What
shall I get? / Field
and stable/barn / Feeding
and water / Grooming
/ Exercise
/
Important Contacts
/ Sample Show Classes
Mare or gelding makes relatively little difference. Mares will come into season
every three weeks over the spring and summer, and can become a little temperamental
but it depends on the mare and most will only want to take out any amorous
feelings by jumping all over their friend rather than you.
Don't keep a stallion if you are new to donkey or horse keeping. Stallions
are very strong and require careful looking after. Do yourself and the animal
a favour and either keep away or consider having the animal gelded.
If you just want a pet or companion, then consider a rescue (see the Donkey
Sanctuary site for the UK). You may find they are
able to be ridden or driven as a bonus, but if you have particular requirements
for your donkey then you are probably better to go to a breeder.
Most importantly: do try and get a friend for your donkey. The best solution
is to buy two but if that is not possible try to get another companion such
as a goat or small pony. Your donkey is going to spend long hours in a field
and you cannot be there all the time. They will be much happier with a companion.
Donkeys do not have waterproof coats like horses and must have access to shelter,
preferably at all times. They will like to be under cover if it is wet or
windy.
If you are building your stable from scratch, you might like to look at the
Longears
tips for an ideal barn.
Basic requirements I would put forward are:
- - face the shelter away from prevailing winds and preferably not directly into the sun which might cause it to heat up in the summer
- - a yard or some sort of hard-standing is essential in my opinion. It is useful for grooming, vet visits, farrier calls etc. If it can be fenced off and have an access gate to the field so much the better.
- - a separate room for tack and some feed storage
- - mains water
- - some form of lighting is useful
- - you will need somewhere to store hay and straw if you plan to just buy in once a year.
Field size: one acre for two donkeys is usually recommended. It will
depend to some extent on the quality of your grazing but you need to have
enough room to have at least two paddocks so you can rest one while grazing
the other.
Fencing: donkeys will chew wood so any wooden posts and rails will
need regular treatment with wood treatment. I have found the best fencing
to be squared wire (stock fence) strained tight with training wire.
Get to know poisonous plants that might be a danger and check your field regularly
pulling up and destroying these, plus checking the fences, making sure no
rubbish has got into the field etc.
Bedding: straw or woodshavings. They tend to eat the straw so if you
are keeping an eye on their diet woodshavings are excellent. Make sure you
get good quality shavings which are clean, dry, light and fluffy - not sawdust.
I also know people who use rubber mats very successfully.
Other links:
Shelter
Guide: from the Blue Mountain Donkey Page
Grazing
Guide: from the Blue Mountain Donkey Page
Feeding and water and general care
The most difficult section. Donkeys are all different, as are the fields they live in, the work they do, or don't do, etc. As a vet said to me recently, "Feeding is an art, not a science". Talk to the people you buy your donkey from; keep in touch with groups such as Longears and the Donkey Breed Society. The UK Donkey Sanctuary will answer questions from UK donkey keepers too which is very good of them. Below are a few pointers I have gained over the years but I must stress that information on diet changes all the time and your best source of information is other donkey owners:
Donkeys are usually 'good doers' - i.e. they do not need a rich diet. Unless
they are old or working hard, they will not need rich grain or the combined
pony foods.
A recent feed I have found to be good is a molassed chaff, and for those with
a weight problem, a 'lite' version with a sugar mixture instead of molasses.
(This is available in the UK as Denji Hi-Fi and Denji Hi-Fi Lite). (Chaff
is just chopped up hay and straw). Spillers also have a feed called 'Happy
Hoof' which is recommended by the Laminitis Trust.
Many donkeys get overfed and suffer from laminitis. Be very careful about
the new spring grass which is very rich and can cause problems. Also the grass
tends to grow very fast again in autumn time.
Spend time watching and looking at your animals. You can learn a lot this
way. If their feet are uncomfortable they will often ridge up their back so
it is more of a straight line that a gentle dip.
Don't feed very rich grass hay. They will love it but it is better to feed
them slightly coarser meadow hay with a few herbs and thistles in for them
to chew on. Hay mixed with straw is also good, particularly when the grass
is rich. I feed barley straw which I find to be good.
Donkeys love carrots but remember to cut them lengthwise and not across -
the small round shapes could get stuck in their throat.
Water: donkeys are fussy drinkers and like clean water. Use either
a tank that can be cleaned regularly or buckets that are changed twice daily.
Feet: your donkey will need to have his feet regularly and correctly
trimmed probably every eight weeks depending on your conditions.
Worming: your donkey should be on a regular worming programme which
you can organise with your vet.
Vaccinations: you will need to check with your vet for the appropriate
vaccinations for your area. In the UK we do tetanus and equine flu.
Other General Care Information:
Donkey
Breed Society Care Guide
Feeding
Guide from ADMS
Donkey
Breed Society Weight Calculator
Feeding
Guide: from the Blue Mountain Donkey Page
Some Miniature
Donkey Care
Longears
Founder Page
BRRRO Care Guide
Winter care
from BRRRO
Grooming is and important part of your donkey routine. Not just to make them look good but it is a time to check over your animal to make sure he has not injured himself out in the field. Also check his condition: too fat, too thin or just right? And a 'bonding' time - hate that word but that's what it is. Talk to him - make it a pleasant experience.
Grooming tools are listed below. My usual routine is as follows:
Brush them all over starting behind the ears and working down to the tail
both sides. Groom more gently on tender bits like the tummy and legs.
Brush out mane and tail, trimming or tidying as necessary.
Slip the headcollar back to their neck and brush their head with a soft brush
like the body brush or rubber curry comb.
Put the headcollar back and check eyes and nostrils to see if they need a
clean. If they do, use damp then dry cotton wool.
Clean out the feet being careful to check the white line for stones and the
clefts of the frog for thrush.
I leave the feet clean and do not put on any of the preparations used for horses (such as hoof oil). I find it tends to dry the donkeys feet and make them brittle.
Grooming kit
- Dandy brush - firm bristled brush
- Body brush - softer bristles
- Metal curry comb used for cleaning the brushes - not for use on the animal!
- Rubber curry comb
- Plastic curry comb
- Hoof pick
- Cotton wool
- Wire dog brush - for thick winter donkey coats covered in mud
- Shedding comb (a long serrated blunt blade with a handle either end - great for getting the winter coat out)
- Sweat scraper - usually used only when I have shampooed them to get the water out of the coat. (Do not shampoo frequently - we only do it once a year when preparing for a show).
A few ideas:
Lunging on a long line or working in a round pen (only good for some donkeys.
I have one that loves this type of work and the other goes round once and
says 'OK, done that, what's next?")
Walks - country walks just for pleasure or to do a job; what about getting
some panniers and taking your donkey to the local shop, or doing some local
deliveries. (Make sure he is trained first though!)
Showing - in-hand showing goes through phases of popularity in this country
but there are usually a few shows around to go to whether they are purely
donkeys, sometimes donkeys and shetland ponies, or the bigger county shows.
Usually there are some serious classes and some more fun classes. Have a look
at the sample schedule
for a small show below.
Driving - a very popular sport currently and a wonderful way to keep your
animal fit and exercised. Again make sure both he and you are trained by someone
experienced. And don't forget, driving does not have to be just the wonderfully
turned out animals you see in competition. Donkey can help around the field
moving a bale, clearing manure, harrowing. Check your harness and the weight
you are asking the animal to pull carefully and then you will both enjoy the
experience.
Training
To make your donkey easier to handle, teach him at least some basic commands
such as Walk, trot, stand and back. My donkeys also respond to 'move over'
which is useful when grooming in the yard.
Always use the same word i.e. 'stand' not 'stand', 'stop', 'halt' at different
times or this will be confusing for him.
Donkeys respond well to tone of voice as well as the command itself. Try 'waaalk'
to slow them down from a trot and 'trot on' said quickly but clearly to speed
them up.
If your donkey won't go, don't be tempted to get in front and pull. We all
resort to it at times but it will get you nowhere. They will dig their hooves
in and pull right back. Stay back by their shoulder and drive them forward
using your voice and a light tap with the whip if necessary. If they step
back, you step back. It takes patience and perseverance but is worth it in
the end.
A good farrier - one who understands donkey feet and who realises they need
to be treated differently to horses. Not easy to find but well worth the trouble.
The old saying 'no foot, no horse' applies equally to donkeys!
A good vet - preferably one who doesn't mind being rung up for advice and
again one who has an understanding of donkeys.
A hay and straw supplier that will give you the good quality forage you need.
Preferably one that will let you go and select which hay you want so it is
not too rich.
Check out local saddlers as you will need supplies of grooming equipment,
stable equipment etc. (Many now on the Internet!)
Somewhere you can get the regular supplies of wormer you will need - either
your vet, local saddler or even mail order.
A holiday sitter!
And a friend to chat to when the going gets tough in the middle of winter,
when its freezing cold and pitch black and you have to go out to the field
while the rest of the family are in front of the fire. (Actually - your
donkeys can do that job for you - when you've struggled out there and prepared
them a nice bed, they are in the warm and munching hay - there is nothing
more satisfying!)
Founder or Laminitis Links
A nasty disease that can strike at any time of year, but most often in the spring when the new grass comes through. If your animals are having laminitis or founder problems - first get your vet! - then check out these links below. Information and good routines are key in fighting the laminitis foe:
The Farrier and Hoofcare Resource Center: laminitis pages
Gretchen Fathauer's pages on treating chronic laminitis without shoes
A Brief, Elementary Introduction to Laminitis or Founder 101
Please note: I cannot vouch for the authenticity or details shown on any of the above sites. My advice: read, learn what you can, then look at your own situation, talk to your vet and readjust your routines if you are having problems.