Minis require the same care as a large horse, they are smaller is all. ' I;m no donkey expert but have had several donks and mules. They rarely need to be shod, generally are easy keepers, can be stubborns, at least until you become more learned about them. We used electric fencing or whatever there was in any given situation. We never used the donks for riding too much but rode the mule. I like donkeys of all stripes, preferring the smaller burros over the standards and mammoths.

If you can find someone nearby with either minis or donkeys, who would let you come by and help them handle them, so you have some knowledge of either or both, it would both help you make up your mind as to which you want, and give you experience in handling them. I don't know what your experience with either horses or minis is, but if it's not much, then if you can find a few good horse care books, and if there are donkey or mini-specific books, get one of them as well, and read up on it before you get them....you will have more idea of what is needed. A basic horse first aid book, and first aid kit, would help a lot. You will need a halter that fits each animal, a lead rope for each, and an extra, and at least one brush, a curry to clean the animal and a curry to clean the brush, a hoof-pick, and a brush for manes and tails. Some sort of shedding helper, for the spring, is nice, and if you want to be very elegant, provisions for bathing are nice - some animals will never have had a bath, so you might have to educate them to it. Shampoo, a sponge for faces, and a sweat scraper, and maybe a bucket, are all needed. In summer, spray for flies is a kindness - again, if they haven't been accustomed to the noise and feel of being sprayed, you will have to teach them to accept it.

One thing to remember, about minis as well as donkeys, is that they do NOT need really good pasture - too rich grass can give them laminitis as well as grain can. You will have to trim their hooves - for both - about every 6 weeks, so count that expense and effort into your budget. If you have some knowledge, and a good farrier, he might be willing and able to teach you how to use a rasp to keep feet short enough, and then he would only have to come every few months, just to be sure all is well. It's not easy to find a farrier to do small animals - bending over that much is HARD on their backs!!! But, not doing it can lead to major problems, so keep it on the schedule.

Both minis and donkeys need some sort of shelter, from cold and rain as well as from the heat of the sun. While wild animals get by sheltering in hollows and bushes, providing some sort of roof and at least three walls is better for pastured animals. While it doesn't HAVE to be, making it tall enough for you to walk into helps a lot - you should plan on cleaning it out at least once a month.... And, depending on the pasture in question, and on where you live, you will almost certainly have to feed hay in the winter, so you need to be able to store that safely sheltered from both the wet and the donkeys, AND be able to get a truck nearby to unload it, so plan on that as well. You will have to provide water, so plan on access to a hose to refill the trough - it should be dumped and scrubbed about once a week, both to keep the mosquito population down and to keep the algae and junk off the sides and bottom. In winter, you need to keep it thawed, so access to electricity to be able to put in a heater helps.

Both minis and donkeys benefit, in terms of health as well as socialization and manners, from regular handling and grooming - you get to remind them that they have to behave, and check them over for any cuts or scrapes, as well as keeping them tidy and keeping their coats, manes and tails in order. Having them trained - and reminded - to lead and tie helps both you and any people working on them - they will need the blacksmith, as I said above, but also an annual veterinary visit - to pull blood for Coggins tests, as well as for whatever vaccinations are necessary in your area. Having the vet be familiar with you and your animals helps if you have an emergency. Regular worming is also a good idea - you MIGHT be able to manage with 2 or 3 times a year, or need it done every 6-8 weeks - it depends on if they are the only equines on the property, and if they or others come and go, to be exposed to parasites. Discuss it with your vet....

You don't need to, and probably shouldn't, grain either minis or donkeys, but catching them once in a while, just to be nice to them, helps you catch them when you NEED to catch them, and an occasional treat won't hurt. You can use apples or carrots - if they like them - some don't and some learn to - or a handful of grain, bread, or a manufactured horse treat. If they get too pushy about treats, stop giving them.

Wow, dibbit gave you excellent advice. I have had donkeys for 20 years one of mine donkeys has been with me for 20 years - they live a long, long time. Please take the excellent advice you got. Equines in general are a very huge committment and in spite of what some people think, donkeys are extremely intelligent, gentle and loving when treated well. They cannot be thrown out on pasture as dibbit advised and the result of laminitis and founder are devasting and painful. Learn all you can about these lovely animals before you committ to ownership.

good luck

It's not easy to find a farrier to do small animals - bending over that much is HARD on their backs
Just had an idle thought....wonder if anyone with small animals has trialled an elevated structure with a retained edge for the hoof work? Something like an flattened dirt mound with a gentle slope on the other side for a safety escape if the pony/ donk plays up......hmmmm. Could be the best farrier is also the one with the worst back :)

I think you have been given excellent advice here. I think it is a matter of preference.I personally would have donkeys over minis any day. I would never be without a donk. Where we live there are lots of coyotes and they protect our horses from them and wild dogs. My farrier would not even consider trimming donk. We have a small burro and her feet never need to be trimmed they chip off and stay in excellent condition. I am able to clean them and I give her shots and regular wormings my self. If you want a companion/pet I would suggest a jenny rather than jack. They tend to be some what more agressive...just my two cents. Good Luck!

Chiming in late .. I have 3 mini-donks that I just love. They are just wonderful animals!

I have a farrier who comes every 8 weeks to do their hooves, he thinks they are funny since they are so much easier to handle than larger horses. My boys, both geldings, bucked and jumped and did all the youngster things when he trimmed their hooves when they were young, he just laughed.

I have a vet that comes twice a year. We are staggering their vaccinations because they started having reactions to the shots. A scary thing to watch.

I get hay from a guy that lives near by, and the only grain I give them are some crimped oats occasioanlly as a treat. The normal horse grains will make donks fat.

Some day, when I have more time, I want to teach the boys to drive a cart. SInce the youger boy is 3 and his father is 6, we have plenty of time.

They are a lot of fun!

dibbit provided lots of great advice and I would add the following. If you don't have lots of large animal experience, the best thing you can do before getting a standard donkey is spend some time around them. I'm guessing you have llamas by your user name, so you should be okay. Also, do not get an intact male unless you plan to breed or know what you are doing...breeding males of any species can be DANGEROUS. As always generalizations can be misleading - all animals are individuals, some are a handful and some are very easy with most somewhere in between.

My own experience is with horses and mini-donks. My neighbor has a minature horse, so I can add a bit about them too. With either animal you will need twice yearly equine vaccines EWT, West Nile, EIA and IN Strangles. You may also want rabies vaccine, but it's not necessary. Donks seem to be a bit smarter about keeping out of trouble (or at least not getting caught), horses seem to always find something to injure themselves on. A good equine vet is a must.

We had sandy/grassy pasture so the hooves were worn down a bit between trims. The mini-donk would go 8-12 weeks between trims depending on dry or wet weather; more frequently in wet weather and yes, some farriers won't do minis. My neighbor's mini-horse needs more frequent trims - every 4 weeks. In our area, a trim is $30-$35 per visit.

In either species some are spooky, some are stubborn and some cling like saran wrap, mares/jennies can also be a bit moody or "hormonal" at times. A kick from a mini can break some bones as easily as one from a standard - ask me how I know :)

Donkeys will retain their thick coats through the summer, shedding out completely by August and then growing one again in September. If you don't clip, they will spend a lot of time looking raggedy, but the coat will also protect them from flys. Biting flys love to attack donkey pasterns so you will need to keep them protected with ankle fly strips, SWAT ointment or lots of fly spray. Donks will also create several dust bowls in your pasture - they LOVE to roll in sand/dirt.

You can feed donks grain, but it must be low protein 8-10%. We fed our donk twice a day with a low protein sweet feed (appox. 1/2 cup) mixed with a handful of chaff, and some soaked, shredded beet pulp. If we did not do this, she would eat the horse's feed. Pure entertainment watching her get around the horse and into her bowl! If you only have two donks, this won't be an issue, but if you have llamas too, the donks will try to sneak in for a snack if not given their own. Hay must be "horse hay" since they are not ruminants and cannot eat silage hay.

Donks are also more time concious...if you are five minutes late with dinner or breakfast, they will find the corner of the pasture closest to the house and let you know.

~ Tru

Dontforget those little guys can kick.Pretty hard I might add.,I hve 2 jennys.It seems they aim for crotch because both times I got it inside thigh.hurt too.All said above is true.We get our hooves done every other month they dont grow too fast,I give a little sweet feed and hay.Ive had mine 20 years.They can be stubborn.at least mine can.But a lot of fun.I have one that doesnt have any beige markings so she looks like a little moose.We call her bullwinkle and one part chochlate so her name is Hershey.