In memory of my friend Freddie

In a corner of a small paddock at Slade Farm, you'll find a little donkey called Freddie. Not everyone notices Freddie as they walk around the Sanctuary, as he tends to keep himself to himself. He shares his paddock with three other donkeys - Eros, Hugo and Hector. Freddie isn't exactly "Top Donk", but I suspect he'd like to be.

Freddie probably doesn't score too highly in the looks department. He has a rather wiry, dishevelled coat that I carefully try to groom and tame each week. His tail is admittedly, a bit on the thin side, although Phil insists its "stringy". Nevertheless, it's still efficient as a fly switch. Freddie has "ballerina feet", which means he walks on his toes , and to help him with this he wears special plastic shoes . He was particularly proud to show me today that he had some new shoes! He click-clacked around his yard looking pleased with the noise they made.

Actually it's not too easy to tell if Freddie is happy and pleased as he generally has a typical Eeyore disposition. Phil says Freddie is the Victor Meldrew of The Donkey Sanctuary - which is a bit on the harsh side I think!

The point of this though, is that I love Freddie! Every week I make a point of going to see him and to give him a grooming and a cuddle. To be honest, at first I wondered if he even noticed I was there - until for various reasons we couldn't go and see Freddie for three whole weeks. The next time we went to see him, I climbed over the fence calling his name as usual - and not only did he look up at me, ears pricked forward - he then did the unimaginable! He brayed his head off at me and didn't stop until I reached him and cuddled him! I'm still unsure as to whether he was rebuking me for not visiting him for three weeks, or whether he was telling me he was happy to see me! It's hard to tell!

Freddie has one more little habit - which I'm a bit reluctant to share here, so you must promise not to tell anyone! As you may know, there is a strict "No feeding the donkeys any tidbits," rule at the Sanctuary. Phil and I are pretty good at keeping to this rule, all things said and done! Anyway - because Freddie is a special little donkey to me, I do manage to slip him a polo-mint when no-one is looking! Trouble is, Freddie has a habit of sucking the mint quietly for a while and then without warning and usually just as one of the grooms comes along, he'll suddenly crunch down on his polo! Let me tell you - Freddie has a mighty loud crunch action!

So - if you ever come along to the Sanctuary and you see a small brown and white donkey looking a bit dour but smelling of polo-mints - that'll be my friend Freddie!

Sadly a few months after I wrote this Freddie died.  I was with him when he left this world and now I like to think of him at the Rainbow Bridge along with his sister Jenny and brother Billy grazing together, reunited for ever...