start having tea to help maintain her weight. Staff think she will be very pleased about this and will take every opportunity to rub it in her friends faces!
October 2018
Ebony’s coat is getting lovely and thick for the Winter, but it still isn’t quite thick enough so she is having a thicker rug on to make sure she is warm enough at night and when it is raining. She is very happy about this and will often be at the gate on an evening waiting for staff to put her rug on.
She is also very cheeky in a morning when she knows her breakfast is coming and makes a break away from her friends to meet the staff (with her breakfast), all so she can eat it in peace and all by herself.
September 2018
Ebony’s beautiful big thick coat is starting to come through and is keeping her extra warm at night now it’s getting a little cooler. The staff are monitoring her weight as she can sometimes lose a little in the winter. Ebony must know this somehow as she is the first to run into the pad in a morning to get her breakfast, making sure no one else gets her delicious food. Although Ebony enjoys sharing treats with her friends, breakfast is a different matter!
August 2018
Ebony has had a few escapee Shetlands in her field this month when they made a bid for freedom from another field. Ebony didn’t take too kindly to this and quickly showed them the exit, although staff think she was a little jealous of their triumph, as Ebony is known for escape artist tricks herself! She now no longer wears her sweet itch rugs so she is making the most of it by having a good roll in the mud.
July 2018
Ebony’s sweet itch is under control and she will continue to wear her fly rug and mask to help prevent it. Despite the staff’s best efforts to encourage the rain to come, it still hasn’t and the grass is becoming sparse. Staff are giving her extra feed stuffs and her condition is slowly picking up which staff are very pleased with. The staff are not as pleased with Ebony’s attempts at escaping the field lately, any gap is a challenge worthy of Ebony.
June 2018
Ebony has dropped a little bit of condition and now has an extra feed to help with this, which she is very pleased with! Staff are also doing their best rain dance so the grass will grow a bit more to help her. Thankfully though despite the warmer weather, Ebony’s sweet itch has not bothered her but she is still wearing her rug as prevention. Ebony has been feeling the love from her adoption fans this month as well as she has received two gifts and shared them with her friends.
May 2018
Ebony has also moved back to Visitor Centre to be reunited with her friends and adoption fans! She too is sporting a sweet itch rug just like her friend Nero. Ebony can become sore in the summer but she is having weekly treatments to help with this, the extra cuddles from the staff when she has her treatments is also going down very well with her!
April 2018
Ebony is still living at Walklands Farm along with some of the other donkeys but is hopefully soon set to move back to the Visitor Centre for the summer. This hasn’t stopped her supporters showering her with presents of her favourite treats though! She has reluctantly shared them with her friends much to her disappointment.
March 2018
Ebony has been kept warm and dry throughout the snowy periods as she has also moved to Walklands Farm for the winter with some of the other donkeys. Ebony has been receiving additional food over the winter as she was starting to lose condition, however she has now improved condition and is no longer needing additional feed, much to her disappointment!
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