(Submitted to Rural Heritage Magazine 2/98)

 IN DEFENSE OF DONKEYS 

 My love of donkeys compels me to write a rebuttal to Mrs. Sorenson's guest editorial, "Not Even A Mother Could Love".  Yes, donkeys and mules are beasts; beasts of burden, helping man survive from long before the birth of Christ up to the present day.  Donkeys still supply almost all of the equine power in every third world country where a horse just couldn't make it or isn't affordable.

 A jack donkey bred over a mare produces a hybrid combining the best of both breeds.  The good looks and speed of the mare are combined with the superior intelligence, common sense and endurance of the jack to produce a mule. 

 Donkeys have such an undeserved bad reputation.  They are surely the most maligned and underrated creature of the barnyard.  It makes me sad when someone like Loretta comes away from her first donkey experience less than happy.  Maybe due to a lack of a little training, "Obnoxious Bob" wasn't the best ambassador for the breed.  Sure wish she would come here!

 Now, Bob doesn't look like a half bad jack to me.  May be a little distracted by those beautiful blond Belgian gals come to visit, but he is keeping an eye on Loretta too.  Sensing that she doesn't like him, Bob is not going to cooperate with a hostile intruder pointing a suspicious black box at him for a photo shoot, especially with those pretty blondes around.  Boys will be boys!

 Loretta may not have loved Bob but I can assure you Bob's mother loved him very much!  Jennets are wonderful mothers, loving, patient and gentle with their own and everyone else's foals.

 We have rescued, rehabilitated and gotten jobs (guards or companions) for around 75 donkeys over the last five years or so.  Mainly jennets, some geldings and a few jacks which we "changed" before placing.  Even though many of these donkeys had been abused, misused or neglected and were shy, scared and defensive at first, not one of these animals was  ever mean or obnoxious to us or the other members of the herds.  Once a new donkey arrival has been quarantined, I can turn them out with the appropriate herd never having a moments worry about anyone fighting.  Donkeys just don't interact that way.  Wish I could say the same for my horses or ponies.  I attribute that to the donkey's unique and very desirable personality.  Gee Whiz - an animal has to have a generally good disposition to do "Donkey Basketball".  Can you imagine doing that with a bunch of ponies!  I don't think so!

 God was not joking when He made the donkey.  The Ass He designed was for a more harsh, hot and arid climate than the horse.  Tiny hooves with an almost psychic surefootedness for narrow, rocky trails.  Lo-o-o-ng ears to help with thermo-regulation and all the better to hear you with!  Not needing a long and flowing tail to keep its butt warm in the winter, God, in His infinite wisdom, gave the donkey just what it needed and no more, an efficient fly swatter!

 All in all, the ass is a sensible and economic package for its intended environment.  The donkey is the most often mentioned animal in the Bible.  One carried Mary into Bethlehem and Jesus into Jerusalem.  For the donkeys' love and loyalty they have actually been blessed by God and many have the cross on their backs to prove it.

 Now Bob, being a jack, would need special quarters in the barn.  My jacks (3), all have more secure quarters when stalled than I would use for a jennet or gelding.  This is just common sense.  Jacks and stallions do a lot of their thinking with their little brains, especially when stalled a lot.  That has to be taken into account in their handling and management.  My jacks, jennets and geldings all think they should be the center of attention too but all have been taught basic manners. My jack could be trusted with anyone's kindergarten class.  My little jack, "JR", is so agreeable he can be left in to run with his jennets and foals.  He is the only adult that will actually play with the foals and does a lot of babysitting.

 Over the years we have had many groups of "special children" visit the farm.  These severely retarded or disabled kids coming around the bend in their wheelchairs would send the ponies off to the high meadow lickety-split.  The donkeys, sensing these children's special needs, would quietly surround the wheelchairs, gently loving these little beings as different as themselves.  Somehow I can't find anything undesirable in this type of disposition at all.  Kind, loving, intelligent, patient, docile and gentle are a few of the hundreds of complimentary terms that settle well on my donkeys.

 Exploring donkey psychology is another article completely.  Donkeys and mules are a lot different than horses.  Not better or worse, just different.  Won't get into mules vs. horses vs. donkeys either as it's a matter of personal choice.  I ride my jack, "Montana".  He doesn't ever scare me.  He's never in a hurry and I don't mind being laughed at!  Wherever I bring Montana, be it a show, parade or trail ride, (after everyone quits laughing), by the end of the event I can sign a bunch of people up for the "Montana Jack Fan Club".  And we're talkin' mule breeding!

 Now, as for raisin' mules goes, maybe Loretta doesn't get out of S.D. much or she'd know the mule breeding business has come a long way in the last 10 years or so.  I'm sure a lot of people like Loretta think "mule" and picture a long-eared, big-headed, Roman-nosed, knobby-kneed, slab-sided, cow-hocked, roof-rumped critter with a mean disposition and evil eye.  Well, you are seeing less and less of this type of animal around these days.  The get of breeding cull mares to any jack produces something worth a buck out of a mare whose horse colt wouldn't bring a dime.  The results of this type of breeding ain't surprising.

 Today the very best mares are being bred to the finest jackstock producing extraordinary mules of excellent temperament and athletic ability.  Training methods have also changed dramatically over the years.  The baseball bat has been retired in favor of more sensible and humane schooling making these extraordinary animals valuable in the backyard, on the trail, in the show ring and in the sale barn.  Anyone watching the market has seen the dramatic rise in prices for good mules over the last years.

 Loretta, no need to worry about your mare's psychological health!  Since animals don't carry around the same prejudices people do, if your mares had conceived and birthed their mule foals, they would have turned to them, nickered and loved them no matter how they looked.  Mrs. Sorenson, if you or anyone else is ever in West Virginia, please plan on visiting Gate Farm to meet our 25 or so wonderful donkeys who will have you in their back pockets in no time at all.

                      From the other side of the mountain,
                                                                            Leslie Heulitt
                                                                           Gate Farm
                                                                    Rock Cave, WV  26234-1060                                                                                                     (304) 924-6176

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