Linda Eskin's Personal Site

Linda Eskin's Reasons Not To Own A Donkey.

A friend asked about mules: "Seriously, although I do appreciate the list of advantages, are there disadvantages?" [By the way, these are photos of donkeys playing - they just play rough.]

I can't say anything about mules, but I can list 100 disadvantages to owning a donkey. :-)

First, Eeyore is a cute little guy, healthy, expressive, and friendly, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He's pretty good company for Sabrina (she'd rather have a horse, but they do play and groom each other), and he isn't much trouble. That said...

Eeyore must be much smarter than me, 'cause I can't seem to train him to do much. He's great when he wants to learn something - like stepping over ground poles to earn a treat - took him about a minute. Getting in the trailer has been an exercise in patience - working with him for hours and hours over 6 weeks or so just getting used to standing near it. And if he doesn't want to lead somewhere, we ain't going there.

If he does want to go, he'll trot happily alongside me, otherwise no way. It took me over an hour once to convince him to walk off a gravel path and onto the lawn to graze (about 4 feet). I can see why people say donks are stubborn. If you are in a hurry, and *have to* get things done or get somewhere, I think I'd recommend a horse. Keep in mind, Eeyore is the only donk I've known - I'm sure there are perfectly nice, useful, well-trained donks out there, just as there are horses that won't budge sometimes.

He also has a pretty ornery sense of humor. Once I couldn't convince him to lead back into his pen - finally he decided to go - yanked the lead rope out of my hands and threw a two-footed yahooing kick *near* my head, and ran right into the pen - stood there looking at me like, "Well, that was what you wanted, wasn't it?" He also likes to get in a little protest about being haltered - he'll whip his head away (watch out for your teeth!), but stand right there and put his face in the halter a second later, when *he* says it's OK.

He'll grab his lead rope and try to lead himself. He jams himself between me and Sabrina if I try to halter her, and grabs her lead rope/halter. He'll deliberately smash me into walls, or step on my feet, if I'm doing something he doesn't like (fly spray, especially). He hates being brushed, and I still can't pick up his back feet. He's completely smitten with Sabrina, and is a hopeless wreck anytime I take her out. I'm hoping if I can get him to the point of ponying him on trail rides that will work in our favor - I can probably count on him to not run off at least.

That's not 100 yet... He tugs at clothing, hee-haws at oh-dark thirty, digs holes in the pen, plays hard-to-catch on the lawn, hates water, damp ground, and sometimes shadows, chases cats and chickens, threatens to bite if he's mad (but doesn't, thankfully), dumps his feed tub in the dirt, then eats, poops in his hay, decides when training time is over, and leaves (donk skiing time)... That's enough. :-)

I'm sure 90% of my little issues with him are due to my incompetence in training him, but they sure are a different critter from horses.

And if you don't want admiring neighbors pestering you with questions and bringing their friends and kids to say hi over the fence, don't get a donk. ;-) I think the dopey looks when I scratch his ears are worth it though.

< Return to Equids Page