Donna, Dennis, Dora, Declan, Dotty and Darcy

Donkeys have been widely used to carry and pull loads. In Britain they were most useful during the 19th Century.

Miners used them to ride to work or to carry loads in the collieries. Farmers delivered the milk with them, did jobs on the farm or took their families to town shops. Donkeys carried the laundry and pulled lawn mowers of prosperous houses. At Spas they carried corpulent ladies to take the waters and on beaches young children were given rides. In London a herd of milch-asses were taken to smart areas to be milked for the children to drink asses milk and the successful tradesman exchanged his barrow for a donkey cart. Hundreds of donkeys were drawn up at markets to deliver or collect fresh fruit, vegetables and fish. Local councils removed the rubbish with them, including one of the major problems of 19th Century roads - horse and donkey manure!

Donkeys are from the Horse family, having a single stomach, but are able to digest fibrous leaves which they graze or browse, even in the most dry and arid areas.

Most donkeys (which are measured in 4 inch 'hands') are 9½-11 hands (1-1.1m) in height but donkeys from Africa can be 12-14 hands. They can be many colours from grey, brown, piebald (black and white), chestnut or pure white.

Donkeys can communicate by posture as well as by several different sounds and the position of i's ears. They can bray, grunt, growl, snort and wuffle!