books about donkeys

[Woodlands]

I am keen to get a couple of donkeys and am trying to find a good book on donkey care for the beginner. Does anyone have any recommendations?

sharon

[cooperlola]

Not books but DVD's, produced in conjuncion with the Donkey Sanctuary at Sidmouth.  The "basic donkey care" one is very good.

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/donkeyworld/acatalog/dvds.html

[Rob Roy]

I have 2 donkeys and find the following very useful:

"Looking After a Donkey"  - Dorothy Morris

"The Professional Handbook of the Donkey" - Compiled for The Donkey Sactuary by Dr Elisabeth D Svendsen.

BUT some of the best help you can get is on the Donkey Breed Society website, especially their forum pages.

What do you plan to do with your donkeys?

[Woodlands]

Thank-you! I have just ordered the book and look forward to learning more.

All the best,

sharon

[Woodlands]

I'm planning to have them eat up all my weeds (here's hoping...!), keep the grass down, and be pets for our two children, use them for treks, rides, etc. Two years running we've rented donkeys and taken a trek through the Cevennes using them to carry baggage and kids, which has been fantastic and had the result of us all falling in love with these affectionate, if stubborn, animals. We have a lot of land that needs keeping in check. A local breeder can provide us with a couple for next year. The most common arrangement seems to be to take just-weaned little ones, but I've read they can't be used to carry weights until they are three years of age and we were hoping to be able to use them sooner for hikes etc. So we're not sure whether to go for young ones or adults, and also what sex combination. Do you have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance,

sharon

 

 

[cooperlola]

Unless you are experienced in training equines (of any sort) to be ridden - then keep away from youngsters!  It's a long process which requires a lot of knowledge, patience and experience and as you say, cannot be undertaken until they are 3.  Go for adults which have been broken in, geldings for preference. Do not go for entire males, although mares or a combination of mares and geldings should be OK.

Bare in mind that your donkeys will need regular attention from vets,farriers and dentists, and may even need to be stabled during the worst weather - they are not as hardy as you might think.  They will at least need a shelter to get away from the worst of the weather, and to take refuge from the heat and flies in summer. I cannot stress enough, the need for you to get expert help, and not just from books. Animals which are used to being ridden and handled by a variety of people, give you absolutely no inkling of what it will be like when they are your sole responsibility.  I urge you to think very carefully before taking them on.

[Rob Roy]

You might find they don't eat as many weeds as you might expect! Nettles for example, they don't like unless they have been cut down first and left for 24 hrs, then they love them. It is no myth that they love thistles, but there are several 'weeds' that are bad for them including bracken, and ragwort which will kill them. They are better if left on poor pasture rather than nice grass as that can cause all sorts of problems, they must have a field shelter as their coats are not waterproof, and you will need regular supplies of straw and hay for them too.

Donkeys are very gentle with children and do not need breaking for riding as such, unlike horses, although they do need training for walking with a lead rein, back packs etc..  Females and geldings are the only ones you should consider getting (as said above) - entire males are a definate no-no.

As mentioned above have a look at the DBS website for loads of information.

www.donkeybreedsociety.co.uk

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Rob Roy"]

Donkeys are very gentle with children 

[/quote]Rather depends on the donkey (and the children, I supsect)!

[Rob Roy]

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="Rob Roy"]

Donkeys are very gentle with children 

[/quote]Rather depends on the donkey (and the children, I supsect)![/quote]

Taken from the book "Looking after a Donkey" :-

"A donkey does not need to be broken. I have never known one to object to having a small child lifted on to his back and held while he is being led. If they encounter a rider whom they consider too heavy, or to be taking advantage of them in some way, however, they are adept at removing the rider, either by buckling, bending one leg so that they slither off, or as a last resort brushing them off under a low branch; but they would never do this with a small child. Being warm and woolly, and slow movers, they exude confidence to nervous little riders, but if you are lifting a tiny child onto a donkey's back it is best to have a second person to attend to the donkey while you look after the child...........

Older children who are past the stage of being held on will get much more pleasure from riding a donkey if he is trained and the rider is taught by a qualified person."

By the way - a female donkey is called a jenny, not a mare - that's for horses. [:)]

"All equines are the same, God just trimmed the ears on the dumb ones"[;-)]

'

 

 

 

 

[cooperlola]

Thanks Rob.  I think the key bit is in the last paragraph of your quote from the book.  If our o/p intends to send her kids out "trekking" and "riding" then the donkeys do need to be properly trained - especially if they are going to encounter any heavy traffic.  If they are just for sitting on and being led round, then she should be OK, but this was not the sense which I got.

My ponies' trimmed ears are burning - they are very insulted!

Edit : Funnily enough Rob, both the donkey owners whose animals I looked after, always referred to the females as mares, never jennies.