Anyone on a livery yard that also has a donkey?

[luckilotti]

Hi,

I was wondering if there is anyone on here who is stabled at a livery yard that also has a donkey / donkeys on?

As a YO, we seem to be asked quite frequently if we will do livery for a donkey. Yep, we are near the beach but they are pet donkeys.

My mum has a big involvement in the yard at the moment due to the twins and she isnt ever keen on the idea of a donkey on the yard. (think she thinks that other liveries wouldnt like it?)
Sooo, if anyone is a livery at a yard with a donkey on, how do you find it? Are there any issues that arise?

 

[Judie]

I was on a yard with a donkey, I can honestly say I NEVER had a problem with him, he went out with the horses and they loved him, especially mine! He would be led out on hacks with us to keep his weight off and he was great fun when we did our canter work - they aren't great at canter! He was on the same worming programme as the horses and the farrier trimmed him when he did the horses.

As you can gather I wouldn't hesitate to be with donkeys again.

 

[em1]

I was on a yard where the YO had a donkey. It was never any trouble but my horse hated it. He was turned out in the next field to it for ages but never got used to it & slammed my OH into an electric fence one day when it got a bit close. I was told by someone that lots of horses have an irrational fear of donkeys - don't know if that's true or if it was just him. I wouldn't mind if my current yard got a donkey though I would want to introduce my horses to it very carefully due to my last experience.

 

[becca114]

I own a donkey who is kept on a local livery yard. There are no problems, he is turned out with the other horses and everybody on the yard seems to love him.

 

[tye_bo]

I haven't but it wouldn't be a problem, in fact when my horse has seen donkeys in fields, she has freaked out big time so I would welcome the chance for her to become used to a donkey. Plus it would be one less livery who wants to use the school lol!

 

[ladyt25]

Don't know about from a livery point of view but we had a donkey with our lot for years. At one point we had 7 horses and a donkey. The donkey was treated almst like a god, everyone protected him and they just adored him. He used to come out for little hacks with us but was so much like a dog he didn't really need to be led, he just followed.

We did take him to a couple of local xmas shows occasionally though and some horses did freak out rather but i think had they been put in a field they would soon settle once they realised he wasn't actually some alien type being!

They are fab animals to have and I would love to have another but they are like gold dust at the moment! They are great companions to horses that maybe get stressed if left alone and i think they have a calming nature on horses in general (they are much more intelligent) although they do like a good play aswell. My old pony used to get down on his knees to play with our donkey!

As you can see I am a fan so wouldn't dismiss the thought of having a livery that was a donkey, the only thing would be to introduce a donkey slowly to the existing horses as, as mentioned some have never seen one before and don't seem to quite get what they are!

 

[Judie]

[ QUOTE ]
although they do like a good play aswell. My old pony used to get down on his knees to play with our donkey!


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeap my chap did the same, it's great watching a 16.1 on his knees playing with a little one

 

[becca114]

Why wouldn't a donkey need to use the school? I school mine on the long-reins, have a small rider for him and do clicker training over jumps and poles.

 

[tye_bo]

[ QUOTE ]
Why wouldn't a donkey need to use the school? I school mine on the long-reins, have a small rider for him and do clicker training over jumps and poles.

[/ QUOTE ]


The OP said it was a pet so I assumed from this it wasn't ridden or schooled?

 

[simsav]

My old yard had a donkey. A lot of the horses were terrified of him. He had to be moved to a section of the haybarn in the end bless him

 

[GreyArabian]

My old horse was really scared of donks, so I would never of kept her at a yard where they were kept.

 

[SAL66]

No I don't see it as a problem at all, now we have a llama and the the majority of the horses are scared stiff of it. Its quite funny to watch them when the llama trots by , you would have thought that aliens had landed by the horses reactions.

 

[Baggybreeches]

There 2 yards near me that both have donkeys on, one yard they live out in the field, the other yrad they are stabled. I can't really see why it would be a problem, yes some horses will be a complete silly arse about them, but they get used to them. And lets face it, a leaf falling from a tree can set some horses off if they are in that frame of mind!
As long as they pay the livery, I wouldn't have a problem.

 

[Chumsmum]

There was a donkey at my old yard. Some of the horses were petrified at first but soon got used to her.

They can be quite loud but I think they sound great

 

[brightmount]

There used to be donkeys on my yard. My horse was on box rest for a long time and I used to move her into the barn with the donkeys during the day for company. The donks were in all winter because their coats aren't waterproof, apparently. They were used occasionally as turnout companions. Some of the horses loved them, some hated them, some couldn't care either way.

Redwings has a mix of horses and donkeys all living on the same site.

 

[MGG]

We have a donkey and two pigs. None of the horses seem to care less about the donkey. The pigs on the other hand are terrifying to some including ours when he first came. Now he is ok with the pigs though he gives them a wide berth and doesn't like it if they make am oinky noise! I think its good - desensitizes them and would have no problem going to a yard that has a donkey.

 

[__Annie__]

There is a very pampered donkey at the new yard(I go there next week)

My mare hasn't lived with one before but there was a couple in the village where I used to live and she didn't seem bothered even when they were being driven

 

[mickey]

Where I livery my horse, they have 3 donkeys as family pets. My horse used to be in the field next to them. He doesn't really get on with other horses, but he got on fine with the donkeys and they were a calming influence!
The only thing I think you need to be aware of is some kind of parasitic worm that a donkey can carry - can't remember what it is called.

 

[ru-fi-do]

Our YO has two Donkeys that she rescued and they are soo funny! They have thier own paddock and field shelter and don't go in with the horses, I have never had any problems with them BUT some horses on the yard detest them! And as their paddock is right next to the menage this means some people are unable to go in there when the donkeys are out. I don't know what it is about donkeys but some horses really are scared of them.

 

[Pinkwellies2]

Think it is called lung worm. Friend has a donkey, we were talking about worming at the weekend and her vet has stressed that its really important to make sure donkeys are wormed properly.

 

[Leg_end]

I'm on a yard with a donkey and my horse is absolutely petrified of it!! Doesnt matter how many times he sees it he will freak out! Bless him... although he is a full TB

 

[teapot]

My RS has a free range donkey - they don't seem to have a problem

 

[MurphysMinder]

Not on a livery yard but I have kept a donkey with various horses for 22 years. Never had a problem, and as long as you worm regularly for lungworm no health issues. Some horses are freaked out by donkeys but living with one is probably the best way to cure them. Murph is a real bully in the field and have to be careful who we put him with but he adores the donkey and they play together, the donkey bites his knees

 

[Donkeymad]

That old chestnut again. These days donkeys rarely carry lungworm and one worming with something like Eqvalan will get rid of them.Infact, sheep and cattle carry far more lungworm than donkeys. Most (but not all) horses soon get used to donkeys. Neighbouring livery yards and horse owners deliberately ride past my field for this purpose.

 

[wonkey_donkey]

Here, here DM !
A well kept donkey who is regularly wormed and looked after as any equine should be is no risk to horses whatsoever and in my experience I have never had a horse who hasn't loved been in with our donkey once they are allowed to get used to him. In fact even our yard 'bully' let's the donk share his hay net in the field !!
Please don't give donkeys a bad press as they are the most placid and loyal creatures you will ever meet

 

[Dobsie]

Well said DM.

We're donkey mad too - we have two rescues in with our horse (a rather large Breton). One of the donks we got at only 5 mths as she was on her way to Italy to the abattoir and the Breton very much adopted her - they now stick like glue together which is lovely. We have now introduced a 2yo gelding who has fitted in brilliantly.

We're currently fostering another 2yo donkey whilst we rehab him and look for a permanent home - they really are great animals. Personally, I would love to see more people re-homing donkeys and looking after them.

 

[hussar]

I bought a donkey early last December in anticipation of moving my horses from their livery yard to where they are now. It was kept with the other liveries for 6 weeks and no one had a problem with that. All the horses were besotted with it - one mare in particular treated it as her foal (which brought its own problems!). People tend to bring up the lungworm issue - but a well-cared for donkey which has been regularly wormed shouldn't present a problem.

 

[FigJam]

My husband would love a donkey. However, we would need our own land before getting a pair as livery would be just too expensive otherwise on top of my mare.

We go down to the Scottish Donkey Sanctuary in the Borders every now and then and he gets his donk cuddle fix!

I love their big ears.

 

[luckilotti]

thanks everyone for your replies