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Location: The best kept secret in TX | I have been searching high and low for a pony for my daughter and I just can't seem to find the right one... Too old, too young, too tall, too spooky too expensive (etc) It got me thinking about other mounts that are small that arent necesarily horses or ponies. Well, I have the chance to go and pick up a weaned donkey for free... My friend has had her since birth and the baby is so gentle... I figured it would be cool for them to sort of grow up together and I could work with the donkey in my spare time around my own crazy horse schedule?
Anyone else have any child friendly donkey's or advice on other equine related mounts for children. She is only 4 and is a bit of an introvert so i'm not ready to put her on a bigger more agressive pony yet. She has played with the donkey before and they seemed to click. Just curious about donkeys as I have never owned one... |
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Expert
Posts: 3147
| When I was a kid my friends had a donkey we rode and drove. He was the most aggravating thing I ever rode or drove. I felt like I was sitting on a board-head straight out in front of its withers and no dip behind or in front of the withers. It's walk and trot was extremely slow-I always felt like I needed a carrot on a stick dangling in front of it to get some speed out of it. On the other hand he was very gentle. If the child has never ridden he may not experience the frustration I did. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| Donkey doesn't make that great of a mount. My kids are getting bigger (9 years old). One of their assignments from me for the summer was to break a donkey apieces to ride. I thought it would be good experience. Sometimes you find a small mule, that makes a decent mount for a kid. |
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 Winner winner chicken dinner
Posts: 2047
Location: California | I have two mini donkeys and based off that experience I would not buy a donkey as a mount for a child. Two reasons: 1-you really have to outsmart them and out think them, would your child be able to or want to do this? and 2- they are so different than horses. If you want your daughter to learn to be a good horsewoman start her with a horse. Just my two cents good luck! |
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Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | Check out a mini mule! I know a few people who have them for their kids and they are just perfect! |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I wouldn't recommend a donkey. |
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 Cotton Balls are the Devil
Posts: 1271
Location: My own little world! | I have an older mini donkey. He is quirky compared to a pony. My nephews who have no experience with ponys or horses do okay with the donkey. As a 3 year old, my nephew, liked to lead the donkey and "tie him up" and then climb the fence to sit on the donkey. The donkey did not move.
The donkey was fine with this.
I also had a donkey as a child. I drove it through the local pet parade when I was about 6 years old. Or she drove me.......Sally was her name.......we ended up finishing the pet parade first when everyone knows they keep ponies in the back for a reason.
Donkeys do think differenlty, but they have a reason behind what they do. And they might be a little slower feeling than a pony ( or stuborn) but they are usually thinking about what they are doing. I think the thing I missed the most, as a little girl was the mane. |
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  Expert
Posts: 1584
Location: Central Texas | Well, I'll be different. We have had two donkeys that we used for kiddos. They were perfect! My youngest son used "Jenny" to get around town. He rode her to T-ball, 4-H, friends houses and just wherever. That gave him some independence that he certainly enjoyed. The other donkey "Donkey" is one that packs kids and adults on trail rides or just puttering around.
 (Lajitas Donkey Ride.jpg)
 (Lajitas Layna and Donkey.jpg)
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 Lajitas Donkey Ride.jpg (95KB - 202 downloads)
Lajitas Layna and Donkey.jpg (72KB - 187 downloads)
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Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | Marfan - 2014-07-08 7:54 AM
Well, I'll be different. We have had two donkeys that we used for kiddos. They were perfect! My youngest son used "Jenny" to get around town. He rode her to T-ball, 4-H, friends houses and just wherever. That gave him some independence that he certainly enjoyed. The other donkey "Donkey" is one that packs kids and adults on trail rides or just puttering around.
too cute! |
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Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | I Love the pictures. Thanks for all the input. I just find them interesting is all I guess. I just want something short enough that if she falls off it won't hurt as bad... Cause we all know it's bound to happen. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Cashbaby - 2014-07-08 12:11 AM
I have an older mini donkey. He is quirky compared to a pony. My nephews who have no experience with ponys or horses do okay with the donkey. As a 3 year old, my nephew, liked to lead the donkey and "tie him up" and then climb the fence to sit on the donkey. The donkey did not move.
The donkey was fine with this.
I also had a donkey as a child. I drove it through the local pet parade when I was about 6 years old. Or she drove me.......Sally was her name.......we ended up finishing the pet parade first when everyone knows they keep ponies in the back for a reason.
Donkeys do think differenlty, but they have a reason behind what they do. And they might be a little slower feeling than a pony ( or stuborn) but they are usually thinking about what they are doing. I think the thing I missed the most, as a little girl was the mane.
The problem is that donkeys, and mules for that mater, are smarter than horses.. Thus a lot of people have a hard time working with them. They are not as easily buffaloed as a horse. That is to say, you have to be smarter than they are to get them to do anything. Not so with a horse. |
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I keep my change in my pockets
Posts: 2985
Location: MN | Donkeys do have a different mind set and have to be handled different then a horse for training. They have a memory that doesn't forget and they will get revenge if they thing the have been wronged and will wait for the perfect time.
We have a guy that we use to start our horses and he is a mule trainer. He says that a mule will take 3 times as long to start compared to horse. The mules he trains, he gets big money for them. He turned down $10,000 for one of his mules. It is wife's mules and I was honored one day and I got to ride the mule. It was neat ride. I told him that day if I was looking for a mule is one would be it, but I knew I didn't have a pocketbook deep enough. |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | My grandparents have mini donkeys but they spoil all their animals so they aren't a very good example of what donkeys are like. They aren't bratty but I wouldn't put a kid on them haha.
I know all parents are different with what they're comfortable with, but I started out on a regular horse at the age of 4. A very well-broke 14 year old rope horse. He was a good horse to learn on because he was actually broke (not just kid broke, the ropers stole him from me a lot), but forgiving. Horses like him are hard to find though. |
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Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | The horse she had been riding was my retired barrel horse. He was good too her and I trusted him with her to take care of her. They got along great and walked around our property for hours at a time just enjoying each other... However we had to put him down due to Navicular this past winter. She only had him a few months...
I have absolutely nothing for her to ride. My roping mare is too hard headed and knows she can push her around and get her own way because my daughter is too petite to stand her ground when riding my mare and my gelding is too hot for her to even groom without supervision...
I'm so nervous to buy her something that I myself haven't put a 100 thousand miles on.. Just weighing all my options.
Another question: Has anyone ever bought a horse/donkey/mule for their child they hadn't had experience with? How did it turn out? I'm so afraid to buy her a "kid broke/bombproof" advertised horse and they hurt her... I'd be a Brahma Momma and take the seller out before he even saw the whites in my eyes coming for him Lol! 
ETA: I stink at spelling
Edited by IRunOnFaith 2014-07-09 10:17 AM
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I keep my change in my pockets
Posts: 2985
Location: MN | A young untrained donkey for your daughter to grown up with and ride is not sounding safe to me. You want something broke to death and safe for your daughter, not a weanling and cute. Weanling can get spoiled and turn into monsters. Safety first cute last. It takes time to find that perfect mount and talk to other horse people that you are looking for a dead broke horse that doesn't have to be perfectly sound. Our sons started on ponies that were big enough for me to ride. Then moved up to old horses that were 17 or 18 yrs old. They were sound for light riding but great babysitters, that had seen it done it and didn't get to excited. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1182
Location: Do I hear Banjos? | There are some folks in Texas at a place called Karma Farms that raise Spanish mustangs. They apparently breed for a smaller size that is good for children. The ones I have seen at the trail competitions will pack a youngster around on trail all weekend and seem very solid minded. They apparently have childrens camps all summer with kids riding a string of these little horses. Might be something to look into since you are in Texas. I believe the place is near Marshall.
One of the owners rode a little grulla stallion in competition that was so well behaved...and he was so handsome too.
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 Do You Feel Lucky Punk?
Posts: 3156
Location: NM...the Land of Manana | We put my daughter on a donkey for her first mount, but I have to say Chuckleberry was as old as Methusela and barely got out of a shamble! |
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 Color My World
Posts: 4940
Location: My perfect world bubble | You have to be patient. My daughter's first pony was a 30 yr old POA we bought when she had just turned 5. She rode him for a year and outgrew him. We went on the hunt and I bought her a 7 yr. old shetland cross that appeared to be beginner safe but a step up - she rode her everywhere the day we tried her and I have video. Brought her home and as soon as I unloaded her I could tell something was different. Pony ended up being a nut, dumped my daughter, obviously was drugged or someone rode the hell out of her before we tried her. Sold her (at a sizeable loss) and found a 23 yr. old welsh cross. My daughter is now 6 and the pony is just about bomb proof, but enough of a step up from the 30 yr. old. Do NOT be afraid of the old ponies - ponies last forever and they are the BEST teachers for a kiddo. I can trust "Champ" to go anywhere and do anything with my daughter - he's a kick ride but responsive enough to her and doesn't pull any naughty pony garbage with her. Buy for where your kid is TODAY. If they outgrow the pony in a year sell it and move on to the next one.
We event now instead of barrel race but the rules are the same when mounting a kiddo! I'll try to attach a pic of my daughter from a couple weekends ago. At 6 she's competing (and winning) against the adults and it's because this pony is a total packer saint!
 (Anna Champ XC.jpg)
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Anna Champ XC.jpg (97KB - 204 downloads)
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