Donkey grooming is a great way to get up close and personal with some of the wonderful donkeys we have here at Charnwood Forest. During this experience, you’ll learn about donkey care and help look after one of our rescue donkeys, who have all been rehomed and given a wonderful new home at Charnwood Forest, with space to roam, time to relax and play, and the chance to meet all of our lovely guests!

Our Donkey Grooming experience is a brilliant opportunity to get to know some of the practical aspects of donkey care, and give our fuzzy friends a bit of a pamper session! Ideal for families and groups who want the opportunity to meet our donkeys up close but maybe aren’t quite up to a longer donkey walk experience! All members of your party should be over the age of 10, and we operate a one-person per donkey system to ensure both you and your donkey gets the most out of the experience!

This experience is weather dependent, see below for the different variations:

April - September
You’ll get to wash and rinse your new friend with a rough sponge and hose, before gently removing excess water with a small scraper. Then, it’s time for a relaxing brush-down to remove any dust and dirt, a soft brush for their legs and face, and a mane and tail combing. Finally, it’s time for a quick pedicure and a chemical-free conditioner before saying goodbye to your beautifully groomed bestie!

October - March
You will give your donkey a relaxing brush-down to remove any dust and dirt, a soft brush for their legs and face, and a mane and tail combing. Instead of hosing down we give the donkeys more of a pedicure, including polish for their nails! You will also learn all about their feed and give your companion a small feed before saying goodbye to your beautifully groomed bestie!

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All participants must be aged 10 and over.
All 10-16 year olds will need an adult spectator to accompany them. Spectators will be able to take photos and must be on hand in case of an emergency, but will not be able to join in with the experience.
You will only require one ticket for a 10-16 year old plus adult supervisor.

Looking After Our Donkeys

At Charnwood Forest, our animals are our passion, and their welfare is of the utmost importance to us. All of our donkeys have been rehomed from Skegness beach and given a new lease of life in the paddocks and fields of our 110-acre farm. All of our donkeys, like our alpacas, pigs, horses and sheep, are fully licenced by their vets and the local council to be safe, comfortable and healthy before taking part in any of our experiences, and we never push our animals or allow them to be put into stressful situations, for their own safety and well being, and for the safety of our guests as well. Nothing trumps the safety of our animals and we are always working to ensure they’re getting the best possible care and are staying safe and well.