HEFTY children will no longer be able to enjoy a donkey ride on days out to the seaside.
New rules drawn up to protect the animals from backache mean that kids who weigh over eight stone will be banned from riding at resorts across the country when the code is launched in Blackpool today.
The constitution, written by the Donkey Sanctuary and the British Equine Vets' Association, is being presented to the mayor Peter Callow - but the resort has been ahead of the herd for over 60 years.
A donkey charter was introduced there in 1942 banning heavy children from riding the resort's 200 donkeys. It also spearheaded other rules contained in the new code which will standardise the level of care for 800 hard-working donkeys - also known as asses - across the country. The constitution awards the animals a day off each week and an hour's break to be taken at lunch time or early evening each day. It will also see them undergo a fitness MoT in springtime ahead of the busy summer holiday season.
Blackpool's equine workers already enjoy a dinner break and Fridays off as well as a veterinary inspection on the promenade car park before they start their eight months of work each year.
Blackpool councillor Henry Mitchell said: "It is wonderful that these kinds of rules are to apply to resorts nationwide. Donkeys are a seaside institution. We want to keep them happy and healthy and ensure they are not carrying too much weight.
"We've been the only resort in the country to have a charter for their welfare and we adhere strongly to it.
"In my 20 years on the council I've never had a donkey owner accused of ill treating their animals."
Owners operate 25 stands in Blackpool on a rotation basis, picking straws for more prominent spots.
Tweet
The law is an ass!
April 04, 2008
Blackpool donkeys.
Showing comments 1 to 13 and replies | View All
ace, manchester (04/04/2008 at 11:38)
Pippa, Manchester (04/04/2008 at 12:11)
The Bobelesque, MANCHESTER (04/04/2008 at 12:34)
Problem might be to find ANY kids who weigh less than 8 stone!
alvinlwh (04/04/2008 at 12:37)
leep, Manchester (04/04/2008 at 12:49)
Q: What do Blackpool donkeys get for lunch?
A: Half an hour.
sinnikal, Manchester (04/04/2008 at 13:09)
hjk (04/04/2008 at 13:27)
dessie, manchester (04/04/2008 at 13:50)
didarunna2spain, Tarragona Spain. (04/04/2008 at 15:28)
Wanted:person to ensure that Blackpool donkey owners possess a set of metric scales and to visit them on a daily basis to calibrate said scales and to sign a log book to record that calibration.Further duties to include stnding on the promanade with a set of binoculars and a video camera in order to record the fact that the owner of the donkeys may not weigh every child and may actually allow overweight children to mount the donkeys.In such cases,the applicant should be comfortable about prosecuting the aforementioned donkey owner.
This post is open to an animal lover of any gender or ethnic orientation.A salary of 30K pa.is offered plus a non cont.pension.
A Blackpool weighting allowance is included as is mini moke company car.
It is a challenging job and not one to sit on your ass.
carol heale (04/04/2008 at 16:27)
didarunna2spain, Tarragona Spain. (04/04/2008 at 18:32)
What about the rights of the child? He/she could be well traumatised!
Katy Davis (04/04/2008 at 18:36)
I disagree with most comments here! Donkeys are very versatile animals - I have one myself. They have been bred to withstand immense weights, and I have no problem riding him myself (10.5st) or indeed letting both my children (aged 8 and 11) ride him (providing they both haven't had a big meal beforehand etc). He never so much as bats an eyelid. kittyd7015@yahoo.co.uk
BluePolarBear, ex of Stockport (05/04/2008 at 03:27)
Also how does ethnicity,gender etc come into so many of your posts?Even when it is irrelevant to the article.I bet you are one of those ex-pats who goes around moaning about how Britain is full of immigrants."PC madness moan moan" "rights for animals moan moan".."Spain is full of Spaniards moan moan"..Do you add an "O" to the end of your words,and then fall about laughing?
As for this article,it's good that donkeys will be protected from overweight kids.It wasn't intended that donkeys spend their existence ferrying people up and down a beach.The least we can do is to make sure their are standards which stop potential suffering.Even if the donkey ,appears to handle the weight,the long term effects,must be painful.