Children being weighed before donkey rides

Well I don’t eat meat Undines and I don’t like any animal being exploited I don’t like horse racing, greyhound racing, bull fighting, donkey rides all day every day, circus animals, animals on t v shows pirouretting, jumping through hoops mice or rats in animal testing I don’t agree with any of it but that’s my personal opinion and I m allowed it

If show jumping and horse racing is okay, what is so wrong with donkey-riding? There is so much horrendous cruelty in the world, animals and humans. Anyone who eats meat has to face up to the horrors animals may endure being transported and slaughtered. Contact with animals is good for children and those who kick the donkey should be taken off its back immediately, and no refund given. I think relationships between animals and humans are reciprocal, and there's nothing wrong with a donkey working. As long as the animal has adequate rest, water and food, gets petted and housed and has medical care when needed, I think donkeys on the beach are a lovely tradition and a lot better than mechanical alternatives. I used to get so excited at having a donkey ride and as I was skinny I don't think I caused much problem. In fact I distinctly remember my great disappointment one time at being told 'The donkeys are tired, they are stopping for a rest'! We had to catch the bus (yes, the bus!!) then, and I missed out.

The truth is the truth - I'm sorry if children feel bad about their weight but these days there's too much avoidance, and even denial of the truth in order to protect someone's 'feelings'. (I'm thinking along the lines of 'Only a woman has a cervix'). So parents need to protect their children from fat shaming, hopefully by keeping them off junk food. As for the donkeys, animals have personalities, they are not just flesh and bone. They may like carrying children and feel a sense of importance - I do not think it's exploiting, to give an animal a purpose. As for the heat, as English people do we worry too much about it? When I was concerned about my dogs in the warm weather, my Spanish vet said 'We have dogs in Spain and they get by just fine!'

Yes definitely well done. The donkeys welfare must come first

auntieflo I totally agree with you!! The poor animals toil all day in the sun, walking endless circles. Then you put on a frisky, possible overweight child and they start kicking the poor animal in the haunches to go faster! Like the poor donkey is going to gallop off the chain gang.

When I was a young child and saw that at the fairgrounds or circus - it made my young heart hurt to see that. I did not want to do that myself.

suelld

Good idea in my view…adding that I never really saw the fun in being led up the beach and back on a smelly-ish animal!

As a child I’d have adored a donkey ride, but it never happened. 🙁

Totally agree with you bigmamma taking dogs out in hot weather on hot pavements in and out of crowded shops Why???
Take the dog for a long cool walk early morning and evening and let it relax in between not cart it around hot crowded shops and pavements
It seems some people just cannot leave them at home

I totally agree with BlueBelle. It's cruel and very outdated now. There's plenty of other ways to amuse children at the beach.

Good idea in my view…adding that I never really saw the fun in being led up the beach and back on a smelly-ish animal!

Oh bum.
marching.

Me neither.
Let's face it, most pets would be given their matching orders if they had to "earn" the privilege of being kept by us.

Your donkey was in a very different situation. He didn’t have to walk up and down for hours every day in the heat with children on his back. I don’t agree that any animal has to earn its keep.

When I owned a donkey he really seemed to enjoy giving our kids and their friends a ride. If the donkeys you see on the beach were retired to a leafy meadow who would be paying for their keep and the the use of the land. Like most of us it’s a sad fact of life we have to earn our keep

Maybe the parents of these kids should weigh their children first, before setting off for the seaside- if they know their kids are too heavy, they won’t need to fat shame them in front of the queue.

I don't like donkey riding. Always feel sad for the animals.

However I am totally on the owners side. This isn't fat shaming. It's keeping the donkey safe which is far more important.

Donkey riding should be abolished. Animals cannot tell you when they are feeling ill and they are out day after day on a hot sandy beach walking back and forth all day.

They should strap a saddle on a human being and make them carry people on their backs on a hot day across hot sandy beacks.

I don't even like seeing dogs on leads being out on hot days, the pavements can get really hot. I have just come back from a holiday in the UK and could not believe how many poor dogs were being dragged through streets of shoppers and holidaymakers, terrible. The poor things.

Good idea that he’s thinking of his donkeys so he should be.

BlueBelle

Donkeys shouldn’t be out in the hot sun walking all day with
6 st on their back It should be banned completely

This! Absolutely right.

correct ! Well said

At last, putting animals welfare first gets my vote.

I agree about the so called ‘fat shaming’. There are a lot of reels that pop up on Facebook posted by obviously very heavy people riding horses and even jumping them. The horses are usually very fine and clearly not up to the weight of the person on their back. This leads to lots of heated comments with some people pointing out the obvious only to be accused of ‘fat shaming’. This is followed by ‘you’re an amazing rider, you ‘ride light’, don’t listen to the haters etc etc’. It makes my blood boil. So much sense of entitlement, just like the parents who have no regard for the donkeys’ welfare.

Good for the donkey owner. They are cared for well and get most if the year off.
To those that say we shouldn’t keep animals for our entertainment , i hope that you don’t keep a dog or cat.

Good for him the donkey owner.

...don't you think this shaming thing gets taken out of context.? It's a personal thing about weight
No it shouldn't be mentioned if skinny or fat unless it's relevant to a topic you've agreed on

It's always about personal responsibility. ( which is seriously lacking in UK. Litter throwing eg!!!!)
If you don't know roughly weight of your child maybe you should or not mind checking on scales. It's not fat shaming to protect an animal you will sit on!? It's a fact, are you too heavy or not!? No shaming at all