Slim
Type: Standard Jack, Baudet de Poitou blood
Born: 1981?
Height: 11 Hands, 3"
Weight: 425 lbs.
Color: Black w/ Shaggy Outer Coat
Position: Packer First Class, getting old
Slim is one of our most reliable packers. He will tolerate any load you put on him - metal roofing, old bed springs, rolls of water tubing... And if something goes wrong with his load, he just stops and waits for you to fix it. He'll go all day long and never complain or put on the brakes. He has a very stout & sturdy build as well and is quite strong. The only problem with him is that he tends to lay down if left unattended for too long; no matter how awkward his load. Sometimes that means he can't get back up without us taking the saddle off and retying the whole affair.
One day, after very heavy rains, we had to make a delivery to the San Antonio Hiking Club (cabin #138) and the Lower Winter Creek Trail was a mess. Steve Burns, Eric Woodyard and I (Greg Sweet) went up canyon with Slim and Bill. Now, Bill was in the lead and is just as good as Slim, but he got spooked by everything having been rearranged (donkeys have a photographic memory). So, I tried putting Slim in front. He followed my lead and dragged Bill with him. It was that day he earned the nickname "Top Gun".
Not too long after that we got Fred. Even though Fred goes Slim one better and will cross the bridge at Robert's Camp or would walk right into a cabin if I asked him to, I named him "Lead Mule" and allowed Slim to retain his Top Gun status. After all, he's still the best of the donkeys and overall he is THE BEST packer we have.