The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Pets & Working Animals => Horses, ponies, donkeys & mules => Topic started by: Fi on May 04, 2011, 08:40:19 am

Title: Horses and donkeys
Post by: Fi on May 04, 2011, 08:40:19 am
We have been asked to rescue a lonely Donkey because we have a couple of ponies. I would love to help the poor thing as it seems quite stressed on it's own, but will our ponies really get on with it? I've also read that there are some problems with worms between the species?
Does anyone have any experience?

Thanks
Fi
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: Rosemary on May 04, 2011, 08:57:53 am
No personal experience but the folk across the road from us have 2 donks and a horse - have had for years.
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: VSS on May 04, 2011, 09:42:39 am
I think I am correct in saying that if you keep the two together you need to make sure you use a wormer that does lungworm, which donkeys carry.
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: Hermit on May 04, 2011, 09:44:47 am
My sister rescues Donkeys and keeps them with her ponies, as said worms need to be controlled but no problems between the two breeds with her.
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: lachlanandmarcus on May 04, 2011, 03:35:07 pm
The other thing to bear in mind is often donks arent always gelded as a matter of course (tho some are) and also they are designed to live in deserts so their coats are not designed to deal with wet and cold conditions and they will need rugging in conditions where a native pony probably would not.

Generally I think they seem to get along OK tho I am sure there are personality clashes between individuals just like between horses.

Echo the comment re lungworm, thats the only thing that is a 'risk' between the species disease wise.
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: Fi on May 04, 2011, 08:55:29 pm
Thank you everyone for the advice. I will speak to my vet about the lungworms and hopefully we might be able to give the donkey a home. We will need to go and meet him and find out a bit more about him. I didn't want to give the folk any hopes until I had a better idea of how successful it would be.
Oh and I think I will have to check with my farrier as I think he will need his feet trimmed too.

Thanks All will let you know how it goes.
Fi ;D
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: AengusOg on May 04, 2011, 10:26:26 pm
Some horses are terrified of donkeys, so be careful to introduce them sensibly.
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: white-blazes on May 05, 2011, 08:31:19 pm
Some horses are terrified of donkeys, so be careful to introduce them sensibly.

Gosh yes, mine included.  We were hacking past some once and suddenly we were doing pirrouettes in the middle of the road :o

Strangely enough, they don't mind my pigs ???
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: jinglejoys on May 05, 2011, 09:34:33 pm
(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y190/jinglejoys/Malaga%20with%20James/MalagaatJames024-1.jpg)

Obviously some horses aren't afraid of donkeys! ;)

  The rear of lungworms is irrelivent.If you worm all your equines correctly why should there be a problem?If your horses aren't wormed they are likely to get lungworm whether you have adonkey or not(There was a test done outside Horseguards Paradeand the count there was pretty high...not many donkeys around there!) If you wish for reassurance get yourvet to contact The Donkey Sanctuary :)
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: jinglejoys on May 05, 2011, 09:36:53 pm
Oh and your more likely to find horses being troubled with Donkeys when their being handled by humans...wonder why that is? ;)
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: AengusOg on May 05, 2011, 10:04:25 pm
Oh and your more likely to find horses being troubled with Donkeys when their being handled by humans...wonder why that is? ;)

I'm not sure what you mean by that.
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: Fi on May 06, 2011, 08:39:06 am
Thanks for all the advise. I understand what you are saying jinglejoys. I'm not too worried about my ponies being scared. My youngster has flegged at nothing and the other just follows her lead. I would be more concerned about the donkey being bullied by my youngster, she is incredibly bolshy.
For our southern readers flegged would mean spooked, to get a fright.

Fi
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: jinglejoys on May 06, 2011, 01:00:55 pm
Oh and your more likely to find horses being troubled with Donkeys when their being handled by humans...wonder why that is? ;)

I'm not sure what you mean by that.

I go out riding and the horses come galloping over to chat to my mules.
If I meet them out on the trail they still take no notice till the Owner sees I've got a mule and remarks on it fearfully then they start faffing about  ;D
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: AengusOg on May 06, 2011, 08:37:13 pm
I see.

I don't know anything about mules, but some horses are afraid of donkeys. They seem to be able to thole them until they start braying. I've seen horses panic and scatter when a donkey gets going.
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: princesspiggy on May 08, 2011, 10:54:57 pm
so can donkeys stick up for themselves properly when loose in field with ponies?
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: AengusOg on May 09, 2011, 09:41:58 am
Donkeys and ponies should get on fine, once they have been introduced and allowed to get used to the other. It's just that some horses/ponies, which have never known donkeys, can take fright when first put together.

A friend of mine who keeps donkeys took a took two horses on temporary livery, and just put them in the field. The donkeys were in the corner of the field but, when they saw the horses, one started tuning up for a bray, and the other started to walk toward the horses. Both horses took one look at the donkeys and just bolted. One ran round the field; the other ran straight into the gate they had just entered the field by.

Another woman used to keep donkeys, and a livery business started next door. For a while there could be no horses kept in the field adjacent to the donkeys because the horses were afraid to leave the gate and graze toward the donkeys. The horses spent a lot of time throwing their heads up and staring at the donkeys if there was any movement from them. Any horses which were eventually grazed there had to be carefully slected for their acceptance of donkeys.

I knew a man when I was young, who kept lots of ponies and donkeys, but always grazed them seperately. He said not all combinations got on, and it was easier to keep them seperate.

However, it seems that some ponies are happy to live with donkeys. You see it a lot in Ireland. I suppose, as long as there are no bullies in the herd, they may get on fine, once they know each other.
Title: Re: Horses and donkeys
Post by: jinglejoys on May 09, 2011, 10:36:24 pm
Probably in Ireland they don't take "no" for an answer ;D
I know wild mule occure in Mustang herds so perhaps its a culture thing :)