The Donkey Companion: Selecting, Training, Breeding, Enjoying & Caring for Donkeys
Reviews (362)
Not worth the investment if already a horse owner
After unexpectedly becoming an owner of an untrained 4 year old Jenny I felt I needed to know more about this equine breed. As a long time horse owner I immediately noticed the differences between the two and felt somewhat at a loss. I chose this particular book because I fell for the hype. The information given for the care and characteristics of the donkey is way to general. For a first time owner of any equine it would be a good overall guide. I had hoped for something more specific and in detail. I have found more and much better information on the Internet. The tidbits, historic pictures and sidebars were a nice but not worth the price of the book. For instance I had heard donkeys utilized their feed much better than a horse and have been fearful of over feeding my Jenny. The book was no help here, going into detail on hays, quality of hay and grasses; what any horse owner already knows. I was also very disappointed in the training section which was ALL about clicker training. Everything else in the book was general and then when I would have preferred general training I get a specialized training section. I did gain some knowledge about tack and fitting it to a donkey but I'm sure that information is readily available online also. So if you are already a horse owner don't waste your money on this book. If like me you want to know how to deal with this decidedly different type of equine this is not the book. After I see if I can squeak a little more info out of the book I will be reselling it.
First half of the book is excellent
I really really enjoyed this book. The first half though is the only part I felt really pertained to my needs. As a miniature donkey owner I found a lot of great beginner info. The only complaint (which I didn't see in others comments) was the second entire half of the book is on clicker training. I am not convinced this is something I'd find useful because I don't want to have to carry around a clicker for my animals to listen to me. I understand it is a reward system but I'd rather find a different way around it. Maybe as I become more experienced with my donkeys (who are very docile and well mannered) I might realize the importance and value of clicker training but right now it's just not the path i wish to go, therefore I feel a bit cheated out of a big book. Otherwise, honestly its a great book and one I would still highly recommend. The other book I found just as, if not more helpful, was Donna Smith's "The Book of Donkeys: A Guide to Selecting, Caring, and Training" I found that book incredibly useful too. Also check out The Donkey Sanctuary of UK's downloadable handbook.
Donkeys are NOT the same as horses!
Best donkey-care book out there, especially for new donkey owners. Great for people who mistakenly think they are like horses, only with big ears. Saves you from making some serious mistakes with that kind of thinking and gives valuable insights into their personalities, lovable quirks, care and feeding, plus wonderful old-time photos and interesting facts. If you even thinking about getting a donkey, you need this book!
This thorough and fully enjoyable read helped us adopt a feral donkey and integrate him into our farm family
Mrs. Steve in Hawaii says: When I started doing research on the internet about adopting a feral Kona Nightingale Donkey in Hawaii all the experts said to get The Donkey Companion by Sue Weaver. This book is easy to read, and jam packed with helpful information. I felt so much more prepared to welcome this animal onto our farm now that I'm armed with this book. Information included in this book includes how to feed, groom, train, and even how to properly euthanize your donkey companion. All valuable knowledge. Glossy photos and detailed sketches are all through the book. A thorough and fully enjoyable read. Now that we have our donkey we have to credit this book for bringing him from feral to companion animal, to part of our farm family.
The Donkey Companion
Update: This book is more helpful than it appeared, at first blush. To be honest, donks are easy to take care of and I was a nervous new owner. Whatever real questions I've needed answered have been here in this book. I apologize for my earlier stars and have edited this review. It's good. I've never had anything larger than a dog, so I was looking for a book that had detailed information on donkeys. This book is accessible and easy to use. It has an excellent and thoughtful list of things you should have in your first aid kit. Note, these are good to have in your human first aid kit, too. The history of the donkey, as well as, lore are here. Which is handier to know than you might think. People don't know much about donkeys, so it's fun to tell them a little when introducing them to friends. There is other good information in here, like how to communicate with your donkey on its terms. They are not dogs and they're not horses, it's good to speak a little donkey. Donkeys are smart, strong and they are clear communicators. This book is a good addition to your donkey reference library. And btw, I love my mini donkeys!
Great first resource for new donkey owners!
I bought this book when we purchased two miniature donkeys. Having kept full size to draft size equine, I needed a resource for these little ones! I have referenced it multiple times for various things. Mainly to cross check differences between horses and donkeys before introducing new training, feeding & grooming needs in summer & winter, etc.. It is very basic and dies not focus on one niche. If you are looking for in depth information on training, you should consider another title. But again, it is great to have on the shelf for a quick reference guide for any basic questions that may arise regarding mammoth, standard & miniature donkeys. Love my little long earred pals!
Great donkey book
I have several books on raising and caring for Miniature Donkeys. I have raised Mini Donkeys for over 10 years, and there isn't a whole lot of books on the subject. I like this book, and bought two so I could loan one out. I would recommend this book paired with another book, "Caring For Your Miniature Donkey" by Bonnie R. Gross. I have used Ms. Gross book as my main Donkey Bible. If I could only have one book, I would order the one by Bonnie R. Gross. (She has two, one for foals.) Both books are good, and I recommend them. (And I do not know either author.)
A Really good donkey book!!!
Having gotten my 1st donkey in 2/08 needing a companion for my horse who lost her best friend I wanted as much info on these guys as I could find. Previously bought 2 other books and a training DVD, both were OK so far but this book has given me alot of insights that I did not know about. As a matter of fact, since getting the first donkey in 2/08 we now have a new mom which foaled in 8/08. This book I would highly recommend to new donkey people as well as experienced. I happened to have on hand frosted mini wheats which were suggested as a training treat and they LOVE them! Never would have thought of it. Glad I bought this book, will be referring to time and again.
Everything you need to know
If you have purchased, or want to purchase, a donkey and have little experience with other equines, then you absolutely must buy this book. It is one of, if not the, most thorough collections of information on donkeys and donkey-keeping that you will ever find. The book also has the advantage of being very readable. In addition to well-written text, the book offers little tidbits of trivia and donkey-related factoids scattered throughout, along with a great collection of charming old photographs of people and donkeys. However, if you are interested in donkeys and already experienced with horses and/or mules, you may not find this book so useful. Yes, donkeys are different from horses and mules, but the basic principles of keeping and caring for an equine are essentially the same for all three. There is a lot of information here that any informed and experienced equine owner already knows.
The book itself is of high quality and the pictures are fun..
I purchased this as a gift for the family who now has my mini donkeys. It has more information than what I was looking for but I felt it was helpful especially for someone who is unfamiliar with the care of equines. My preference would have been for a book more focused on care and less on breeding etc. however it did contain the information I was seeking. The book itself is of high quality and the pictures are fun... but then again what's cuter than pictures of miniature donkeys? :D
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