Donkeys,
zebras and
mules all differ
somewhat from horses in conformation. The most
noticeable difference is of course the ears.
Donkeys ears are MUCH longer in proportion to
their size than a horse's. The necks are
characteristically straighter in the longears,
and most donkeys and all zebras lack a true
wither. The croup and rump are also a different
shape in the donkey and it's hybrids, lacking
the double-curve muscled haunch. The back is
straighter due to the lack of withers. Dipped
loins or severely swayed backs are a
conformation fault, unless in old animals or
brood jennies who have produced many foals, and
not due to genetic factors.
The mane and tail in the donkey
are coarse. The mane is stiff and upright,
rarely laying over and the tail is more like a
cow's, covered with short body hair for most of
the length, and ending in a tasseled switch.
Donkeys do not have a true forelock, although
sometimes the mane grows long enough to comb
down between the ears toward the eyes. Because
the mane is stiff and sometimes flyaway, many
donkeys, especially show stock, wear their manes
clipped short or shaved close to the neck.
Hoof shape varies as well,
donkey hooves are smaller and rounder, with more
upright pasterns. The legs should have good
bone, but many donkeys of common breeding may
appear to have long thin legs with tiny feet.
Larger Asses such as the
Poitou or Andalusian
types may appear opposite, with huge, heavy
shaggy legs and large round feet. Good legs and
feet are essential for breeding Mules, as a good
foot is much preferable to a large body on tiny
stick legs and feet.
The vocal qualities are the
frequently remembered differences in the
long-ears. The donkey's voice is a raspy, brassy
Bray, the characteristic Aw-EE, Aw-EE sound.
Jacks especially seem enjoy
braying, and will "sound off" at any
opportunity.
Although many donkeys are the familiar
gray-dun color, there are many other coat
shades. Most donkeys, regardless of coat color,
will have dorsal stripes and shoulder crosses,
dark ear marks, as well as the "light Points" -
white muzzle and eye rings, and white belly and
inner leg. Leg barring ("garters" or "zebra
stripes") may be present as well. Small dark
spots right at the throatlatch, called "collar
buttons" are a good identifying marking and
occur occasionally. These typical donkey
markings may be passed on in part or whole to
Mule or Hinny offspring.
Colors in the donkey range from
the gray shades of Slate Gray (Gray-dun) to
brown, a rare bay (though not as red-toned as in
horses) , black, light-faced roan (both red and
gray), variants of sorrel, the blue-eyed Ivory
(also called cream or white-phase),
Frosted/spotted White, and a unique Spotted
pattern. True horse pinto, horse aging gray,
horse appaloosa, palomino and buckskin do not
occur in the donkey.
The more unusual colors are the Dappled Roan,
where the face and legs are light and the body
is marked with "reverse" dapples (dark spots on
a light background, as opposed to the horse
dapple where the dapples themselves are light on
dark), frosted gray (with light faces and legs
and some white hairs in the coat) the
pink-skinned, blue-eyed Ivory white, and the
frosted spotted white. The frosted spotted is an
apparent combination of a graying or roan with
the spotted pattern, and can throw either more
FSW, spotted, or frosty roan colts. The animals
are best defined as a spotted animal where the
skin is spotted but the color does not
necessarily show through on the coat (it has
roaned or "grayed"; out) . Frosted spotted white
(FSW) can be identified from Ivory white by
checking the skin around the eyes and muzzle.
Ivory (creams) will have blue eyes and true
pink skin, while FSW will have dark eyes, dark
"eyeliner" and dark spotting on the skin.
Another unusual variant of the
spotting line is the "tyger spot" pattern. These
donkeys vary from the typical large spots over
the ears, eyes, and topline. The body will be
covered with small round spots resembling the
appaloosa type.
Donkeys come in a variety of sizes from
the
Miniature Mediterranean
(under 36 inches) to the elegant Mammoth
Jackstock (14 hands and up ). The rare French
Poitou donkey,
characterized by it's huge head and ears, and
very thick, shaggy, curled black coat, can stand
14 to 15 hand high. (There are estimated to be
about 400 purebred Poitous left in the world
today.)
The types of donkeys are labeled by
their sizes; 36" and under, Miniature
Mediterranean, 36.01-48", Standard, 48.01" to
54" (jennets) or 56"; (jacks), Large Standard,
and 54/56" and over, Mammoth Stock. There are
no real populations of BREEDS of donkeys left,
such as the Catalonian, Majorcan, or Andalusian.
Modern donkeys can strongly resemble these
ancestral breeds in TYPE, but are not classified
as those breeds unless they have traceable
pure-bred pedigrees to those lines.
Donkeys can be used just like
horses under saddle and in harness, although
donkey are more laid back and self-preserving in
nature. They prefer to do what is good for the
donkey, which is not always what the human
thinks is best (especially when it comes to
getting their feet wet...). They are very
friendly, and their nature makes them excellent
for children. Donkeys can perform all the gaits
horses or mules do (yes, some are even "gaited",
exhibiting a single-foot gait), but galloping is
usually not on the program unless dinner is
being served.
Donkeys can also make wonderful
guard animals - the right donkey gelding or
jennet will take care of an entire herd of
cattle, sheep or goats - the natural aversion to
predators will inspire the donkey to severely
discourage any canine attacks on the herd. Dogs
and donkeys usually don't mix, although they can
be trained to leave the house or farm dog
alone!
Feeding Your Donkeys
Donkeys characteristically get by on less food
than a horse of similar size, and need a lower
protein content in their feed. Good grass hay
and pasture is usually all a donkey needs. If
grained, the protein should preferably be lower
than 12%. Donkeys can founder on rich food such
as alfalfa and lush spring grass. A fat donkey
will develop a "roll"; on the neck, pones of fat
on the barrel and over the hips that are quite
unsightly. Once there, these are usually with
the donkey for life. If the neck roll of fat
gets too heavy, it will fall or "break over" to
one side and never come upright again! Beware
overfeeding these hearty creatures!
Your donkey should receive the same
hoof care, worming and vaccinations that horses
receive. Although some basic research has been
done in independent studies on the results of
vaccinations in donkeys, there is not enough
conclusive proof to show that regular horse
medicines, wormers and vaccinations are not
effective in donkeys.
The hoof of the donkey is a little more
round and upright than that of the horse,
although individual hoof shape may vary
greatly. Many farriers are nervous about
working on donkeys - thinking the hooves are
vastly different, or that donkeys are too
stubborn and will kick - but a well-trained
donkey can be just as easy to trim as any
horse. Most donkeys don't need shoes - but if
they do lots of work on hard surfaces, they
might be needed. Regular trims to keep the hoof
in shape are usually all that is needed. The
ADMS has a hoof packet available ($2 ppd) that
can help farriers with their first donkey trims.
FAQ
Donkeys bred to donkeys produced DONKEYS.
Donkey, Burro, Ass, jackass, jennet, Miniature
Donkey, Mammoth, Jackstock, standard, Mexican
Burro - they are all terms for Donkeys.
A male donkey (Jack) bred to a female horse
produces a
MULE. Mules can be
either male or female.
A male horse (stallion) bred to a female donkey
(jennet) produces a HINNY. Hinnies can be
either male or female.
Where can I find a saddle that fits my donkey?
(Information on our
MOREDONKEYS
page)
Standard donkeys - can be grouped as Small
standards (36.01-40") and Standard donkeys
(40.01-48")
Large Standard
donkey (this is Crimson, 52" tall).
The height range is 48.01" to 54" (jennets) or
56" (Jacks)
Mammoth Jackstock
- jennets are over 54" in height, jacks are over
56". Some will be in excess of 62", but they
may tend to get too leggy and lose substance.
Anything between 15-16 hands is usual.
A VERY few have been over 17 hands.
