Breeder of Registered Miniature                 Donkeys, Quality Breeding Stock, and Lovable Pets

ASSET:
Q & A's from Carolyn Christian, Quarter Moon Ranch

Cover Photo: Barney, Harris and Kirby Winters

1. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE IN THE MINIATURE DONKEY BUSINESS?

First, is to have fun with one of the most wonderful creatures God put on this earth. That isn't as "corny" as it may sound. There are many people like Pete and I who, as professionals, chased careers that demanded so much of our time, that our dream of slowing down, moving to the ranch and enjoying our life more seemed so far away. Now that we are doing just that, our benchmark is to enjoy everything we do with the donkeys. If we don't have fun with them, we don't want do it.

Secondly, our goal is to raise quality animals that will meet the individual tastes of those wanting miniature donkeys while staying true to the breed and not creating genetic problems for these special little critters. Some people want to breed them, others want to show, pack or drive them, still others are just looking for a pet to love. We would love to see a miniature in every back yard having fun with its owner and that requires not limiting your breeding program to only one possibility. I think breeders make a big mistake when they breed solely for color, size, or a specific body frame. Color is a matter of preference which is as changeable as the wind. When I tell folks how difficult it is to breed a true black or a spot, assuming they will be impressed with Barney's black foals, I make a big mistake. Some look at me as though to say "so?". Many folks like a standard gray-dun as their first choice. The same with size. We have a few breeding jennets that are 34"-35" by choice because, most importantly, they have exceptional conformation and, in addition, they will produce a jenny or jack who can pull a cart with either children or adults which is something a small miniature should NOT be doing. The criteria for us is conformation which we work hard in achieving through selective breeding. We have no interest in playing with genetics to create an animal far removed from the miniature God created. Other animal breeders have done that in the past to the detriment of the breed. According to friends of ours who are research and teaching veterinarians at Texas A&M, many breeders in the dog, cat, and horse world have created animals that today look nothing like the original animal with its good qualities already inherent in the breed, not to mention the birthing, dwarfism, and structural problems when such breeding is taken to the extreme. Simply stated, our goal is to produce a miniature that is structurally sound, healthy, friendly, and between 32" to 34" either jack or jenny. We want to improve the characteristics of the miniature donkey, not create a "new" one. By doing this, visitors to Quarter Moon Ranch will find the exact miniature for them, be it draft or refined bone, small to large, grey, black,spotted, or sorrel and all with a personality that is a pleasure to their owners.

2. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE BUSINESS?

That one is easy. After the sheer overwhelming love for these animals, it's the people. I can without a doubt say that the people who pull into our ranch are the most genuine, honest, warm and friendly people I have ever met. I rarely see a person who responds to the lovable personality of these donkeys who is not someone that I would love to get to know better. They become extended family when they purchase a donkey from us. We so enjoy the desperate phone calls around foaling time and the updates and pictures we get. Where I will limit myself to a few minutes talking long distance to a relative, I can talk forever long distance to a miniature donkey lover.

3. WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO CONSIDER RAISING MINIATURE DONKEYS?

There are monetary and management reasons that I will address later, but they are just added pluses. We raise miniature donkeys rather than other livestock for the joy these animals bring to us. This isn't a "business" to us, it's a love affair! Anyone who owns a miniature knows exactly what I mean. There is no other animal of which I know whose greatest pleasure in life is just being near you. Pete and I can never care for them enough to repay them for all the joy and wonder they have given us. To see the look in the eyes of a child or adult when they first experience a miniature is priceless. And to share that first time encounter with others when we take them to fairs, schools, and shows is a thrill. One of our "star" donkeys Muffin was in our Christmas cantata at church. She had to walk down the center aisle with Mary and Joseph. It looked so real, tears were in the eyes of the congregation and the choir. We've had down-syndrome children at the ranch and to see the way these donkeys with their easy going nature and curiosity respond to these children, no words can praise these animals for what they do to people. That's why we raise miniatures. Of course, there are practical reasons as well. Miniature donkeys are an animal that is easily managed and easily cared for. Pete and I also raise cattle, and it is a two person job requiring muscle and the danger of injury is always a factor. I can pretty much care for the donkeys alone. Their personalities and curiosity make managing them simple. Space needs are minimal. Also, quality animals are fetching a good price in today's market and fluctuations in the market are not as pronounced as in other breeds.

4. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SHOWING THE MINIATURE DONKEY?

Showing your animal is a fantastic way of getting your name in front of allot of folks and promoting miniature donkeys to the general public as well. I might as well jump in now and make some of my fellow "show buddies" angry with me. I totally disagree with the notion that to sell donkeys you must show. We only recently started showing our jack Barney. Before that, we had sold every donkey and weanling we had to sell and still do. Showing should be fun as well as good for your marketing program. Smart breeders will promote miniature donkeys as well as THEIR miniature donkeys. That's just good business sense for all of our futures. My fear is that some breeders become so serious about it that they lose their good sportsmanship for the sake of a ribbon and falsely believe that the outcome in the show ring determines the validity of their breeding program. Winning first place in one or two shows does not guarantee that the donkey is an exceptional animal or will produce exceptional offspring. Anyone who shows anything, be it donkeys or pickles, must remember that it is one judge's opinion on one given day based on one set of animals from which he must judge. Unfortunately, many breeders want to "win" not "show". The former focuses only on the breeder, the latter focuses on the breed. I have yet to see any miniature donkey run away with first place in every show in which it is entered. When I do, and that will never happen, then I will say that the animal is the best out there. I have seen jacks win in the arena with serious conformation faults. Likewise, I have tried to talk some folks into showing their jack because I think it is one of the best jacks I've seen. (Can you believe a breeder would say that?) I have never had anyone call or visit our ranch who was looking ONLY for progeny from show winners. Barney has placed first or second in most of his shows. But his show wins are just icing on the cake. The cake is looking out over the pasture and seeing straight legs, wide chests, pretty heads, and a very well packaged daughter or son of his. Once again, showing is another activity we do with our donkeys that is fun. We show so we can have experiences just like a recent show where a deaf child in sign language asked his mother to ask Pete if he could ride Barney. Barney was already groomed, sprayed, and his hooves were blacked. Pete picked the boy up, knowing he was going to have to start all over grooming Barney, put him on Barney's back and actually trotted Barney up and down our row with the little boy screaming with joy. His parents said that was the most excited they had ever seen him. The little boy cried when he couldn't take Barney home. Barney didn't win first place that day, but he and Pete won first place in the eyes of one little deaf boy who had never seen a miniature donkey before and one wife who knows that her husband really knows how to "show" a donkey.

5. IF SOMEONE WERE SELECTING A MINIATURE DONKEY, WHAT CRITERIA SHOULD THEY USE FOR SELECTING THE FOLLOWING:

A. A FEMALE BREEDER

Your jenny should be two to three years old before she begins breeding depending on her size, condition, and overall development. Because we prefer our weanlings to mature to 32" to 34" in height (jack or jenny), my ideal breeding jennet is 32" to 35". Bred to a jack which is 32" or so, this foal should have a better chance at good conformation. A wider chest in most cases is characteristic of a wider rib area which should not only help in foaling, but aid the donkey in standing firm and square. Avoid mouth defects, toes in and out, cow-hocks, ridged and concave rear ends, poor tail sets, weak symmetry in the rear end and total body outline, heads that are not in proportion to the rest of the body, etc. And when you find this donkey, buy it because it is rare. Extremes in structural defects is not good in your female breeder and don't buy into the theory that a good jack can correct a laundry list of major conformation faults. If your jack can do it, you're more lucky than genetically wise. If you want quality in your donkey, your best chances of getting it are to breed to quality. That's just common sense. It has paid off for us tenfold. We don't hit homeruns each time, but most. Our herd is not the largest (21 breeding jennets and 2 herdsires) but we bought and bred quality as we built quantity. Also, pedigrees are important but don't become a pedigree snob. A poorly conformed donkey with a recognizable pedigree is still a poorly conformed donkey. If it is a jack, he should definitely not be the cornerstone around which your entire breeding program is built. I see far too many new people get into the miniature donkey business and spend an enormous amount of money on an animal just because it has "original bloodlines" or is a son of "Perfect Jack". I believe that pedigrees are important in determining the height, color, breeding, and genetic makeup in the background of a particular donkey, but look up from the pedigree and look at that donkey. Does it have allot of the faults previously mentioned and if so, are they major or minimal? Not EVERY progeny of "Perfect Jack" is as perfect as he was, and quite frankly, I even wonder if in some cases "Perfect Jack" wasn't more like "Just So-So Jack" and simply the object of an agressive marketing campaign. THE PROOF IS IN THE PROGENY NOT THE PEDIGREE. This is why buying from reputable breeders becomes important.

B. A MALE BREEDER

As previously mentioned, your herdsire is the foundation of your breeding program. He determines the sex due to the makeup of his chromosomes, and he puts his genetic fingerprint on every foal you produce. I've noticed that everyone in the market for a herdsire has the same criteria. They want a breeding age jack (black most of the time) with a good pedigree who is small and a proven breeder. The chances of finding this little guy are about as great as Pete and I selling all the donkeys, moving back to Houston, and living in an apartment on the freeway. Why would anyone sell that jack? You probably could buy him, but what part of your land are you willing to sell to pay for him? Seriously, you may get lucky and find a fire sale or someone who has to avoid inbreeding, but you might think of searching for a younger animal with promise to become that jack, or seek stud service from a jack of which you are fond until you find yours. And when you find him, the key word is not "small" nor "black" but "proven". We bought Barney at two years old. He had never bred. We knew he had extremely correct legs, good top line and chest, and proportion, but the jury was still out until we saw if he could pass those qualities on to his foals. After the first 5 foals, we were encouraged. After the next 5, we were beginning to get happy, after the next 5, we were buying him blankets with his name on them! Then, after we saw his first few jacks and jennets at maturity, that boy gets to stay! This same theory applies to your jennet as well. After a few foals, you will be able to tell to some degree of accuracy what her part in that particular cross is. We breed certain jacks to certain jennets because the end result is better than either of the individuals. It may sound funny, but we want our offspring to be better than the pair from which they are bred, therefore, as good as our boy is, we want his progeny to be even better. To cattle people, this is the basic principle of heterosis or hybrid vigor where the cross exaggerates the best qualities of the parents by bringing to the cross a completely diverse genetic tree. That is also why it is important to have good genes on both sides.

C. A PET QUALITY MINI DONKEY

The criteria for selecting a pet quality miniature donkey is that you forget everything I've just said and look for the most lovable donkey you can find that fits your personality, one that was born just to live at your ranch. If it is a jack, geld it. If it is a jenny, love her, don't breed her. I've talked allot about our emphasis on conformation. Don't think we don't have pet quality animals here at Quarter Moon Ranch. We do AND SO DOES EVERY OTHER BREEDER whether or not they will admit it. Genetics is not an absolute science. But we don't panic because it gives us the opportunity to place donkeys in the homes of people who may otherwise not be able to afford another animal. We want
everyone to share these special "critters" with us.

6. IF YOU SELL A MINIATURE DONKEY TO SOMEONE NEW, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM ABOUT ITS CARE?

If you follow a few basic rules which include worming, vaccinating, health,dental and hoof care, nutritional requirements, clean management practices, and basic responsible animal husbandry, these donkeys will live long and happy lives with fewer health problems.

7. ANY INTERESTING STORIES, FUNNY, HELPFUL HINTS OR OTHER TO SHARE WITH READERS?

I got a call from a young mother in her late twenties wanting us to bring a donkey to her daughters 10th birthday party. I had met Christine when she and her THREE car loads of family came to see the donkeys. I was told at that time that Christine had cancer and was not expected to live. She speaks openly and courageously about her illness. Christine and Kirt have two children and she is one of the most beautiful young women I have ever met. Her daughter had loved the donkeys so that she wanted to surprise her with having one come to her birthday party. She told me that her children's birthdays are more important to her now because of her illness. We COULDN'T refuse. We didn't bring just one donkey, we took weanlings, mommas with babies and Barney. We set up a petting zoo and gave children rides in the cart with Barney. The day was long, exhausting, and very rewarding. She fell ill three days before the party and was released from the hospital only the morning of the party. She was determined to be there. Christine is in failing health but she and her daughter have fond memories of Barney driving Pete, Christine, and the birthday girl all around their ranch- AND SO DO WE. There are always funny and heartwarming moments with our donkeys, but the one story that sums up what these animals are all about came from a farrier we had working with the donkeys when we first got into the "business". Randy is a real Texas cowboy. He looks and acts the part. He raises race horses and quarterhorses and had no place among his sophisticated horse clients and macho rodeo buddies for a donkey, let alone a miniature donkey. After he had been working for us for several months, he said he wanted to buy Pedro, a gelding we had. I said that, of course, I will sell him to you but that he didn't look like the "miniature donkey type". He agreed that he was going to get an enormous amount of teasing for buying Pedro. When asked why he wanted to buy him, Randy replied that after being around these donkeys, "I want to drink coffee and grow old with Pedro". Many horses have come and gone in Randy's life both before and since then. He and his wife divorced. But Randy and Pedro are still drinking coffee and growing old together. That's what miniature donkeys are all about.

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