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Miniature donkey makes friends with gentle giant


  • A tiny new arrival at the Miniature Pony Centre in Devon has made friends with a gentle giant on the yard.

    Mediterranean miniature donkey foal Eros was born on 4 May and has since been delighting visitors to the farm in Newton Abbot.

    The plucky little youngster was recently introduced to Buster, the centre’s 16.2hh Shire, and the pair hit it off straight away.

    “I think Buster was more scared than Eros was,” Joanna Ginsberg of the Miniature Pony Centre told H&H.

    “That was the first day he [Eros] went out on the grass. He went mental and dashed around.”

    Eros’ name was chosen by the centre’s Facebook fans, under the theme of mythology.

    “We let our customers chose from themed names every year for the foals,” added Ms Ginsberg.

    “He was nameless for a long time. We think Eros is quite fitting for him.”

    The long-eared foal, who is expected to grow to 11hh, joins the centre’s 10-strong herd of Mediterranean miniature donkeys of predominantly broodmares.

    The donkey herd lives alongside the farm’s 60 Shetland ponies, Muffin the mule, Buster the Shire horse and Harris the Suffolk punch.

    Slovenian Lipizzanas, Zen and Jadrankra, also recently joined the farm.

    Visitors to the centre can also meet cockatiels, chickens, peacocks, pheasants, guinea fowl and peafowl, as well as rabbits, guinea pigs and mice.

    The Miniature Pony Centre is open seven days a week from 21 March to 1 November.

    For more information visit: www.miniatureponycentre.com or call 01647 432 400.

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