One rather sad donkey called Benny arrived at Bransby Horses just over a year ago, following the death of his field companion.
Much like Arnold Schwarzenegger’s donkey – who lives with a pony – Benny had lived with a horse for many years and so found it hard to form a pair bond with his own species.
When a year passed and Benny had still not found his match within our donkey herds, everyone crossed their fingers he might find a match through the Bransby Horses rehoming scheme.
In less than a week Benny had had over 20 applications from people keen to offer him a foster home with another equine he might want to pair with.
The applications were reviewed, with Benny having the final say on who would get to take him home.
Benny has been living with his new family now for just over a month and has paired with a lovely horse called Bernadette.
Despite Bernadette being much bigger than Benny, the pair are now inseparable and enjoying life within a small herd consisting of two horses and a pony.
Bransby Horses Rehoming Manager Rosanna Hart said: “It seems Benny has found his family again and we couldn’t be more pleased for him. We rehome lots of ponies and horses but we rarely rehome our donkeys as their needs are often quite complex. In this case however, Benny’s needs were able to be met by the foster applicant and we wish them both well as they begin their new life together.”
Donkeys like to live in a herd and pair with one other individual – this behaviour is so instinctive that when one of the pair dies it can adversely affect the health of the remaining animal.
Benny is now under our Perfect Partner Rehoming Scheme which offers some of our rescued animals the chance to enjoy life in a carefully selected loan home, freeing up time and space for the rescue and rehabilitation of others.
We are one of the UK’s largest equine welfare charities with more than a thousand donkeys, ponies, horses and mules in our care.
As a charity our aim is to positively impact the lives of all equines which is why we strive to meet the individual needs of each and every animal in our care.
To find out more about our work or to sponsor one of our equine residents click on ‘How to Help’.
