BEACH DONKEYS

pheobe

Has anyone got any opinions on beach donkeys.

I live in a seaside town on the south coast were for years there were donkeys on the beach, and where as years ago they were there, it was much quieter and they seemed to enjoy it , but as the town got more popular the beach got more and more full.
Now I know that donkeys have always been there,but I was pleased when they were all retired to a lovely sanctuary as they had done their bit .
I think that these days there is no place for this type of (FUN) anymore if you want your children to see them there are lots of sanctuarys you can go to and see them grassing free and happy.
To my dismay our local paper ran a front page article on a lady that had got planning to bring them back and now they are back trudging back and forth up and down a noisey and hectic beach, and i feel sorry for their lives they have ahead of them .

Lu-1

oooh my auntie poll lives in southport on the beach front and I remember staying there when i was little and i saw a sickly donkey collapsing on the beach, and it wouldnt get up so the owners took it to one side and hit it over the head with a spade.
How cruel the poor thing was sick, and they didnt take it to a vets, they spaded it over the head.
the poor things, i just do not think they should be allowed to force them to give people rides on the beach.
Cruel!

pheobe

Yes that is cruel lu 1 ,we are supposed to be a nation of animal lovers, I hope someone reported them. I will be keeping an eye on them if i see anything amiss I'll be on the phone to the rspca mark my words. All that just to please the kids, they should be teaching them to respect them.

spottydog · Last edited by spottydog on Thu May 19, 2005 10:02 pm; edited 1 time in total

My parents grew up in Blackpool so as children we spend a lot of the school holidays up there, and there had been donkey rides on the beach since time began, it seemed. It was always something we did when we visited. as a keen horse person I was always looking at the state of the donkeys and their tack. Maybe because of the numbers there, the Blackpool Corporation had very strict rules and the donkeys appeared to be happy, healthy and clean. Regarding work, yes they did work all day but mainly walked, and they were rotated so they weren't all used at once, they got the chance to rest. At the end of the day they were taken through the town to the outskirts to graze.
The other point is, we are talking a DONKEY here, they have been used since biblical times for carrying people and goods - including adults, if you recall the bible stories - which they can cope with far better than other equines, apart from mules which are donkey crosses of course.

Now, the other side of the fence is where animals are not being treated properly and unfortunately this seems to be a sign of the times. There is no excuse for this EVER and I would hope that part of the planning that tis lady has sought includes adequate safeguards over the animal welfare issues. There is a much higher awareness of this now and I think that donkey rides, being very public, would soon attract adverse publicity if anything was seen that was considered to be wrong or inadequate.

So, to sum up - I have no problem with donkeys being used for beach rides A lONG AS the welfare of the donkeys is paramount.

Spottydog

pheobe

that is my point , and yes spottydog they have been used since time began, they were the only means of transport for most families, my point was that in my opinion I see no need for this type of entertainment in this present day and age .

spottydog

With respect, why not, Phoebe? Does that mean that riding schools should close, too, and treking centres? What about elephant/camel rides in zoos? (Not sure that still exists though)
I personally don't see it as entertainment as such, now performing animals such as dancing bears, that's another matter entirely......

I think any activity, as long as the animal welfare issues are properly addresed, that brings animals and young people together is a good thing IMHO.

Spottydog

pollaton

i just found this old post and thought i would have my say.

i have seen the state of donkeys in our country and abroad. i do know that now in england they have to have an hours break in the day (honestly that is true). but if you see how they are treated in spain, the owners really don't care and aren't interested apart from making any money from tourists.
i did in my youth have a few donkey rides up and down blackpool beach, but i feel that if i had a child then i would rather take tehm to a donkey sanctuary to see how they should be living rather than helping towards sending them to the knackers yard.

http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/site/1/About_the_Spanish_Donkeys.html

i also thought that this was a good link for people to have a browse through.
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pheobe

Thank you pollaton,i feel very stongly about beach donkeys ,i love them and i dont like to see them like that,its not wright,they should be happily grazing and playing together, not trugging up and down a niosey beach next to a busy road every day, well thats just my opinion. Rolling Eyes

SashiesMum

We went on holiday to devon and when we visited paignton there were donkeys giving rides, but on a big field infront of the beach. They had a big cover to get under and although there were quiet a few donkeys there it looked like half of them were giving a ride and the other half were grazing, then they swapped over everytime. The man there also restricted size and weight of the children that were having a ride. We visited Paignton a few times and each time we went past the owner was never using all the donkeys and he was treating them with love and respect. I saw all the workers kissings and hugging the donkeys a number of times. I cant say for defo but to me the donkeys looked like they were enjoying it. I know that not all happens like this and ofcourse some donkeys will be mistreated by some of the evil people of this world. In todays sociaty, in my opinion if donkeys were being mistreated on beaches and that are used for riding then someone would report it (i know all of us on this site would) then they would be closed down. Suffering will go on forever no matter what we all do to stop it. The only thing we can go is when we see it we act on it Smile

Josh

I went to clifton beach yesterday and there were about 35 donkeys in 4 different areas if the beach when i went up to them to give them a smooth they felt very very hot but i must say there was lots and lots of clean water and food for them !

GerbilPunk

i used to love donkey rides when i was a kid, and i agree with spottydog. whats wrong with it? I can understand if it was very croweded and people were shouting and there was some risk for the person and the donkey, but otherwise, why not? If people can ride horses down busy roads, why not ride donkeys down a beach? Confused

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coliel

just to say i agree with spottydog, as long as the animals are cared for then why not .
infact it seems to me like we are loosing lots of lovely things in this country and im sure that its about what the public think rather than what is truly unfair to animals.

Josh

I agree with them aslong as they are looked after and have fresh drinking water Smile

Twig

So long as they are in good condition, I guess I don't have too much of a problem with it, although, you have to remember food and water is just basic husbandry, at least at a riding school you can see how they are housed etc.

I often wonder if beach donkeys are wormed, vaccinated and get proper care or if after the day is over they return to a field plagued by ragwort showing totaly lack of care on the owners part. Also, after they get too old what happens with them? Are they kept as pets or are they sent of to the knackers yard, or dumped at the local rescue when they become of no use to owners. If they are there purely to make money, then I can't imagine their care is all that great.

shadylady

i agree wid spottydog as long as the donkeys are cared for why not.. theres donkeys in other countrys that carry loads and loads of their owners stuff and they look okay plus its in busy cities where there are thousands more people coming and going..
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