Meet Shasta

[~Karen~]

He's got whiskers outta this world! Banded ears (black ears with a band of brown in the middle and zebra striped legs (hubby calls them whoopin' stripes, I just call him jail bait. LOL.) Do they all get banded ears and striped legs? Is this a common color? What color do you call it?

Meet Shasta Henry! Born Friday 5.23.08, early morning (My daughter says his name is Shasta when he is good, & Henry when he is in trouble, lol):

Shasta, and his owner, our daughter, Shawntay:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db0...CasW7hoxbA9vPhw

Mr. Whiskers:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db0...CasW7hoxbA9vPhw

Stripes:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db0...CasW7hoxbA9vPhw

More stripes:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db0...CasW7hoxbA9vPhw

 

[RJRMINIS]

Oh how cute! Congrats!

 

[Jill]

Ooooooooh!!!!! I love him!!!!!! His color is so wild and he is so cute

 

[Magic]

Oh, he is so cool-looking! I LOVE his stripes!!

Congratulations on your long-eared baby!

 

[yellerroseintx]

wow..talk about color!! Are you sure their wasn't a zebra lurking in the shadows??? He looks a lot like a Zorse!!!!! Sure has all the primitive markings...cool!!!! Congrats

 

[Reijel's Mom]

What a doll! Congrats! I noticed you said on the other thread you gave him his shots? What shots did you give?

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Now that is awesome! Isn't he just the cutest thing ever. Thanks for posting pictures (finally )

 

[Bunnylady]

What an awesome little dude! Again, congratulations!

The color experts will probably crucify me (pun intended) but I'm guessing a buckskin or golden dun (or isn't that a "real" color?)

Whatever you call it, he's a cutie!

 

[crackerjackjack]

What a cutie, just love that color.

A lot of cute babies this year.

 

[TinyMiteVillage]

How cute. I have a new mare and she started getting a belly so I called the woman I got her from and asked if she could possibly be bred and if so what with. She said she has been in with a spotted jack but at first was with a buckin paint mini but he was young. So I am hoping and praying for a mini mule. I already have one and his name is Amos. He is a silver dapple.

 

[Emily's mom]

What a beautiful baby, he is so cute!!

 

[Bonny]

very very cute!

 

[minimule]

He's cool looking! He almost looks like the wild ***** of Africa. They tend to have the stripes like him. He does look like a buckskin though. You should send photos of him to the ADMS, www.lovelongears.com. I'm sure they'd love to see him.

 

[~Karen~]

Thank you for such kind words.

He is such a pistol and growing stronger every day.

No, I didn't give the foal any shots, The mama got pen. and short term tetnus. That is all in the way of shots.

I have been searching for this foals color / markings and have yet to see a picture that matches his. I would LOVE to see at least one though.

I did come across the list of color markings for Donkeys and Mules, and I found something that seems to describe. What I don't understand is that if it is the most common, why am I not finding any pictures supporting this?

Here is the color description as described by the Donkey and Mule Society:

http://www.luckysnlranch.com/donkey/2.html

GRAY-DUN This is the most common of the donkey colors. It is the original "wild" color found in the ancestors of the domestic donkey. Body color is some shade of gray or tannish gray ranging from very light oatmeal or light silver color, to a very dark charcoal color. Cross, dorsal stripe, ear marks and often leg stripes (garters) or black dots on the lower part of the neck below the jowls (collar buttons) are found. Gray-dun animals may have black muzzles and no light points (belly and legs as well as muzzle are usually lighter than the coat in all donkeys) and still be the gray-dun color. The name of the color is taken from the fact that the body color is a visual gray of some shade, but the whole color is a probable genetic dun. (Also, most laypersons when asked the color of a donkey would term it gray.) Foals and winter coats are often reddish/brownish but will shed off to some shade of gray. This color differs from other types of gray colors because the hairs are all gray, not mixed with white. We do not use horse terms but for horse-minded breeders, this color would be equal to the horse terms grulla, mouse or dove dun.

Anyways, we love him to pieces.

But I don't know how to handle a baby? He wants to kick (playing), and when he gets scratched, he wants to nibble. These things don't hurt now, but would later. don't want him to be afraid, but I do want him to respect. Do I need to be doing anything with him at this time, or is he too young? What should I be doing with him, if anything?

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

I am hoping and praying for a mini mule. I already have one and his name is Amos.

so if you do get another one you just have to call him Andy (or her Andie) lol

Shasta is adorable

 

[PaintedMeadows]

What a little cutie and I love his markings!! Here is a link to a google image search, he has markings very similar.

African Wild butt

That is too funny!!! I typed a** and it changed it to butt!! lol. Too funny!!

 

[~Karen~]

Oh my word, Painted mini's!!! THAT is so identical to this baby we have! So he's a Wild "Butt" huh?! Wow... how in the world did those genes pull up from ancient days?

 

[CheyAut]

Karen, grey dun is the "normal" color for donkeys... like my Karma

Here she is next to my chocolate mini donk Earl

Anyhow, all donkeys are dun. Dun causes the doral, leg strips, ear bands. You usually see more striping in donkeys than you do in dun horses.

Now, I don't know much about mules, but I would assume (and we know what happens when you do that!) all would be dun as well, b/c I assume all donkeys are homozygous dun. HOWEVER not all mules will show much striping... your little one got a ton of it! I LOOOOOOVE it!!!

I also do NOT know about mule base coloring... if he were a horse I'd say bay dun, MAYBE buckskin dun, but I've seen bay duns ("regular" duns) look that shade. But with mules... all my horse color genetic info goes out the window

Anyhow, he's ADORABLE I LOOOOOVE him!!! I've been trying to breed Karma to my mini stallions... if she ever does get pregnant and gives me a mini hinny (hinny is like a mule but the mom is the donkey vs the mom being a horse in a mule... if you knew that sorry, not all people do so I thought I should mention it) I sure hope I get that much striping!

Jessi

 

[Rachel]

Oh wow, isn't he just the cutest thing on 4 legs?!?

 

[~Karen~]

Painted Promise... I like that "Amos and Andy" that would be a good name for them if they were a wagon team! I am wanting to eventually get a breeding pair of Anatolian Shephards and name them Hoot and Annie. :

Jessi, thank you for that information! I appreciate it so very much! I had only recently learned all the names for male and female Donkeys, Mules, and what the foals are called in connection as to what the parents are. A whole 'nother world of names for sure! Very interesting. I'd like to know how they came up with those names?!!?

I love your baby's BTW... I love chocolate mules! There was a pair that went through the sale the other night. They were sooo pretty!

Thank you Rachel. He is getting sweeter and sweeter every day too. He lets me ick up each hoof now and hold it up! And I picked him up off the ground the other day with no problem... not that I will be needing to when he gets bigger, but just wanted to see his reaction.... I must say, I didn't get much.

I sure wish I knew what I needed to be doing to prepare him for easier training. But for the meantime, I just fiddle around with him... he loves it. I can't find a tiny halter to fit, so haven't been able to work with him on that. He doesn't pay any attention to a lead ropae or anything else I introduce to him.