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Kicking Donkey Products |
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Give yourself a kick! |
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Let's Play!
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Click on a thumbnail to see a larger image |
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Click on a thumbnail to see a larger image |
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Addiction to Donkeys An ear-born disease. Irreversible. For full information, any of the on-line donkey discussion groups found on Yahoo Groups will give you advice |
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Asthma "Kids with asthma can ride twice as long on a donkey than a horse. Guess they are hypoallergenic!!! daisyswayfarm@aol.com "I have asthma and horse sweat can really get to me. Donkeys never bother me at all. I've talked to other people who could not be around horses but were fine with the donks too. Gives hope to some that have had to give up on horses. I don't think a lot of people realize." (Camilla Gordon) |
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Books on Donkey Care
My favourite is an English book,
'Looking After a Donkey', by Dorothy Morris. It's short, simple and
answers all my questions. If you can't get that, try 'The Definitive
Donkey' from ADMS adms@juno.com. ADMS
has a book service called Hee Haw so they might be able to supply either
book and others. Miniature Donkey Talk magazine has a book too on Donkey care for
minis. I have not seen it but it's comprehensive. You can reach the
editor/owner Bonnie Gross at
minidonk@qis.net
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Bucking Yes, donkeys can buck. Read Connie's poem, then visit her web site http://members.aol.com/broncmagnet/. Here's' the last verse: "They say "donks seldom buck" well, that's fair enough, Though I'm here to tell you one tried! So the folks that said seldom, now, they told the truth But that guy what said "never".... He lied!" |
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Budweiser Super Donkey All too often donkey and mules are portrayed in the media negatively. Budweiser ran a wonderful donkey-positive ad during the Super Bowl 2004. Click here to go to the Budweiser site, then click on "Born a Donkey" |
 Photo caption: Virginia riding 'Blare' at the Redding Rodeo Grounds (CA) |
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) The bureau finds loving homes for wild burros. Read about Ginny Freeman's work with wild burros: http://www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/xtra-06/226-xtra_freeman_award.html The BLM has recognized Virginia's dedication by naming her as a recipient of a national "Making a Difference" volunteer award. |
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Checks with
donkeys Kansas Bank Note Company http://www.kbnc.com/pmuledesigns.htm This company has a selection of mule and donkey design for personal checks. They will also take your photo and put it on checks. Available to Canadian customers as well. Click for more check designs (Apr 6/04) |
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Children
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 Above: Rebecca and Banjo Happy Hee Haws (AB) Below: Riley and Elvis  |
| Chromosomes | A donkeys has 62 chromosomes |
Coon-Jumping |
Mules are great at
jumping from a standstill and landing standing still! This is famous
John Henry with Kathleen his owner (NY) See the following links for more photos of this fabul-ass mule. www.john.henry.org or www.green.meads.com/JohnHenry.html |
Dogs Here's Pilgrim, a mammoth donkey getting to know Chasta, the German Shepherd at Big Ears Donkey Ranch (MB, Canada) |
Mostly dogs and
donkeys do not go well together. A donkey's natural instinct is to charge
any dog nearby. However there are stories of dogs and donkeys being best
friends, hanging out and sleeping together. |
Driving |
Donkeys and mules
are great for driving. John Henry and Katherine at Walnut Hill Farms 2004
where he won Reserve Champion www.john.henry.org |
| Easter |
 Nestor of Homestead Donkeys at the Easter celebrations in Mendon (OH) see also Palm Sunday |
Egypt |
Recently at Abydos,
archeologists excavating a previously unexplored tomb complex of one of the
earliest Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, made a thrilling discovery. It wasn't a
mummy, or hieroglyphs or treasure. It was the immaculately preserved
skeletons of ten donkeys no reed mats. The condition of their bones
indicated that the animals were clearly used for carrying heavy loads.
Dr Fiona Marshall, a professor of Anthropology at Washington
University in St. Louis, thinks that this is the very beginning of
domestication of the donkey, the first beast of burden in ancient Egypt.
Furthermore, she thinks that these donkeys might have been part of a
transportation revolution that was vital to the development of the Egyptian
nation and empire. It is speculated that the donkeys were used to carry
loads of the Pharaoh's wine.
(Heard on CBC radio, a Quirks and
Quarks interview with Dr Fiona Marshall at Washington U, St Louis MO, March
15, 2008) |
| Eyes |
The beautiful Sophia Loren eyes of a donkey are positioned to allow it to see in an arc of 350 degrees. This allows a donkey to see all 4 of their feet at the same time. (Thanks to Janine, editor of 'Ears') |
| Farrier Donkeys need their feet trimmed every 8-10 weeks by a farrier |
 Grayson's feet being trimmed by Barry in N.S.W. , Australia Grayson was sired by mammoth Major Leo |
 Laurie Farrell is finishing Delmarco's front hoof by filing with a rasp (ON) |
Fly
Mask |
Some donkeys and
mules need protection from flies. Meet handsome Konner and his Cashel fly
mask, which covers his long beautiful ears, eyes and face. (TN) |
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Gaited Donkeys Click to see a video clip of a gaited donkey Nelda riding Pacha in her "gait" in New Mexico. (Courtesy of C Maluatoga) |
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Gestation The average gestation period is 12 months but can range from 10-14 months (Thanks again Janine, editor of 'Ears') |
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Guardians Donkeys often make excellent guardians against predators, such as coyotes, wolves and dogs. It seems that 50% of donkeys are natural guardians and will protect sheep, goats and cows. Here's what Anita Wright in California wrote: "Our 2 miniature donkeys protect our two goats. Last winter they warded off coyotes who destroy flocks of sheep around us. The donkeys herded the two goats into the barn at night and stood sentry - one on each side of the barn, keeping an eye out for the predator coyotes." |
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Here's a photo of Hannah, "watching over her herd of goats like a mother and herding them where she wants them to be. Hannah is the boss". C Hodgson (MI) |
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In with
sheep, are 20+ year old jenny named Cheerio and her 3 month old jenny foal
Annie B. C Marconi (NY) |
Helmets |
When
riding a donkey, it is advisable to wear a helmet at all times - a small
price to pay for keeping your brainpower intact!
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Hinny |
A hinny is the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey (jennet or jenny) |
| Hooves | "Mules and donkeys
have strong feet and they are known to be "sure-footed." This is why they
use them to take people and pack into the Grand Canyon and mountainous
areas. No, mules do not have split hooves like cows. They have a "boxed"
hoof. It looks just like a horse's hoof but it sits more upright and the
hoof is sometimes smaller and narrow than a horse's hoof." Thanks to Cassie Fitzgerald (CA) |
Hugs |
Donkeys love hugs. The can be very affectionate animals, one reason we love them. |
| India |
Donkeys and
Bollywood A religious Donkey Festival held in Ujjain "Donkeys are brought from all over India to be sold. And yes, the donkeys are named after Bollywood stars. So you have Mithun, Sunny, Shah Rukh, Akshay" and Govinda. |
| Mexico |
National Donkey
Festival Held in May in Pantelas |
Milk Bob Jonasson milking Linda while her jennet foal Bunny looks on. There's a growing interest in donkey's milk everywhere (CA) |
"Burros give good
milk. People who raise donkeys should try donkey milk which I find
delicious." Bob Jonasson Donkey milk does not need pasteurization and can go from burro to bottle immediately. Milk is poured through a filter right into a bottle. Donkey's
milk is also used for fine soap and skin care products |
Mule |
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey (jack) mating with a female horse. The male (john mule) or female (molly mule) are sterile and cannot reproduce |
| Onolatry | "A very rare word
meaning the worship of donkeys or asses". From the Greek word meaning "ass". (Newsletter, The Donkey Sanctuary, UK, Spring 2004) |
| Palm Sunday (March 16/08) |
On Palm
Sunday, Jesus Christ rode a donkey into Jerusalem. Read 'The
Donkey', a beautiful poem by G K Chesterton : "There was a shout about my ears, And palms before my feet." |
| Population | There are 44 .3 million donkeys worldwide. 95% live in the developing world and are kept mainly for work. (Thanks again Janine, editor of 'Ears') |
| Simpson & his
donkey
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The
English medic John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey Murphy, also known as
Duffy or Abdul served during the Gallipoli campaign in World War I.
For 24 days after April 25 Simpson led Murphy as he carried wounded soldiers
down to the beach first aid stations before a Turkish soldier shot him dead.
He was 22 and had enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces in August,
1914, under the name John Simpson, believing he would get back to England
after deserting from a merchant ship in Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1910. One of the most asked questions by Anzac troops was: "Has that bloke with the donk stopped one yet?" |
| Training books | See under 'Books' above |
| Twain, Mark |
"There is no character,
howsoever good and fine, but it can be destroyed by ridicule, howsoever poor
and witless. Observe the ass, for instance: his character is about perfect,
he is the choicest spirit among all the humbler animals, yet see what
ridicule has brought him to. Instead of feeling complimented when we are
called an ass, we are left in doubt." |
| Victoria | Queen Victoria as
a child was given a donkey by her beloved uncle, the Duke of York.
It was "the
greatest treasure she then possessed in the world: the King had never seen
it, and with infantine simplicity she believed that she could not pay her
Royal Uncle a greater compliment than to visit him on her favourite
'Dickey.'... "When the weather was favourable she was constantly to be seen twice a day upon the sands at Ramsgate, in the morning on her donkey, and in the afternoon on foot, always attended by her governess, and one or two men-servants, and sometimes accompanied by her mother and sister.." "THE EDUCATION OF A ROYAL PRINCESS." |
| Water Donkeys, afraid of water? Not these guys! With good training (and treats!), donkeys take to water like ducks! A swim anyone? |
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 Margaret on Haze in Florida |
 Noah riding Slim on the Ozark Trail Ride crossing the Gasconade River, near Lynchburg (MO) |
 Anita on the same ride on Margarita with her colt Bristy following |
Yoga "Downward Facing Donkey" |
Yes, donkeys can
do yoga. Deborah writes: "My mini donkey, Burrito, does yoga.
He's a rescue donkey and came to us very obese. I started clicker training
with and trained him to work on a pedestal as part of his exercise program.
He made up his own version of events and it looked nice a nice yoga pose to
me. Here's a link to our video on Youtube. (Vancouver Island, BC)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxkViyiflbU |
Zedonk Click
on the thumbnail to see the stripes! |
"They are
a major handful. Very quick, nervous, easily herd bound and tend to go to the
wild side at the drop of a hat. Bill works with his all the time and is
very good with them. He says they must be worked with almost daily to keep
them tractable. " (Nelda in NM) Photo to left: David MacDonald from Los Lunas, riding a zedonk, a cross between a donkey and a zebra (NM) |
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