There comes a time in every donkey’s life when its body starts failing and the donkey begins to struggle to stay upright on its feet.

Many donkeys do show signs of old age in their early twenties but it is still an unpleasant surprise to discover him on the floor in the stable one crisp March morning, evidently unable to stand up by himself.

We employ belts and a hoist to get him up on his feet, as careful as we always are, aware of the stress these contraptions may cause an animal that is already feeling off kilter. Hassan gets an examination and a prescription for painkillers and anti-inflammatory injections. His treatment begins immediately.

We offer him his morning barley breakfast and we are hugely relieved to witness that he hasn’t lost his appetite. As it is the case with many animals, lack of appetite in donkeys is cause for a real concern.

It is imperative that Hassan does not stay laid up at this point. A crucial step in his continued life and well-being is getting him to walk as much as he can, despite the stiffness in his hind legs. We make an attempt to get him out of the stable...

...but alas, it is no use. Hay doesn’t seem to have the alluring power it usually has over donkeys, so it’s time to go for the treat you cannot beat – carrots, the donkeys’ favourite.

With some gentle encouragement, Hassan follows the tempting carrots and begins making small steps.

Several carrots later we decide once again to try our insecure friend with that good old staple in donkeys’ menu – hay. He has made quite a few steps, but he needs to keep moving and food is the great motivator for all living beings. We would never treat Hassan with anything but kindness and don’t want to put pressure on him, so hay it is.

Step by step, taking breaks, having the hay just out of reach – it's a whole process and you’ve got to know when to go and when to stop; but it is for Hassan’s own good. Eventually he makes it outside the stable getting close to check marking his exercise goal for the day.

Even better, he makes a few steps that take him out in the open and under the warm rays of spring sun where he has his well-earned al fresco picnic. All the while we pet him and speak words of comfort and encouragement, supporting him and making sure he doesn’t have a fall. We will have to do that a few times a day, because if he starts skipping his daily walks, he’ll end up immobilised very quickly. From there, it will be a short time to the point of no return.

Unfortunately, but not unsurprisingly, we find Hassan back on the floor on the following morning.

But we will persevere and we’ll keep supporting him every single day for as long as we can. We get him back up on his feet and we tempt him to do those precious steps out and about. We won’t give up until he doesn’t give up for good. In the meantime, under the assessing gaze of our faithful friend, Scarface the dog, we‘ll do the best we can for Hassan.