Donkey question, prob daft.

Sarah Sum1

Sarah Sum1

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Should Donkeys live with other donkeys? or are any equine friends okay? The reason i ask, is on my way to the stables every day, i pass a field with about 20 horses in and 1 donkey, he/she is always by himself and looking sad. I know i can't tell if he is sad
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But he looks it. So in theory should he have another donkey for comapny? Is it like putting 1 British person in a room with 20 Chinese men for example and not being able to understand what they are saying? My brain works incredibly hard trying to figure out these very important matters
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I think the official advice is that donkeys should have company of their own kind. But I have one donkey with my 2 horses and he seems to get on just fine - he bosses them around, steals their food and even manages to get the 19yo to play with him (he's 4). Most donkeys round here seem to be lone companions for horses.
 
Is the donkey you are talking about in Tiptree sarahsum1?
I have a donkey and he lives with 2 ponies & 2 horses. He stays at home and babysits while we go to shows. The donkey sanctuary recomend that they live with others but ours seems happy enough.
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FB used to have a donkey companion, who was a Realist. He decided that living outside, getting two meals a day and tasty oat straw to eat, rather than living all year 24/7 in a poo ridden 3m x 3m pen with dirty water and not enough food, more than compensated for having to put up with a bullying FB who nicked his dinner, pushed him around and disappeared, leaving Donk on his own, every evening for three hours or so. They loved each other and spent hours nose to tail, swishing flies and dozing. I am happy to say Donk now lives outside at my friends yard with all her geldings and seems perfectly happy. If we ever manae to move back to the south of Spain I may well ask friend if we can have him back as he is a fantastic character and OH loved him

They do just have that look about them though, don't they?
 
Donkeys form very close pair bonds. Which is why sancturies often recommend having two (they can often come as a pair).

As with everything there is always an exception to the rule. However, I believe the basic rule of thumb is try and keep pairs together. And if purchasing a single one, look out for another.
 
We got our donkey when we took on a blue cross horse as him and the donkey were inseparable. The donkey was treated like a god basically and, although there was a clear pecking order within our then 'herd' of about 7, the donkey could do what he pleased and could nick anyone's tea - get prime spot in the field shelter etc etc. He also used to play some great games with our 13.2hh welshie who would get down on his knees so he was on the same level!

I think donkeys do bond very closely but i don't think it HAS to be with a donkey friend. Maybe the donkey you've seen hasn't been there long so hasn't established himself? Or maybe it just has that 'look'!
 
I do think donkey's can bond with horses, but perhaps in a group of 20 horses the donkey can't find one horse to bond properly with?

We have just one donkey and he always seems happy enough! My Mum got him as a pair about 23 years ago, but his friend turned out to be a nutjob and had to be PTS. Since then he's been companion to my mum's old pony and now just my Welsh pony. He is also very keen on my horse and is often found chewing Murphy's hocks through the fence!
Donk and the welshie have been together 13 years now, and I think he has bonded with her the same as he would another donkey. However he is in his 30's now and I do hope that they go close together - he gets depressed when she is taken away from him when on box-rest, to the extent that we have had to build a make-shift pen in the field shelter so that she is in but he can still talk to her. I also used to ride a pony who had an inseperable donkey friend - the donkey used to accompany the pony to loan homes because he refused to be left behind!!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Another thought for you to ponder on sarahsum 1. Are mules bi-lingual??
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[/ QUOTE ]

Me thinks you are mocking me
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I will start pondering
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Donkeys are absolutely fine with horses, and donkeys always look sad!!

It is recommened that donkeys live with donkeys, but it is not always possible. My first donkey was totally inseperable from my pony, and has never bonded with another donkey so well as she did with the pony.
 
Thanks Donklet, i guess they do have a sad look don't they? My mind does work over time! i was imagining a donkey eeooring and a horse not being able to understand. Now i know i'm just daft
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ETA Your photo of the horse and donkey say's it all! So sweet.
 
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