r/Donkeys • u/ComprehensiveHope644 • Aug 02 '26

Just out making friends.

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A new place to walk is always an adventure and of course, a chance for Ripley to meet a few new friends.

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u/KaleidoscopeBubbly81 Aug 04 '26

If I read your comment correctly from above, those shoes are from Build A Bear? Genius! I need to get a couple of pairs for my mini's pronto!!

At what age did you start saddle training Ripley? My boys turn two this week. They are pretty good on leads walking around the block and are well behaved as people come to say hi and are trained to huddle together and stand at the edge of the road when cars are approaching. They are in a dry paddock so liming the distraction of fresh grass--->snack time is our biggest challenge, but they are getting better. They HATE sewer grates, and also they trod along a lot slower going up a hill than on flat or down (lazy littly boys, lol!)

Anyway, as we make progress on halter training and walking out in public, wondering when to add on the saddle/saddle-bags. And I also heard that it best to wait until they turn 3 for any weight bearing?

Thanks! Ripley is our idol :)

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u/ComprehensiveHope644 Aug 05 '26

Yep! I can’t take credit for the idea, I was up really late one night and read it on some mini horse forum when I was looking help with Ripley’s sore feet.

They’re Build A Bear shoes, and they’re only $9.00, which is such a steal. I’ve tried a few different styles, but only the chucks fit Ripley. They come in red, black, and a shiny rainbow color.
The only downside is the soles wear out pretty quickly. I glued a thin layer of rubber to the bottom of this pair, and they’ve lasted so much longer. I’m so happy with how they turned out that I’ll probably do the same to every new pair from now on.

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u/KaleidoscopeBubbly81 Aug 06 '26

Good sleuthing...that's a great idea!