# Trailering Donkeys...



## PrairieSmokeFarm (May 25, 2015)

Hi all,

I am moving about five hours from my current home and taking my whole farm with me. I am looking to buy a 2-horse trailer so that I can haul my two donkeys and will have the trailer for future use. My girls have been moved once in their lives - from their birth place to our farm. They are both only about a year and a half old, one is a small standard the other a miniature. They are inseparable beyond belief. Together they probably weigh around 450+ lbs. Obviously the standard is larger and heavier. My question is - due to their extreme attachment to each other, should I look at an open stock trailer in which they will be trailered loose inside or should I risk tying them in a divided trailer? They are not accustomed to being tied at all, so I feel like that alone is very risky. Due to their short stature, I think tying them may also be very awkward. A part of me feels like I'm answering my own question here, but we are moving from the mountains to the coast, and the only way down the mountain is very curvy! Of course we will go very slow, but there will be a lot of braking and curves for about 15-20 minutes, then open roads, some hills but no curves. Any thoughts are much appreciated!


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Are the donkeys the only thing you're planning on hauling that trip? I personally wouldn't see why they couldn't just both be loose in one section of a divided trailer (if you are hauling other critters too). A divided trailer is the way to go in my opinion either way, because you don't have to use that part if you don't want to but it would be available to you if you needed it to.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

After lunch thoughts, I suppose it all depends on what size trailer you had in mind. :scratch:


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## PrairieSmokeFarm (May 25, 2015)

I was originally looking at just the small 2-horse bumper pulls. I just assumed they were all the same, but they sure aren't! I have several goats I'll be hauling as well but had planned to do two trips - donkeys in the trailer, bucks in the pickup bed (with camper shell), then does in the trailer and kids in the pickup. The dividers I've seen don't come up from the floor so there's no keeping them from trying go under it to try and get to each other unless they're tied. They may well fit on one side of the divider though...I hadn't thought of that...I could put both on the left for better weight distribution. It might be too tight of a fit. ...I don't know!


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## ShireRidgeFarm (Sep 24, 2015)

We transported our donkey once, when we brought him to our farm. We borrowed a livestock trailer that was used to haul cows. Not sure of the official size, but there was a divider in the center that separated it into two front and back sections. The donkey ended up backing himself into a corner to try and keep from sliding around - the result of this was he rubbed the hair off his back end. We didn't realize it was happening until we got him home, so we felt a little bad about it. It was probably a 2 hour trip, on back roads and highways. 

Anyway, that's the only donkey transporting I've done and I just thought I'd share.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

That's the size I was envisioning, have a divider down the center to make two sections. I haven't had experience with the shorter ones that make two stalls.


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## PrairieSmokeFarm (May 25, 2015)

I know the type trailer you're talking about Lauren. Thank you for sharing your experience!


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