Mules and Donkeys

One of the advantages of having guests to stay is to have a cast-iron excuse to visit sites of interest in our region and leave housework to its own devices. It has thus worked out during the stay of Rebecca. True, the house looks a little frayed around the edges, but when you think of the chaos into which any sixteen-year-old can reduce a tidy bedroom they have little excuse to raise an eyebrow!

  With this in mind, we decided yesterday to visit the Assinerie du Baudet de Poitou, not far from us at Dampierre sur Boutonne.
 You may not know that our region of Poitou Charente was famous for its large and powerful mules. Many thousands were sold each year all over France and were used for ploughing and drawing carts as well as for pack animals by the Army. Now a mule is the result of an unnatural union between a male donkey and a female horse. The resulting off-spring has the advantages of both its parents, being as large and powerful as the horse with the hardiness and calmness of the donkey. It is however sterile, so to get another mule you have to go back to the seller which must have been another plus for the trade! The advent of the tractor in the Thirties wiped out this commerce and the breed of donkey and horse needed to create these animals almost died out till enthusiasts rescued them a few years ago. That is the reason for the Assinerie where breeding groups of the large donkey and impressive horses are being nurtured.
  We found a well-maintained farm with an interesting visitor-centre and reception, frequent guided tours of the fields where the horses, donkeys and mules are grazing and above all, the opportunity of caressing the adorable little new-born foals. As the centre is subsidised by the region the admission fee is very reasonable and I can thoroughly recommend a visit if you are in the area! I`ll try to add a few photos though the computer is obstinate today! I think it must have absorbed some mulishness...

                Bye for now!