ting and company

There is a tendency to treat donkeys as if they are small horses, but donkeys are different! Donkeys are not like horses; they differ physically, mentally, and emotionally. Donkeys today come in all shapes, sizes, colours and coat texture. The most common coat colour is grey, followed by brown and then black, roan and broken coloured donkeys (a combination of brown and white or black and white markings) and the rarest colour is pure white. Although millions of years ago donkeys and horses had the same ancestors they have evolved to be very different species and understanding those differences are of vital importance to the care and welfare of donkeys. There are two distinct species of wild donkey; the Asiatic branch of the species came from an area stretching from the Red Sea to Northern India and Tibet where the ass had to adapt to different climate, terrain and altitude. Consequently there is more than one type of Asiatic wild ass. The African branch of the species was found in North Africa between the Mediterranean coast and the Sahara Desert to the south of the Red Sea. There were two separate species of the African ass: the Nubian wild ass and the Somali wild ass. Our modern domesticated donkeys are all descended from these African wild asses ancestors. Donkeys were first domesticated around 6,000 years ago in North Africa and Egypt for meat and milk. Around 2,000 years ago donkeys were among the draught animals used to carry silk from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean along the Silk Road in return for trade goods. The overland route was approximately 4,000 miles or 6,400km and lasted several years. No single animal completed the entire journey and mixing of breeds occurred as unplanned matings happened en-route to give us the beginnings of the diverse range of donkey breeds we now have. The journey ended in the Mediterranean ports of Greece, Italy, the Middle East and Alexandria in Egypt. In Greece donkeys were found to be ideal animals for working on the narrow paths between the vines. Their use for cultivation in vineyards spread through the Mediterranean countries to Spain, whose coast at the southern tip is separated from North Africa by only a few miles - possibly another entry route for the African wild ass. The Roman Army was responsible for the movement of donkeys into Northern Europe. Donkeys were used in agriculture and as pack animals. The Romans used donkeys in their new vineyards, some planted as far north as France and Germany. Donkeys came to England with the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43. However, donkeys were still not commonly documented in the UK until after the 1550s. After the mid-17th Century, Oliver Cromwell’s invasion of Ireland saw an influx of donkeys being used to bear the labours of war. Following this, large numbers of donkeys were introduced to the country for the first time - opening opportunities for poorer and agricultural Irish communities to keep a cheap, working draft animal. taken from https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/articles/donkey-facts

Glossary of donkey terms: Asino: An asino is the Italian word for “donkey”. Ass: An ass is either a male or female donkey. Burro: A burro is the Spanish word for “donkey”. Colt: A colt is a young male donkey which is less than four years of age. Filly: A filly is a young female donkey which is less than four years of age. Foal: A foal is a baby male or female donkey up to one year old. Gelding: A castrated male donkey. Hinny: A hinny is the result of breeding between a female donkey and a male horse. Jack: A jack is a term for a male donkey. Jenny: A jenny (or jennet) is a term for a female donkey. Mare: A female donkey. Moke: A moke is a British term for a donkey. Molly: A molly is a term for a female mule. Mule: A mule is the result of breeding between a male donkey and a female horse. Rig: A rig is an entire male donkey with no signs of external testicles. Stallion: A stallion is a male donkey that has not been gelded (castrated). Yearling: A yearling is a young male or female donkey between one and two years of age. taken from https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/articles/donkey-facts

It may be tempting to offer a donkey or horse a little treat when you pass them. However, you may cause some serious health complications. Even though our donkeys are close to the road and are so totally adorable, it is, essential to not feed our donkeys or other people’s horses and ponies. No matter how much they try to convince you otherwise. Treats suitable for some equines may have catastrophic consequences for others. Our donkeys are fed specialist diets individually tailored to their needs and designed to keep them in the best shape. Extra feeds or feeding unsuitable items can lead to weight gain and obesity, and some severe emergency issues. Jamie Forrest, the Veterinary Surgeon at the Donkey Sanctuary in the UK, explains: “It is so important not to feed other people’s horses and donkeys without getting their owner’s permission. There are many different reasons why feeding other peoples horses and donkeys is a bad idea. Inappropriate feeding can lead to serious issues such as laminitis, colic, choke and even poisoning.” Laminitis is a common yet serious condition affecting a donkey or horse’s feet, which can be fatal if left untreated or not managed quickly and appropriately. Laminitis can be linked to insulin production and the high sugar content of certain feeds. Lush grass and sweet treats such as fruits and carrots are high in sugar and can trigger laminitis. “While out and about, you may see horses or donkeys without any access to grass, even though their companions might have plenty. This may be due to a history of laminitis, and their owners are managing their sugar intake. You may also see some equines wearing ‘grazing muzzles’ to limit their grass intake. Picking grass and feeding it to these animals could have grave consequences and unintentionally lead to pain and suffering,” explains Jamie. Colic is a condition in donkeys and horses which presents as abdominal pain. While some colic cases are only mild gut discomfort, others are far more serious and can quickly become fatal, requiring emergency surgery. Feeding inappropriate foods to donkeys and horses can unbalance their gut microbiome and cause impactions or twists in the gut, requiring veterinary intervention. Jamie explains: “Donkeys especially are curious animals and will often eat inappropriate food if offered.” Another potentially life-threatening issue caused by inappropriate feeding a donkey or horse inappropriately is choke. Choke is an obstruction of the esophagus (whereas choke in humans refers to a block of the trachea). Choke is commonly caused by equines not chewing their food properly – which is often due to anatomical reasons such as dental problems, lack of teeth or abnormal esophagus anatomy. Anything can cause a choke – with carrots being one of the most common causes. Elaborating further, Jamie says: “Donkeys may be on special diets because of dental issues and eating something inappropriate could easily cause a choke episode. If an owner is unaware that their donkey or horse has eaten something that may cause choke, they may unintentionally delay treatment, and the risk of a more serious complication such as aspiration pneumonia could increase.” While donkeys and horses enjoy many wild and natural plants as treats – some are highly poisonous and should never be fed to them. Plants such as ragwort, bracken, yew, sycamore, and red maple are toxic to equine species. Jamie says: “It is very important never to pick and feed any wild plants to animals that are not growing in their field.” taken from https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/articles/donkey-facts

Ben Hart, Senior Lead in Behaviour and Human Behaviour at the Donkey Sanctuary in the UK, explains how we can better recognize the differences between donkeys and horses. Donkeys behave similarly to horses because they’re both flight animals and nervous about new experiences. When fearful, donkeys and horses can defend themselves by running away or, when they can’t escape, by kicking, bucking, rearing or biting. However, both species deal with situations differently. Due to the donkeys’ evolutionary ancestry, their body language tends to be more subtle and, therefore, more challenging to read than a horse’s. When scared, donkeys may move a short distance before turning to face whatever is worrying them. These differences in behaviour mean that a donkey’s subtle body language is often missed or incorrectly labelled as stubbornness. A donkey’s stoic nature, reduced flight mechanism and tendency to show fewer fear signals, gives the appearance of them freezing before choosing to use their flight or fight response. Donkeys have a great sense of self-preservation and show less obvious signs of pain and discomfort, meaning understanding their behaviour is extremely important to spot any health issues they may be experiencing. Donkeys can also show territorial behaviour that we don’t see in horses, which means donkeys in their field might chase small animals such as dogs, sheep and goats. In some countries donkeys are kept alongside other livestock as they will react when a potential predatory animal is nearby. Donkeys, just like horses, can bond very strongly to their companions, but the difference in separating bonded pairs of donkeys can lead to a potentially fatal condition called hyperlipemia. Although they seem different, and donkeys are certainly not small horses with big ears, there is a lot we can learn about horse behaviour from watching donkeys. When we learn to read the donkeys’ subtle communication and understand the effects of bonding on their behaviour and apply this to horses, we become much better at recognising their differences.