Everyone loves the seaside donkeys, it’s a tradition that goes back over a hundred years to Victorian Times, to the birth of the Great British Seaside Resort! Have a look at the seaside donkeys of the Fylde Coast.
Where can you ride a Seaside Donkey?
Times have changed and there aren’t as many groups of donkeys on the beach as there once were. But your children can still have a ride on the sandy beaches here on the Fylde Coast. We caught up with one group in June 2021 –
You’ll find them on central beach at Blackpool and at St Annes beach near the Pier. The groups stand in the sunshine, waiting patiently for their riders.
They still have traditional names like Dolly, Daisy, Bronco and Bobby. And they wear their names on their bridles so children and parents can identify their favourite one.
There’s always an age/height/weight restriction on who can ride them, and sorry, but adults aren’t allowed! Their little saddles have a metal hoop attached so that junior riders can hold on tight and not fall off.
The donkeys are led in their group (of no more than eight animals) at walking pace along their short route, to delight their little riders.
Welfare of Blackpool Seaside Donkeys
It’s a fair bet that, if we were to go back to the the late 1800’s, we’d now cringe at the way the donkeys were looked after back then. Animal welfare was non-existent in those days, for most types of animal.
But on 14 May 1942, the ‘Donkeys Charter’ was issued. Following serious concerns about how the animals were kept, the new Charter banned fat people and adults from riding them and obliged the owners to give them breaks. This is also the time when annual licensing came into force.
With the passage of time things have improved even more and there are now firm rules around the operation of seaside donkeys.
Looking After Donkeys Today
In Blackpool, the person who owns the donkeys has a ‘proprietors’ license to operate them on the beach. Each donkey driver (the person who walks them on the beach) holds their own license too. Licenses are renewed annually.
In 2018 DEFRA introduced new Animal Welfare Regulations which include the hiring out of horses.
In the past, groups of donkeys were all brought to one Blackpool car park so they could be inspected by council appointed vets. That changed in 2019 because of the new rules. Now the vet carries out home visits to their stables. Blackpool donkeys have also been microchipped since 14 June 2002, so the RSPCA can keep a closer eye on them.
In Blackpool there are five donkey stables, plus a couple of others outside the resort. They’re all checked, in a move to improve animal welfare. The donkeys live in Blackpool from April to October, and go to Lancashire farms over winter for their own holidays.
Oh, and the drivers are expected to pick up the poo to keep the beach and sea water clean!
Did you know?
The strict licensing rules for seaside donkey owners ensure that the animals are well looked after.
- Donkey dinner time
Did you know that donkeys have a lunch break every day? With their saddles loosened they can enjoy their food and water - Donkey day off
Did you know that Blackpool donkeys get Fridays off? Back in the mists of time, Friday was the day when holiday makers would arrive in and leave the town - Maximum load
Did you know that rides must be under 8 stones in weight, or 14 years of age? - Modern donkeys!
In August 2014, Blackpool donkeys were the first in history to accept contactless Barclaycard payments for rides!
History of Seaside Donkeys
When did donkey rides begin here on the Fylde?
It’s believed that they date back to around 1890 in Blackpool. But it would be great to find some evidence and/or photos to prove it!
Draught ‘horses’ were used in the cockling industry. Seaside donkeys were probably working animals used in the fishing industry.
Rides are known to have first been on offer way back in 1886 in Weston Super Mare, then in 1895 on the East coast in Bridlington. It’s likely that their owners saw the money-making potential of offering children’s rides!
Thanks again to Nick Moore’s History of Blackpool for the following fascinating information.
In the 1830’s donkeys had progressed from carrying packages and taking people to the countryside. Now, their owners realised the animals could provide excitement to tourists who arrived at the seaside, and it rapidly became big business. In 1854, rival Southport donkey men invaded Blackpool beach. But they soon fled after coming into battle with local owners!
Coloured donkeys were first used in Lytham by the Elston family in the early 1920s. And more than 200 donkeys were registered by the 1940’s.
Your Memories
The Visit Fylde Coast Facebook Group had a chat about seaside donkeys in the olden days.
David Wall shared this photo of them on the beach at Cleveleys. The building in the background is Rossall Mount, a large house with outbuildings. The Beach Camp was later established in its grounds.
Patricia Roberts also remembers the donkeys at Cleveleys, and at one time, a mule joining them. A mule is a cross between a horse and donkey.
There were also donkeys on Bispham beach near the Norbreck. Cindy Sinclair remembers them coming to the beach each day in a horsebox. Lora White used to see them in a pack of about 12, walking south to their stables along Fleetwood Road, past Mossom Lane where she lived as a child.
Featuring the Seaside Donkey…
Of course the donkey appears in much of the seaside memorabilia that we see in the holiday gift shops today. Here at Visit Fylde Coast we’re very fond of this quiet, patient creature and can’t resist a bit of it ourselves!
This loveable pack-animal is often referenced in the name of venues and pubs. Like the Laughing Donkey Family Bar at South Pier…
This grainy donkey ride dates back to about 1980. Apart from the quality of the photo, nothing much else has changed!
While you’re here…
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