b"with his topline diving down in the middle. Its not unusual for these animalsOld Stone Faceto appear this way in old age because they lose their topline very easily, saysThe recently developed horse grimace scale (HGS) provides us with information about McLean. At the same time, theyre gettingdetecting signs of discomfort in our horses faces. But subsequent research revealed that a bigger belly thats pulling down on thatinformation doesnt apply to donkeys and mules. Theyre far more stoic, researchers agree. topline, with gravity that takes over withAnd theyve also got thicker facial hair that hides expressions youd see more easily on a age. Then theyve got a longer back andThoroughbred, for instance. loin area compared to the underline, put- And its not just the face; its the whole-body posture, says Amy McLean, PhD, equine ting them at a greater risk than horses forlecturer at the University of California, Davis. I once saw a donkey suffering from peritonitis weakness, she says.(inflammation of the abdominal lining)which is really painful. I have three days of video Good exercise can help keep thatof her face, but it never really changed aside from a little more blinking and opening of the topline from falling too much in seniors,nostrils.McLean says. We do side-to-side andDonkeys are also unlikely to stop eating or drinking until theyre in the worst stages of an under-the-leg exercises with carrots, andillness, she says.even lateral exercises like for a ridingResearch teams at Utrecht University, in the Netherlands, are currently working on a horse. Carrot exercises are so easy withgrimace scale for donkeys, which will help owners and professionals avoid missing a health donkeys because they respond very wellcondition simply because the donkey didnt act sick or painful, says Alex Thiemann, MA, to food. VetMB, Cert EP, MRCVS, veterinary surgeon at The Donkey Sanctuary. As for mules, the fact that theyre more closely related to horses doesnt give them an advantage. Theyre very robust and probably even worse at showing pain behavior than Eat Like a Donkey donkeys, says Thiemann.Christa Lest-Lasserre, MAA donkeys metabolism just isnt made for the kinds of diets we feed horses and ponies. Donkeys evolved from animals that survived on very little, in Africa andremain fairly stoic, says Thiemann.like it, and it can make them go off their Asia, browsing a poor-quality, high-fiberWell often see quite advanced laminitisfeed, Thiemann says, putting them at diet more than grazing grass, Thiemannchanges in our donkeys, with laminiticrisk of secondary disease. If a donkey says. And theyve adapted well to that.rings on the external hoof wall and withgoes off his feed, hes more likely to get Donkeys need one-third less calorie in- rotations and sinking of the pedal (coffin)hyperlipidemia (high fat levels in the take than a pony of the same size. So theybones, she says.blood) than a big horse, she says, which often need restricted grazing.Regular checkups by a professionalcan cause lethargy, weakness, decreased Theyve also got a much longer gas- farrier can help detect these issues, ourwater intake, and diarrhea. trointestinal transit time, McLean adds.sources say. So can a familiarity with the They can eat on Monday, and the foodsclassic signs of pain in a donkey.Exercise and Maintenancestill with them on Thursday or Friday. The last thing an old donkey or mule And because they have slightly differ- needs is solitude in a bare paddock. An ent gut bacteria than horses, ThiemannAn older donkeyolder donkey needs enrichment activities says, their colons absorb more waterneeds enrichment activ- (that encourage movement) in the field from a very fibrous diet. To meet theor be taken on walks or continued to be particular needs of its aging donkeys anditiesIt's importantexercised, even longed, McLean says. mules, The Donkey Sanctuary keeps themfor their physical andIts important for their physical and their on a predominantly straw-based diet withmental health.mineral/vitamin supplements, rather thantheir mental health. As they age, though, consider turning a hay-based diet. them out in flatter fields that are easier DR. AMY MCLEANIf their teeth are deteriorating, how- on old bones and joints, says Thiemann. ever, theyre at risk of impaction colic. InAs their sight deteriorates, make sure that case, we move them onto a beddingPituitary pars intermedia dysfunctiontheir environment stays the same and of shavings and a diet thats pre-chopped(PPID, or equine Cushings disease) is asthat they have a regular buddy. Finally, but still low-calorie, Thiemann says.common in mules and donkeys as it ischoose shavings over straw as bedding, in horses. But again, the warnings arewhich can allow mules and donkeys Warning: PPID and Laminitis far more difficult to detect. The biggestto rest more comfortably, reducing the An overfed donkey or mule is at highsigns are not shedding the hair coat andnumber of times they have to lie down risk for developing metabolic issuesandthe fat deposits, McLean says. But fatand get up.that risk increases as they become olderdeposits are common even in healthyAging donkeys and mules require and more sedentary. Laminitis is verydonkeys. In mules the fat deposits are go- plenty of TLC from their caretakers. common in donkeys, but by the timeing to be more specific to PPID. They need careful grooming, which is a they show signs of it, its often too late forThe current PPID treatment fortime when owners can check for tumors, management, McLean says.these animals is the same as for horses:lice, and discharge from the eyesall Unlike laminitic horses that shift theirpergolide. Unfortunately, however, theof which theyre susceptible to as their weight and have performance issues,medication isnt perfectly adapted to long- immune systems start to run down, affected donkeys simply lie down andeared equids. Donkeys and mules dontThiemann says. While donkeys arent very March 2018 THE HORSE TheHorse.com 19"