# Who rugs their Donkey?



## Garvie

does anyone rug their donkeys in the winter? or are hey quite happy with a field shelter?


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## littrella

I do not blanket mine. They come running for their barn if the weather is bad.


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## Garvie

ours would rather stand out in the field in the rain and snow than be in there stable, if i was them i would be in my nice cosy straw filled stable, am just worried they get rain scald


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## Yogiwick

Dumb question.. I've never heard of rugging a donkey. Do they make donkey rugs or do you just buy pony size and hope it fits?


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## TessaMay

It's not a dumb question, the donkey I grew up next door to was rugged in the winter. I'm sure there are a lot of show donkeys that get rugged religiously and if they are shaved or their coat kept short, they may need it. Most donkeys will winter just fine without a blanket of any kind, but so would most horses if they are allowed to grow a proper winter coat.


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## Garvie

my friend rugs her donkey every winter which made me think about rugging these two but they did seem to be ok, and yogiwick you do get donkey rugs there are a few people that make them but small pony rugs also fit


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## Yogiwick

Hmm interesting. I get it, I've just never heard of it


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## Shropshirerosie

Here in Alberta where it is super cold, but dry, I don't rug mine.

If I was in Scotland, coldish and ridiculously wet, I would consider rugging if they didn't have easy access to a good sized field shelter.


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## Garvie

they have the old farm stable but choose to stand out in the rain, they are not the brightest of bunnies, i will keep an on them and see how they cope, do wish we had winters like you shropshirerosie would make thinks so much easier haha nothing worse than being wet and cold


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## Shropshirerosie

Yes, I so enjoy the lack of damp here! We have the occasional wet spell in the spring time and then I worry about mine. He gets booted out of the field shelter by the horses. However - there is also plenty of tree shelter and he never leaves the herd to go keep dry elsewhere.

The view I take is that if he starts to look miserable I will take action (rugging, or a good stern talking to about the need to stay dry). He never has needed that yet.

I guess you could start to shut them in the stable when the weather just keeps on soaking them - but is suspect that would probably make you feel better rather than them!


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## TruGing

i put a sheet on mine because we have very cold wet winters here and he had a nice shelter but he was just more comfortable with the sheet. he didn't like coming in all the time, especially because he was out with goats who didn't care about the weather and were outside all the time. he didn't want to be alone in the shed, but couldn't keep warm in the rain and snow.


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## Curly_Horse_CMT

We have been told to not blanket ours unless the weather is extremely bad or if they are being trailered. Being groomed and having their coats "fluffed" from regular grooming is what seems to be most important.


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## Ale

Please don't call someone's question dumb just because you haven't heard of someone doing it before, Yogiwick. 

Sometimes when its freezing cold outside and the animals behind my house don't have access to the barn, I wonder why their owner (our landlord *eyeroll) doesn't blanket them if the barn doors are closed. They deserve warmth one way or another. I assume donkeys are hardier then horses, but still, I hate seeing them shivering and huddled together outside in the frozen winter nights. Makes me want to go out and snuggle them.


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## Endiku

I believe Yogiwick was saying that her question about whether or not donkey rugs were special made was probably a dumb question (it isn't), not that the original question was dumb 

My old BO never blanketed her donkeys, but sometimes I wonder if she should have- or given them a light rain sheet. They were low in rank in the herd so they were never given access to the sheds, and just stood there under a small tree or huddled together with their legs way under them and ears flat down (made them look like lopeared rabbits) and looked miserable. 

IMO your donkeys will let you know. If they look like miserable lop-eared bunnies, chances are you need to rug or stable them when its super wet or cold. Otherwise just let them be


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## KigerQueen

Meredith Hodges blankets hers and she is considered a leading mule/donkey trainer/breeder. Also donkeys absorb water in their coats more then horses, so if its cool and rainy I would stall them.


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## Shropshirerosie

An update on my Donkey rug situation

Arthur didn't need rugging last year, but this year his big horse 'friends' have taken to tearing chunks of fur off of his back, which had left him with quite big bald patches on either side of his spine.

It has been down to -38C before windchill this last week and I have been increasingly worried about the bare skin getting frostbite :-(

So I pulled out my son's old pony rugs yesterday and put a medium weight, no neck rug on Arthur. It fitted!! And he didn't flinch or bat an ear 

So now he is rugged, and have entered that perpetual worry cycle of 'is he too hot, what's the weather doing, do I need to change rugs...?'


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## Zexious

I have very little experience with donkeys (and the experience I do have was in California, so there were no blankies involved), but I just had to say how cute Arthur is. Awwww


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## scubadreams

I have taking to just shutting the barn doors when it is really cold outside. Gwen (mom) is still not very friendly toward anybody and I don't want her to take Charlotte (baby) out in the field and not come back in. So I keep them both in the corral for now... I can't wait for spring to be here!!


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## Yogiwick

Ale said:


> Please don't call someone's question dumb just because you haven't heard of someone doing it before, Yogiwick.
> 
> Sometimes when its freezing cold outside and the animals behind my house don't have access to the barn, I wonder why their owner (our landlord *eyeroll) doesn't blanket them if the barn doors are closed. They deserve warmth one way or another. I assume donkeys are hardier then horses, but still, I hate seeing them shivering and huddled together outside in the frozen winter nights. Makes me want to go out and snuggle them.


Exactly what Endiku said. Don't be so eager to jump on someone. Most people don't go out of their way to be rude. If you actually read what I wrote and the responses I think you would figure it out.


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## Yogiwick

Stropshire, he is so cute!


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## ButtInTheDirt

While this debate is going, I am also curious on whether or not my donkey should wear a blanket. He is a mini, for those who don't know. He is very good about staying out of inclement weather, so if it is excessively snowing/raining he will go to the shed. But during the day he generally comes in. His two pals, a 25 year old mare and a 10 month old filly, don't bully him out of the shed at all. They will stand outside in the snow or rain and eat, and Franklin will stay in the barn. I've noticed these past few days, as I've been home during the day, that he has been shivering a bit. I've seen horses shiver bad, and this isn't it. Just a little bit, and he still walks around, eats, etc. Does he need a blanket? He has plenty of fat padding, and his full coat is in. I just don't want to do any harm to him by blanketing him, i.e. compromise his coat for if the temps drop and it is a few hours before I reblanket him. Any thoughts? I don't have a blanket but can easily get/borrow one.


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## Yogiwick

ButtInTheDirt said:


> While this debate is going, I am also curious on whether or not my donkey should wear a blanket. He is a mini, for those who don't know. He is very good about staying out of inclement weather, so if it is excessively snowing/raining he will go to the shed. But during the day he generally comes in. His two pals, a 25 year old mare and a 10 month old filly, don't bully him out of the shed at all. They will stand outside in the snow or rain and eat, and Franklin will stay in the barn. I've noticed these past few days, as I've been home during the day, that he has been shivering a bit. I've seen horses shiver bad, and this isn't it. Just a little bit, and he still walks around, eats, etc. Does he need a blanket? He has plenty of fat padding, and his full coat is in. I just don't want to do any harm to him by blanketing him, i.e. compromise his coat for if the temps drop and it is a few hours before I reblanket him. Any thoughts? I don't have a blanket but can easily get/borrow one.


 I have an older ram in poor health that was shivering in the morning on cold mornings. We waited to see if he would need a blanket (it's not like we have any sheep blankets lying around! we would have to make one and it's a pain) and now that the temperature has dropped even further he has been fine. If he gets cold again he will get a blanket.

From the sounds of it with your guy I would also wait and see. How old is he? What is your weather like? I wouldn't worry about him so much during the day. The temp drops at night (obv) so he would be coldest in the morning unless the weather's bad. If he's warm then he should be fine.

I have heard donkey's do not do well with wet? Maybe someone else can verify that?


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## Ale

(Without explanation, it just seemed like a rude comment is all. I am not the only one that thought so before it was cleared up. Sorry for the miscomunication and all.)


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## Saddlebag

I suspect he's going inside during the day to get out of the sun which can make them pretty warm. A friend has a mini donk and she's fine in -40. Looks like a mini wooly mammoth.


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