Boaz
Our small standard Donkey
Boaz
Boaz came to us in need of some care and attention. Underweight, without proper nutrition, and without basic care, he was in poor shape. He is a very sweet boy who loves pets and kisses. We hope he will be ready for the fair and petting zoo season in 2025.
The Standard Donkey
Donkeys are more closely related to zebras and giraffes than to horses. The most noticeable difference between donkeys and horses is of course the ears. Donkeys' ears are MUCH longer in proportion to their size than a horse's. The necks are characteristically straighter, and most donkeys and all zebras lack a true wither. The croup and rump are also a different shape in the donkey and its hybrids, lacking the double-curve muscled haunch. The back is straighter due to the lack of withers. Colors in the donkey range from the gray shades of gray-dun to brown, a rare bay (though not as red-toned as in horses) , black, light-faced roan (both red and gray), variants of sorrel (Registry term - RED), the blue-eyed Ivory (also called cream or white-phase), Frosted/spotted White, and a unique Spotted pattern. Donkeys typically have light points , which describes the pale color around the muzzle, eye rings, belly, and upper and inner aspects of the legs. However, donkeys in several breeds have darker pigment in these areas and are described as no light points (NLP). A mutation in agouti signaling protein (ASIP) is associated with the no light points phenotype. Notice our boy doesn't have that "classic" donkey white muzzle and belly.
The types of donkeys are labeled by their sizes; 36" and under, Miniature Mediterranean, 36.01-48", Standard, 48.01" to 54" (jennets) or 56"; (jacks), Large Standard, and 54/56" and over, Mammoth Stock. There are no real populations of BREEDS of donkeys left, such as the Catalonian, Majorcan, or Andalusian. Modern donkeys can strongly resemble these ancestral breeds in TYPE, but are not classified as those breeds unless they have traceable pure-bred pedigrees to those lines.
Donkeys are stubborn, but not for the reason you'd think.
Most donkeys are "stubborn" in that they have to trust their handler very well to follow their instructions. Also, there has to be something in it for them! If you ask them to do something that doesn't make sense to them, or seems "stupid" in their eyes, they are likely not going to do it unless you give them a good reason.
Donkeys live anywhere around 35-40 years, sometimes longer.
