Children being weighed before donkey rides

As my GP remarked, children ought to be skinny. The trouble is that fat parents overfeed their children with the carb-heavy food they indulge themselves with, so that being fat becomes normal.
It's actually a tragic situation which leads to poor health, the perpetuation of poverty and early death.
I see no harm in what that donkey man said.

Our Sunday School Annual trip to the seaside was the highlight of my young life.

And a 6d donkey ride was my idea of heaven.

Certainly I weighed nothing like 6 stones.

Oh, happy days!

He's doing the right thing, they also have Height restrictions on children "Fun" rides and inside play equipment .
My DD is tall, on one occasion she went to a class mates birthday party , unfortunately she couldn't go on some of the play things because she was unable to walk without bending under the height barrier, she was younger than the child whose party it was, so no different.

The hope is that parents who have overweight kids won’t go near the donkeys after reading about this restriction as I do feel a but sorry for them but understand the donkeys have to come first.

Calendargirl

Our Sunday School Annual trip to the seaside was the highlight of my young life.

And a 6d donkey ride was my idea of heaven.

Certainly I weighed nothing like 6 stones.

Oh, happy days!

Me too. I didn’t have many donkey rides but the ones I had are so vivid in my memory! As an inner city child it was magical.

One mother interviewed said her son was very disappointing and it wasn’t fair. Well I expect he was but life is full of disappointments.

...and it wasn’t fair.

It's fair to the donkey, which is what matters 🫏

Like donkey rides, riding schools are subject to strict LA regulations, not to mention insurance regulations, so in this area most have closed (maybe all). Parents now buy the pony and take it to the Riding “Club” for instruction, some would pay for DIY Livery.

The priority of the donkey has to come first.
I don’t agree with animals being used in this manner, that’s just my personal opinion.

Mine too.

Me too!

And mine. Animals should not be used for entertainment. It troubled me even as a very young child to see donkeys on the beach. Rather than ride them, I wanted to liberate them. My parents wouldn't have allowed me to have a donkey ride in any event. Thankfully they detested all forms of animal cruelty and abuse. We would never attend a circus for example.

Totally agree, what a great owner. In Santorini they used to let anyone get on the poor donkeys and a big fat man got on and killed the donkey, he collapsed under his weight.

staceygrove

Totally agree, what a great owner. In Santorini they used to let anyone get on the poor donkeys and a big fat man got on and killed the donkey, he collapsed under his weight.

In that heat and with such a steep climb, too

I think the weighing for donkyrides should be an absolute must. The owner should post the weightlimit visible to all visitors, and ask that if you weigh more than that to not join in the ride. He/she is absolutely allowed to weigh a person in case of doubt and if this is done discretely and with the parents present I would not consider it fatshaming but protection of the animals.

Absolutely! Parents are responsible for buying what children eat

I'm on the side of the donkeys. It grieves me when I see news items from the Middle East showing donkeys laden with heavy loads or carrying adults.

I agree with all the comments ... but if the donkeys currently used for rides at the seaside are no longer allowed to work, what will happen to them?
I don't know about donkeys, but I would guess they are sociable animals so if the sun isn't too hot for them might they actually enjoy the fuss and attention they get at the seaside in return for carrying light loads?
Perhaps the owner could compensate overweight (or even nervous) children a little by allowing them to lead the donkey or help him take the money or something? It would still make parents aware that being overweight is not acceptable but not shatter the child's self esteem completely.

I very much doubt the donkeys enjoy it. It would be nice if they could be retired to a sanctuary.

It grieves me too Grandmama. I try as far as I can to avoid buying goods which, or the raw materials for which, may have been transported in this way.

I wish the owners of horses and donkeys in overseas holiday resorts would do the same! It disgusts me that some of the huge, wobbling fat people astride these poor animals, think it is such fun, ignoring how the animal feels. Unfortunately it is not possible to point this out to them, and I certainly am not brave enough to do so!!

Sensible! But as someine else said maybe a sign saying 'at owners discretion ' or if you think your child might not meet requirements' As an ex teacher there are more and more overweight kids around, whatever the reason may be. There is the welfare of the donkey to consider so I think he is being a responsible owner

I agree with there being a weight limit and an age limit
But and this is the big but these donkeys would not exist if it weren't for the rides yes there are sanctuaries but they have enough problems with getting money or enough of it to keep the donkeys they have got never mind increasing the number

Thank goodness a thoughtful owner . Kids all love donkey rides but over the years it’s been seen to be cruel. If it’s managed well with donkeys needs coming first then it can be ok. However you do see some poor donkeys ridden to near death. So good on her. People need to stop being to PC it’s about the animal not the rider.

I agree with those who say animals should not be used for entertainment. We humans seem to think we have a right to use any other life form in any way that suits us for our own gratification. Being top of the food chain carries responsibilities as well as privileges and we should carry them out more conscientiously and compassionately.

My daughter volunteered in a bear sanctuary in Romania a few years ago. Bears rescued from disgusting bile farms and circuses, plus roadside photo booths were all accommodated at the sanctuary and allowed to live out their days in peace in their natural environment. She told me that one old bear was so programmed by her old life that she would stand up and twirl around whenever a human volunteer walked by. It broke my daughter's heart.

Perhaps the owner could compensate overweight (or even nervous children) a little by allowing them to lead the donkey or take the money or something?

Really? It’s not his job to nursemaid the children.

🙄