As I watch the donkeys eating in the new barn, I notice that several periodically wag their tails, while two others are non-waggers. Does anyone know if tail-wagging behavior while eating is related to age?

80% of rolling occurs in a spot where another equine has rolled and part of its function may be to include the opportunity to deposit scent over the body.

Males especially smell chosen sites before and after rolling.

Rolling could also be linked to grooming and scratching hard to reach areas.

The Donkey Sanctuary runs yearly workshops for its foster donkey owners and private donkey owners throughout the country and in fact for anybody who is interested in learning about donkeys. In 2009 the topic is ‘Why Does My Donkey….?’ which devotes the entire day to the understanding of donkey behaviour, the origins of the donkeys and why donkeys undertake the activities that they do.