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Location: midwest mama | I'm looking for a companion for a barrel horse of mine and wondered whether a miniature horse or miniature donkey is better?
For those of you that have one or both, which do you prefer and why? |
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  Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| I like the ponies... BUT I just can't get past the ears on donkeys.. AS for companion I don't know that it really makes much difference... Except for my friend Becky's horse He's over 16 hands and scared of ponies.. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 617
Location: London Ontario | I cant stand the braying of donkeys, but man some of those ponies are the span on satan...
Edited to say, why not go to a local sale and pick up an older horse someone wants to get rid of? give it a happy home for the rest of its life?
Edited by MC1993 2015-03-20 6:55 AM
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| I have a mini pony and she is the best little companion! She had foundered so she can't be used for anything so I got her for free! And it works like a charm to keep my mare calm while traveling.
I didn't go with a donkey cuz 1. Didn't want to listen to it.. 2. I had a good feeling my horse would've been terrified of it |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | MC1993 - 2015-03-20 6:54 AM
I cant stand the braying of donkeys, but man some of those ponies are the span on satan...
Edited to say, why not go to a local sale and pick up an older horse someone wants to get rid of? give it a happy home for the rest of its life?
An older horse will be a lot more expensive to care for. That said, we have one I haul as a babysitter sometimes (he was my daughter's first horse) and his great manners and calmness are a good influence on my youngsters. We have a donkey at home and all I do for him is deworm him when I do the horses--he doesn't need to be fed. He's not halter broke so he stays home. |
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Location: WI | I've had both as companions. The mini donkey is so low key and really has no care in the world, and you get used to the braying, though mine really doesn't do it much, only when feeding time comes around.
I used a mini horse for a hauling partner for my mare who couldn't be alone. It worked great for her and helped a ton. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
Location: Up and over to the right | I like both but I'd head to a rescue or an auction instead of buying from a breeder - personally. |
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Expert
Posts: 1611
| Usually someone's ass is running loose in the road around here. I've caught a few asses and took them home :-) |
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| I got a mini-donkey and he's been great. He will also haul with the horses. I went with a donkey because I felt he would be less likely to founder than a pony because my horses are hard keepers so there is always lots of food laying around. So far, he hasn't but he is really fat! If the horses get their feet worked on, wormed, bathed, groomed, then he feels like he's supposed to get it also. So he's really easy to work with. Just let him see the horses being worked on and he's eager to get the same. Loads great, ties good. He's been well worth it to me. |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | I'd be worried about ponies foundering. It's such a pain in the butt if you don't have a dry lot space or you have to deal with muzzling them, even dealing with the farrier work. I'd be more inclined to get a mini donkey for that reason alone.
definitely something small so it doesn't add much weight or need double the hay and supplies! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 825
| I know several people who bought a goat as a companion for their horses and hauls them to all the shows with them, especially the multiple day super shows. Leslie Willis bought one for her futurity horse and it made a world of difference in her attitude. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | threecanman - 2015-03-20 1:13 PM
I know several people who bought a goat as a companion for their horses and hauls them to all the shows with them, especially the multiple day super shows. Leslie Willis bought one for her futurity horse and it made a world of difference in her attitude.
Those are a lot harder to keep fenced..  |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 380
Location: Princeton, Minnesota | I have a standard donkey and love her as a companion. She puts up with a lot of crap from the horses but they all love her. I like the braying, but she doesn't do it much. Donkeys are good watch dogs too. They'll go after a predator rather than run from them.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
| I have all three and a combination of both. First I had mini donkey and he was pretty ornery and did not put up with much and he ended up getting more worked up than my horse that needed it.So he was out. Next we found a mini molly mule that was literally the most evil thing that we could have ever gotten. She bit she kicked and worse she beat on my other horses and she was a third of their size. Now I have two minis who I rescued from the Kill pen They have just enough sass that they don't put up with the big horses trying to pick on them but they keep my one company when he needs it and they don't really have a care in the world. I really think that it is luck of the draw when you get one. But I agree find one that needs being rescued because there are a TON of them. |
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 A Lady with Fight
Posts: 2701
Location: NC | komet. - 2015-03-20 2:33 PM
threecanman - 2015-03-20 1:13 PM
I know several people who bought a goat as a companion for their horses and hauls them to all the shows with them, especially the multiple day super shows. Leslie Willis bought one for her futurity horse and it made a world of difference in her attitude.
Those are a lot harder to keep fenced..
Nah you only have to be able to keep a snake inside the fence for it to keep a goat contained.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| The donkey will be zero maintanance, and can almost live on wind and water. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2161
Location: NW. Florida | Burros are easily foundered too. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 696
Location: Sunny California | I got a regular size donkey as a companion for my old barrel horse that I used to have. She has gotten along with every horse I've had and I don't feed her any extra. I feed the horses their amount of hay and she eats with them. They are very easy keepers and will keep any other unwanted animals out of the pasture. I personally like the braying. She brays when I come home, at feeding time and if anyone else is coming up the driveway. So, she's a good watch donkey. But the minis sure are cute too. |
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 The Color Specialist
Posts: 7530
Location: Washington. (The DRY side.) | If you get big enough goats, they aren't hard to keep in. At least mine aren't. Granted, they won't stay in a single strand hot wire, but they stay in a 4 strand barbless wire fence just fine. |
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I have a hard enough time keeping the little jackass in...on the bright side, he's now broom trained.
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