Alie Ward

And asked about hoof issues too, but do they have a really different structure?

Is that why they're more sure-footed?

So this means that as opposed to horses, donkeys have kind of taller hooves with less of an angle at the bottom than a horse does.

So imagine like a horse's hoof is a wedge heel and a donkey's is like a point shoe, if you like exaggerated analogies.

And if you're wondering how much burden these beautiful beasts can handle, I was also wondering that.

And it depends on how big they are and also who you ask.

And according to a 2022 paper, the welfare concerns for mounted load carrying by working donkeys in Pakistan in the journal Frontiers of Veterinary Science, there's little research, they say, regarding mounted load carrying limitations of working donkeys.

But larger donkeys can carry what handlers tend to say is about 28% of their body weight or around 100 pounds.

But some research out of India says that they can carry up to 50% of their body weight and

And in some heavy labor conditions, like in masonry, donkeys have been noted to carry nearly 120% of their body weight.

But the study notes that donkeys loaded at more than 50% body weight were more likely to splay out when they lie down, which is a sign of back issues, which is not shocking considering that they're carrying more than their body weight in like bricks.

But horses, on the other hand, which are larger, obviously, they can safely carry 15 to 25% of their body weight, so much less.

And mules, remember the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, can carry up to 30% of their body weight, so they are stronger than horses.

So patron Pachinko Joe asked, are donkeys happy to carry our stuff for us on a hike?

And if so, how much is too much?

And Honeybee also asked about donkey rides.

And Carissa May said, under what conditions should pack donkeys be freed from traversing trails like the Grand Canyon?

Is that humane work or should humans hoof that trail unaided?

How do you feel about donkey or mule tours, riding a donkey?

For some reason I see that and I think, I don't know how well they're treated.