Why bad weather turns a donkey into a real Eeyore

NEXT time your trip to the seaside is a washout, think of the donkeys.

It turns out that unlike horses, which are happy to be outdoors no matter the weather, donkeys hate the wind and rain just as much as humans do.

Researchers at Portsmouth University have found that the animals would much rather trot for cover as the heavens open than stand on the beach, preferring to be under shelter unless the sun is shining.

Dr Leanne Proops, whose team studied 208 donkeys for 16 months in Devon and Somerset, said: ‘Horses are thought to have been domesticated in the temperate regions of Eurasia, while domestic donkeys originated from the African wild ass in semi-arid regions of north-east Africa.

‘This means that horses tend to be better adapted to the temperate climate of the UK, whereas donkeys are better suited to hotter, drier climates.

‘We hope these findings can be used by those who care for either species to better protect them from conditions they’re not suited to.’