1. Most important – Please don’t beat me or punish me for being slow and not moving fast enough, unlike the horse, I can think all the time. If I overreact understand I am stressed.
2. I enjoy being talked to, brushed, and loved on when I am sure you will not hurt me. I will not eat if stressed. I am a donkey; donkeys are seriously into self-preservation.
3. Donkeys learn differently from horses; they are not flight equine. They are chess players and deep thinkers. Donkeys are visual learners. They learn by watching an honor horse, mule, or another donkey, or by watching you, their human, do something, such as unlocking a gate, and then the donkey repeats the action. Please walk away from me with scary new things and let me come to you on my time. I am scared of new things and need you to slow down.
4. I prefer clean water, warm water in the winter, and low-sugar, protein-rich food as I gain weight quickly. I was created to live in the desert.
5. I am really smart, so please do not leave me all alone. Give me a donkey companion. I prefer a donkey, but I will take a horse or mule.
6. I need my hooves trimmed just like the horse.
7. I need my teeth taken care of just like the horse. I need a vet check once a year.
8. Please feed me at least two small meals daily when I am on a dry pasture. Never feed me alfalfa hay, oats, sweet feed, or a bunch of sugary fruits, and never feed me grass clippings.
9. I like to play with toys, such as an orange traffic cone, a feed bowl, or a jolly ball. I am smart and get bored easily, just like you.
10. I am special. God gave me a cross on my back, and I am the only animal in the Bible that God gave the ability to talk.
To learn more, go to our Donkey Education Center.
Stay On Donkey Time ®
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Melody Johnson, Trainer/Owner