Sat, June 6, 2020
12:30pm–4:30pm
Raindate: Sat, June 13, 2020
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Class: All About Donkeys
Offered through SUNY Ulster Continuing Education
Due to Covid-19, this class has been cancelled.
About the Class
Contrary to public perception, the donkey is a very sweet, calm, smart,
playful and affectionate animal. And, while they are a member of the
equine family, they are not small horses with big ears— there are some
important differences in behavior and veterinary care. If you did not
know that, or have been thinking about owning a donkey, this class is for
you.
Because they are strong and hardy, for millennia, the donkey has been one
of man's most valuable companions and, in many parts of the world today,
they are still the indispensable workhorse of daily life. Often
over-worked and poorly cared for by people living hard lives, many view
the donkey as an ornery and stubborn beast of burden. Here in the U.S.
where many donkeys live as pets, their true nature can be seen and appreciated.
The class takes place amongst a
herd of nine miniature donkeys, two large standard donkeys, one mule, and one zonkey(!),
so you will get
a first-hand opportunity to interact with
and discover what
wonderful animals they are. You will learn about the donkey's
attributes and uses and get an overview of what is involved in caring for
donkeys.
And
you will most definitely leave wishing you had discovered donkeys sooner.
Specifically, the class will cover:
- anatomy and physiology overview
- uses of a donkey
- planning for owning donkeys
- housing and fencing requirements
- selecting and purchasing or adopting the right donkeys
- transporting
- feeding
- veterinary care
- hoofcare
- grooming
- breeding considerations
- training
The class will conclude with a 45 minute
hike with the donkeys so students can apply
their knowledge.
Additional Information
| What to wear |
The main requirement for working with the donkeys is to be
wearing shoes or boots which are closed and well-constructed. It is
rare to be stepped on, but it does occasionally happen by accident.
Open-toed shoes or sandals are not appropriate. While Donkey Park
is normally kept very clean for visitors,
donkeys can defecate at any time and/or you can encounter mud
during wet weather, so you might also want to consider wearing
footwear that can get dirty. Also, be aware that donkeys love to roll in the dust (a dusty donkey is a healthy donkey) and some of that dust will invariably transfer to your clothing.
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| Can Children Attend? |
The donkeys are very good with children and children are welcome to
attend, however, they must be supervised and of sufficient age and
behavior to not be disruptive and to follow the rules (no running or
feeding the donkeys) for the four hour duration of this class.
This class can be a great family event.
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| Facilities |
Private bathroom facilities which are wheelchair accessible
are available.
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| Refreshment |
Bottled water will be provided at no cost. Participants may also
choose to bring their own refreshments.
Note: Please do not bring food for the donkeys– it's important for
their training that they associate visitors with affection rather than food.
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| Inclement Weather |
Donkey Park does not have indoor facilities large enough to
conduct the hands-on portions of this class. In the case of
sporadic and light rain, the class will be held and we will work
around the rain.
If rain
is expected to be heavy and/or constant, the class will be postponed
to the raindate at the same time.
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About the Instructor
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The instructor is Steve Stiert, owner of Donkey Park, a small property
serving as the home of nine miniature donkeys (known as
The
Little Brays of Sunshine), two large standard donkeys, a miniature mule, and a zonkey (zebra-donkey hybrid). The Little Brays are in their fifth
year
serving as donkey ambassadors visting
senior residences, schools, fairs and festivals exposing people
to the wonderful qualities of donkeys and spreading a little sunshine
in the process. They also form the long-eared members of the
Hudson Valley Walk with Donkeys club and can
be regularly encountered hiking the trails of the
Hudson Valley. Steve is also the founder of Donkey Park Inc.,
a non-profit organization dedicated to
enriching the lives of
donkeys and the communities with which they interact through education,
research, and ambassadorial activities.
On June 10-11, 2015 Donkey Park Inc.
sponsored the
Hudson Valley
Donkey Conference (which helped inspire the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine
to host the 2016 Donkey Welfare Symposium) and
is actively involved in other projects
that help disseminate donkey information. In general, Steve has a passion
for equus africanus assinus (donkeys) and a dedication to an
objective and scientific approach to better understanding them and
educating others about them.
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To Register / Enroll
Registration is handled through the SUNY Ulster Continuing Education
website. To register, click on the button below which will take
you to their
Course Search page. Once on that page, enter the course number 1171
in the Course Number box and then click on the "Find Courses" button.
Follow the registration instructions from there.
The SUNY Ulster registration process does not support a waitlist, so
if there are no seats left and you wish to get on a waitlist, or are
interested in participating in the next class, please
contact us.
Click to Register through SUNY Ulster ►
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