Packing With My Wife's Pasture Ornament

[Overthetop]

So.... my wife has a 2yr old miniature donkey that weighs about 250-275 lbs. I've looked around the internet to see if anyone has used a mini for packing and can't much info. Has anyone had experience doing it? What are the pros/cons of using a mini? TIA

 

[burrohiker]

So.... my wife has a 2yr old miniature donkey that weighs about 250-275 lbs. I've looked around the internet to see if anyone has used a mini for packing and can't much info. Has anyone had experience doing it? What are the pros/cons of using a mini? TIA

If you look around Instagram there are a few people packing with mini donks or mini mules. Despite their stature the can be pretty athletic and they win quite a few pack burro races. With pack burro racing becoming more popular there is actually a decent tack selection for minis now.

The biggest advice piece of advice I give with smaller pack animals is the smaller the animal, the more physical conditioning comes into play. A poorly conditioned horse or mule can carry more without the as much attention to their fitness just because of their sheer size. As you go smaller, and try and eek out those few more pounds that they can carry, it becomes a serious factor. Obviously they will be limited in areas of blowdown but they can also jump if not overloaded.

You'll see a 15-25% of bodyweight thrown around a lot on the internet but that is a really rough guess. A obese pasture pet will struggle with 5%, but my string of donks that gets out a ton can hit 25% no problem. If you guessed at 15% of 250 you get about 37 pounds. After you subtract the weight of tack and donk gear you're looking at about 30lbs. That's your sleep system, and all your food that you don't have to carry.

Go take it for a few hikes, if you both enjoy it- Then go all in for the summer and see what you can pull off. You'll learn something and donk will enjoy the change of life.

Also note that donks don't do well alone. If your going hunting for many hours and leaving it alone you might run into issues. If your taking your kids on a fishing trip and you can take it with you or your around camp. No problem.

 

[wyosteve]

Another thing with the smaller ones is that since they are 'lower to the ground', if a trail has washouts/or deep areas, they might not clear the sides with panniers.

 

[GotDraw?]

Another thing with the smaller ones is that since they are 'lower to the ground', if a trail has washouts/or deep areas, they might not clear the sides with panniers.

^^^^THIS!!!
My brother and I had a horrible experience one elk season with a string of donkeys that got hung up repeatedly in narrow single track with large rocks and trees tight on each side. NEVER, ever, ever again. Shit strewn all over the trail from torn panniers, etc. Lost an entire day to that shit show.

In the right terrain (more open), they could work. Where we had to go that year, it was a total yard sale.

Panniers hang so low on them, they can barely step over a tree of any size. UGH.

Give me a mule. A good mule can step over deadfall while carrying a donkey.

Or pack goats, they are amazing.

Best,
JL

 

[burrohiker]

season with a string of donkeys that got hung up repeatedly in narrow single track with large rocks and trees tight on each side.

Sounds like mules, horses, and llamas would have all struggled.

One important thing to consider is you can never compare types of pack animals against each other fairly. Goats are goats, mules are mules, and donks are donks.

Each animal has its owns advantages and disadvantages in any given situation. That’s further amplified by the hunting style and personality of the person.

Don’t knock another pack animal. The best one is the one you get out.

 

[Brooks]

We used to have a little, short mule that we would take hunting in the high, rough country all the time. We took him so much that if we left him home he would raise hell until the horses got back.

We would lead him out for about a mile then take the lead off and he was on his own the rest of the day. He would go anywhere we did, haul our packs, food and water all day and haul meat if we killed something. Never over loaded him but he sure could hold his own.
If we got into some steep, rough, rocky stuff and he couldn’t follow a horse he always found a way on his own. He was a great little packer, it was like having a good dog with you. One of a kind.