Show, Breeding or Pet

Know what you are looking for...

The first thing you must decide is why you want a Miniature Donkey. If you are looking for a pet or companion, it wouldn't make sense to go and pay top dollar for one that you would feel obligated to keep bred or to show.  Same with showing or breeding, it wouldn't make sense to buy a pet quality Donkey if you want to breed or show. 

Companion Pet?  If you are looking for a pet, then personality and pricing will probably be the most important decision.  Although you will want to find one that is pretty to look at, you don't necessarily want to pay a show price.  If this is your first Donkey, you would be best to find one that is not too young and has been handled.  An ungelded Donkey would not be in your best interest, as they are more interested in breeding - although there are some very gentle Jacks.  Just know that their first interest at hand is not as a pet.   

When looking for a pet, try to find one that is friendly and will come up and be petted. Most miniature donkeys are not trained, so you will probably have to train your own.  A friendly cooperative disposition will make a lot of difference. You can often find pets in the range of $200-$500 for pet quality.

Breeding? It is a good idea to go and see as many donkeys as possible before you actually buy.  Conformation guidelines and many sources for information on Donkeys are available.  In general, two things that will determine price in today's market are color and size. Respectfully, proper conformation should never take a back seat to color or size!

Unless you know of someone that has a Jack that you can breed to, you will need to have two Jacks (2 different jack/jennet herds)of different bloodlines - otherwise, you will run into potential inbreeding issues unless your Jack is gelded. At the time you buy your jack, three things will be important considerations: good conformation, small size and an attractive color. Color will play an important part in the breeding, but you need to remember that what you breed today may not be the color of choice 2 years from now.  You will want a small Jack, but remember, they often have problems breeding the bigger Jenny.

If you have a small well built jack you can have a little leeway on your jennies. It is best to buy jennies which are as close to perfect as possible.  Again, do not sacrifice proper conformation for color or price.

When you buy miniature donkeys for breeding you should try to get a guarantee in writing. The guarantee should cover breeding soundness. That is, the jack should be fertile and the jennet should have at least one foal for you.  

Showing?  There are a whole host of rules, grooming, showing instructions... whether to show in halter, in hand, and the list goes on.  If you are interested in showing your donkey, make sure you know the rules and regulations.  Make sure you have a near-perfect, if not perfect donkey to show.  It is very political, as with most shows....but it is FUN!  Once you have been bitten by the show bug, you will start planning your vacations around the Miniature Donkey Shows!  Regardless, conformation takes utmost precedence.

We would like to emphasize the fact that without proper conformation, you will not have a healthy breeding, showing or pet Donkey. Each Miniature Donkey Association has their Breed Standards and it is good to do your research to find what you are looking for. Buying a Miniature Donkey should be a commitment and not taken lightly.

Undesired Conformation Traits

Physical Defects

There is no such thing as a "Perfect" Donkey.  The degree of imperfection and the cumulative effect on function and reproductive health is what needs to be kept in mind when purchasing or breeding.

• "Roman Nose" - Convex profile of the head. Coarseness of the head and neck.
• Short, thick neck and low head carriage.
• "Ewe Neck" - Thin, concave, weak neck.
• "Roach Back" - Convex back. Long, weak back; sway back (sagging).
• Short, high or flat croup, hip too short (no depth of hip).
• "Goose Rum" - Steep, sloping croup, narrow rump.
• Insufficient bone in proportion to animal.
• "Cow Hocked" - The hocks of the back legs turn inward (toward) each other when viewed from behind.
• "Bow Legs" - The hocks of the back legs turn outward (away) form each other when viewed from behind.
•  "Stands Close Behind" - The back legs are too close together. This is common in a narrow-bodied, flat-ribbed animal
• "Sickle Hocked" - The back legs stand in and under the animal when viewed from the side.
• "Camped Behind" - The back legs are set too far back behind the body when viewed from the side.
•  "Splay Footed" - Hooves of the front legs are turned outward and away from each other. This is common in narrow chests.
• "Pigeon Toed" - Hooves of the front legs are turned inward and toward each other.
•  "Standing Under In Front" - The front legs stand in and under the animal when viewed from the side.
•  "Camped In Front" - The front legs are too far in front of the body when viewed from the side.
•  "Parrot Mouth" - Upper teeth extend out beyond lower teeth - Overshot Bite.
• " Monkey Mouth" - Lower teeth extend out beyond upper teeth - Undershot Bite". Up to 1/4" variation from an even bite (extreme limit) is accepted for registration into the Miniature Donkey Registry.