Miniature donkeys/Gelding

Miniature donkeys are native to the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia. There they have been used for over two thousand years for transport, draft work, and as a power source for moving heavy mill stones for grinding wheat. Their milk was valued as a curative and skin treatment. Poppaea, wife of Roman Emperor, Nero, was legend to have kept a large herd to be milked for her baths. Miniature donkeys first made their appearance in the United States in 1929 when a group of seven was imported by Robert Green of New York. Later, the Busch family (of Anheuser Busch) imported a second herd. An association was established in 1958 to maintain the registry. In the Mediterranean region, many of the small working donkeys are being crossed with larger breeds, making their global population perilous. The continued conservation of the breed in North America is key to their continued survival.

Miniature donkeys weigh between 200 and 450 pounds. Their height limit at maturity is 36 inches at the withers which is the last hair of the mane at the bottom of the neck. They are quite intelligent, curious, and very affectionate. They are very easy to train to pull a cart or carry a small child.