Horse Illustrated Magazine

Adding some decoration to your home or barn in December is a great way to
brighten up the darkest days of the year, regardless of which seasonal holiday you celebrate. But why should the humans have all the fun? The ponies and donkeys in today’s video are doing a great job decorating their stable’s Christmas tree.

Hanging the stockings by the chimney with care? Why do that when you can fling
them at the tree with reckless abandon? (See the action at the 0:40 mark of the video.) Do you have a ton of gifts to arrange under the tree? These guys can help you out, with a little encouragement.

(Want to decorate your barn safely this season? Here are some tips on how to do it.)

This festive scene is more than just another cute animal video. The ponies and donkeys are residents of Hope Pastures Rescue Centre in Leeds, England. Some of them come with histories of abuse and are often fearful of humans. Working with trainers from Connection Training, the staff at Hope Pastures earn the trust of their four-legged charges. By learning the tricks seen in this video, the horses’ and donkeys’ natural curiosity shines through.

“Banjo, the grey donkey in the video, was incredibly depressed and terrified when I first met him,” says trainer Hannah Weston. “Seeing him slowly gain confidence and start to play has been amazing.”

Hope Pastures not only rescues and rehabilitates horses, ponies, and donkeys, but they are open to the public with free admission throughout the year so that people can learn more about the animals and learn about caring for equines. Find out more about hopepastures.org, and learn more about Connection Training at connectiontraining.com.