The Pyrenean, french: italic=no, Âne des Pyrénées, is a French breed of

domestic donkey The domestic donkey is a hoofed mammal in the family Equidae, the same family as the horse. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a ...

. It is distributed in a large area of south-western France, covering the whole of the regions of

Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 Janu ...

Midi Pyrénées MIDI (; Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a technical standard that describes a communications protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and rel ...

and

Languedoc Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon (; oc, Lengadòc-Rosselhon ; ca, Llenguadoc-Rosselló) is a former regions of France, administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania (administrative re ...

. The largest concentration is in Aquitaine, which is a large part of the historic region of Gascony. The Pyrenean donkey breed unites two quite different types: the short and powerful Gascon type, and the taller and more elegant Catalan type, which is the French population of the

Catalan donkey The Catalan donkey ( ca, Ase Català, italic=yes or , es, Asno Catalán, italic=yes) is a breed of large domestic donkeys from the historic region of Catalonia, now in north-eastern Spain and south-western France. Approximately 80% of the b ...

breed, approximately 20% of the total number of which is in the Roussillon.

History

The Pyrenean donkey was flourishing at the start of the twentieth century; the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

reduced rural populations, and the donkey population also fell. The effects of the mechanisation of agriculture and transport led to a greater decline. The lowest point was reached in the 1990s, when no more than 20 animals remained. The breed was reconstituted with stock imported from Spain. A

breeders' association Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members o ...

, the , was formed in 1994, and in 1997 the breed was officially recognised by the ministry of agriculture and the

Haras Nationaux The Haras Nationaux in France (English literal translation ''national stud farms'') was the French national public administrative body responsible for the regulation and administration of breeding of horses and donkeys in France. It administere ...

. The association maintains the stud book for the breed.

Characteristics

Jacks of the Gascon type stand at the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle a ...

, and jennies . Catalan jacks measure a minimum of , and jennies a minimum of ; there is no maximum height for the Catalan type. The coat may be glossy black, near-black, ''

pangaré Pangaré is a coat trait found in some horses that features pale hair around the eyes and muzzle and underside of the body. These pale areas can extend up to the flanks, throat and chest, behind the elbows, in front of the stifle, and up the b ...

'' black, or chestnut bay. The lower part of the muzzle and the surround of the eyes are pale, as is the belly; there is no dorsal stripe, shoulder-stripe or zebra-striping of the legs. Most physical characteristics differ between the two types.

Use

The Gascon type was used for agricultural work, both in harness and as a pack animal, carrying wood, hay, ice and the like. As in the past, Catalan jacks are used to sire mules; they may be bred with Castillonnais, Mérens or Navarrin mares of the region. Pyrenean jennies may also be used to produce

asses' milk Donkey milk (or ass milk, or jenny milk) is the milk from the domesticated donkey ''(Equus asinus)''. It has been used since antiquity for cosmetic purposes as well as infant nutrition. History Donkey milk has been used by humans for alimenta ...

for cosmetic use.

References

{{equine Donkey breeds Donkey breeds originating in France Fauna of the Pyrenees