Farm news , Fundraising

Little donkeys shine a light on our Christmas appeal

Abandoned donkey Mia and her foal Peanut take centre stage this Christmas.

Posted on 06/12/2024

Birth of first foal from rescued ‘smuggled’ Dover 26 horses

Two donkeys and their adorable foals are taking centre stage this festive season.

As the faces of our Christmas appeal, Mia and her foal Peanut have already experienced the seasonal snow fall and are doing their best to shine a light on equine welfare and our charity’s work.

Peanut was born at Belwade Farm, our rescue and rehoming centre in Aberdeenshire, where she and her fellow stable mate Popcorn, have been enjoying lots of attention from World Horse Welfare patron and leading equine influencer Esme Higgs.

Donkeys are clever, loving, and full of personality—but they need special care. I met the gorgeous Peanut and Popcorn and their rescued mums Mia and Molly, on a recent visit to Belwade Farm, and it was wonderful to see they are getting the support they deserve and learning to trust humans. This season, your help can make all the difference to these amazing animals.”
Esme Higgs.

Donkeys are interesting animals, and we are so pleased to be able to share pictures of the two foals we have at the farm this Christmas. In this case and thanks to our supporters enabling us to be there for them, Mia and Molly are doing well here at Belwade and were able to give birth to beautiful, healthy foals.

“In this case and thanks to our supporters enabling us to be there for them, Mia and Molly are doing well here at Belwade and were able to give birth to beautiful, healthy foals.”
Centre Manager at Belwade Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre, Eileen Gillen.

While donkeys may appeal to people as easy to keep as pets, their needs are often misunderstood, which can lead to serious welfare issues. Although they are like horses in that they like to live in a herd, donkeys also need to pair bond with another donkey – this behaviour is instinctive and essential to their wellbeing.

Separating bonded pairs causes them a lot of stress and donkeys who have lost a mate can literally die from a broken heart – as the effect of this stress on their health can lead to a condition called hyperlipaemia, which can be fatal.

Shelter is also extremely important to donkeys, as their coats are not waterproof like that of a horse, they also need a very specific diet, regular exercise and daily ‘enrichment activities’ to keep them entertained.

Foot care can be an issue too, as their hooves do not cope well with a wet and muddy UK climate.

As far as understanding their care goes, it’s important to consider how different they are to horses as they are very good at masking their pain as a survival mechanism. This can lead to them not receiving the care they need at the right time, as the signs of ill health can be easily missed.

“While we don’t take many donkeys in at World Horse Welfare, when we do the reasons are usually the same. Rather than deliberate neglect it tends to be more down to a lack of understanding and knowledge on behalf of those responsible for their care.“
Eileen Gillen.

If you love our Christmas campaign you can show your support for our rescued donkeys by donating here.