Jonathan Turner

When asked to think of methods to combat stress and anxiety, you might think of mindfulness, exercise and self-care. One you may not have heard of however, is equine therapy. This is a service, among many other events, offered by Kinedale Donkeys.

Robert Wallace, co-founder and head trainer, who started the business when he was 21 years old, says: “I have had the donkeys all my life but I never actually thought about them becoming my business” and he always thought he would have another job.

He explains that the idea of running events at the farm emerged as a result of the pandemic, initially sharing photographs on social media and recording stories with donkeys for children to listen to.

Then, attempting to find a way to keep 25 donkeys, it was the realisation that he couldn’t maintain a full-time job and keep that many animals that spurred this venture. “I knew at that point how lucky I was to have the farm to keep me busy…when so many others didn’t have any outdoor space” and he adds how helpful he thought this space could be for the mental wellbeing of others.

Robert is hoping to bring the four-legged friends to Belfast universities soon (Credit: Kinedale Donkeys)

Despite not being a trained therapist, Robert asserts that a key goal from the start was to offer equine therapy to visitors. This began with letting them spend time with the animals outside to promote health and wellbeing. Soon after, he was contacted by the Southeastern Trust to run a project, including bringing a team of therapists to the farm.

The nature of donkeys is well suited to this as “like us, they build bonds with each other and are social creatures”. They are non-judgmental and say what they mean, he says, adding that “if they come forward and look willing, they want to do it”. This emotional intelligence is particularly helpful in assisting mental stability as it is possible to build a rapport with the donkey and to create a relationship built on empathy.

Another facet of donkey-mediated therapy sessions includes the benefits they can provide to those with dementia. The Kinedale team had been bringing donkeys to nursing homes for a while, which gained a positive reception.

Word of mouth spread and this became a popular event but “it was when we weren’t visiting them anymore [due to the pandemic] that we were getting messages from the care homes.” Residents missed the donkeys so much they even requested videos of them.

“One resident…she never spoke…suddenly started asking all these questions about Dennis” as they had grown up around donkeys. For Robert, the most amazing thing is that “the donkeys walk away from it not even knowing what they’ve done”.

Alongside equine therapy, the wide range of events offered at Kinedale certainly impresses, from sunset picnics and forage walks to date nights with donkeys. On coming up with these ideas, Robert says he always starts with the question: “How can I get people involved with the donkeys?” and is always looking for unique events that people want to go to. He explains that a lot of people felt it was only for children and wants to address this assumption by running events for adults as well.

The donkeys certainly seem to have a knack for bringing people out of their shell. “You get teenagers who think they’re too cool… you look away and you look back and they’re taking selfies with the animals,” Robert says. He also mentions his aim of bringing the donkeys to Queen’s and Ulster Universities within the next year, complete with brushes and an obstacle course.

The donkeys are well suited to these varied events as they “have a feature called biofeedback, they replicate the emotions of their handler.” This quality means that they work well with all age groups and are fantastic for teaching children and those with learning difficulties.

Indeed, the similarities with humans don’t end there and Robert says that before each event “the donkeys decide themselves if they want to come out – like us they have a social battery.” During each of these events the donkeys always seem to match the people they are working with and, reflecting on a recent event, Robert notes that “the kids had the same personality as their donkey”.

Their calm demeanor can help those dealing with anxiety however this is what has led to the unfair stereotype of donkeys as ‘stubborn’ animals. Rather than acting rapidly in a fight or flight scenario, they intelligently assess their surroundings and will reward the patience of the handler.

For students, Robert recommends events such as the date nights which are not just for couples, but mainly were established as an event exclusively for adults to visit the donkeys .“Because there will be no kids, there adults can feel like they can actually be silly,” he says.

Group bookings for certain events are also possible. Robert is hoping to run several Halloween events including a spooky evening for adults so keep an eye on their website for more information.

Jonathan Turner is a health and lifestyle reporter at The Scoop

Creature comforts: Kinedale donkey therapy is for everyone – even students