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Author Topic: Horses and donkeys  (Read 8944 times)

Fi

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Aberdeenshire
Horses and donkeys
« 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

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #1 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.

VSS

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Pen Llyn
    • Viable Self Sufficiency.co.uk
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #2 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.
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Hermit

  • Joined Feb 2010
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #3 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.

lachlanandmarcus

  • Joined Aug 2010
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #4 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.

Fi

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #5 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

AengusOg

  • Guest
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2011, 10:26:26 pm »
Some horses are terrified of donkeys, so be careful to introduce them sensibly.

white-blazes

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Anglesey
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #7 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 ???

jinglejoys

  • Joined Jul 2009
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2011, 09:34:33 pm »


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 :)

jinglejoys

  • Joined Jul 2009
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #9 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? ;)

AengusOg

  • Guest
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #10 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.

Fi

  • Joined Mar 2011
  • Aberdeenshire
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #11 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

jinglejoys

  • Joined Jul 2009
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #12 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

AengusOg

  • Guest
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #13 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.

princesspiggy

  • Guest
Re: Horses and donkeys
« Reply #14 on: May 08, 2011, 10:54:57 pm »
so can donkeys stick up for themselves properly when loose in field with ponies?

 

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