Sweet-natured Spotty showing plenty of potential

Seven-year-old Spotty was first brought to the attention of Donkey Welfare Adviser Tewsday Herbert in November 2022.

After initially visiting Spotty’s site in Hertfordshire to offer the donkey’s owner advice and guidance in 2022, Tewsday returned with the RSPCA in September last year.

“We received a call from a member of the public who was concerned about Spotty’s hooves being overgrown,” Tewsday says.

“He was also on his own in his field without donkey company, or a suitable manmade shelter.

“When I arrived at Spotty’s site, he was friendly to approach, but I could see his hooves were very overgrown and cracked in some areas.

“The RSPCA inspector and I spoke to Spotty’s owner to discuss what he needed to correct his hooves.”

Donkeys require their hooves to be trimmed by a qualified farrier every six to ten weeks. This prevents them becoming overgrown and imbalanced.

Regular hoof trimming also make it easier to identify common hoof problems, such as seedy toe and thrush.

“We agreed with the owner to relinquish Spotty into our care, where he could receive the proper veterinary treatment he required and have the appropriate handling and behaviour work,” Tewsday adds.

Despite being initially wary of Tewsday, Spotty soon became comfortable in her presence. Not long after approaching him, she was able to scratch Spotty’s withers and then conduct a thorough assessment of his body and hooves.

“Spotty had a good body condition and appeared to be a healthy donkey, apart from the condition of his hooves,” Tewsday recalls.

“What stood out was how quickly he came round to strangers. This really showed when, a short time later, he was assessed by a vet on site to make sure he was fit to travel.

“He was very good when having his head collar fitted, and stood calmly to be examined despite being very wary of the vet.

“I could already start to see that Spotty had bundles of potential. I know he would make a fantastic companion for somebody and other donkeys if he becomes eligible for our rehoming scheme.”

A fresh start

Once he was relinquished into the care of The Donkey Sanctuary, Spotty’s hooves were x-rayed and trimmed at his site. He then made the journey to a holding base in Devon, where he continues to make great strides in his recovery.

Nessie O’Brien, one of our Donkey Welfare Advisers, has been visiting Spotty at the holding base and says she had noticed a big improvement in his confidence.

She says: “When Spotty first arrived at the base, he was petrified. Whenever he was mucked out, he would run to back of his stable.

“Thankfully, he has responded excellently to the TLC given to him. Now, he’s at the front waiting for the grooms and calls to them when he hears them walking through the yard.

“He loves food enrichment – he has learnt to use a treat ball and enjoys smelling and tasting new scents. We’ve noticed recently that he has developed a taste for Marmite!

“In the future, it would be wonderful if he found another long-eared friend and became eligible for rehoming. It would be the end of a great story!”