$100 A Roll

Growing up in eastern Oklahoma on the Rocking D Ranch, we always had a few “plug” horses around the homefront. Plug is a slang term for a worn-out, inferior, or old horse. Ours were named Black Man, Honey, Ginger, Sugar, and Rosie.

The wives tale was that a horse’s value was “$100 a roll” for every time the horse rolled over on the ground.

Fast-forward to 2026 and we have AppleJack, a guard donkey at Buffalo Feathers Farm. Today, he just plopped down on the ground and started rolling back and forth. Truffle was all eyes!

The real reason donkeys roll is to indicate they are happy, safe, and grooming to either shake off dirt or get ride of flies and other insects.

The Donkey Sanctuary Ireland says a donkey will only roll when they feel safe and comfortable.

Donkeys also roll to scratch, shed hair, and apply dirt as a barrier against flies, insects, and even as insulations.

(You thought this was gonna be about drugs…..$100 a roll, plugs, rolls, and scratching! But instead it’s some useless farm trivia that has some great practical applications to life. So, slow your ass down as the barn sign says……and feel comfortable and safe to roll. Enjoy some good clean dirt, and take a gander at the pretty blue sky while you’re on your back!)