Summer fun at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary!

Join us for a summer filled with exciting activities at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary from July 27 to August 31 2024.

Whether you're a devoted donkey lover or just seeking a fun day out, we have something for everyone, every day of the week.

Our daily summer activities

Donkey Experiences:

Our favourite activity - a chance for you to get fully immersed at life at the donkey sanctuary for a couple of hours. This really is something special!
You'll be with a member of our dedicated and expert team for a unique behind-the-scenes experience of our sanctuary. Find out how we care for our animals, take care of a donkey yourself right down to mucking out or picking up poo!

Read a review from May 2024:

"I had a wonderful experience being hands on with feeding, mucking out, grooming and walking the donkeys. Sam was a superb mentor during my time there and I learned so much about the charity and the donkeys themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and would highly recommend it."

The Isle of Wight Donkey Experience is available twice a day all year round at 11am and 1.30pm. Please book at least 72 hours in advance. We take reservations and check with our yard team before confirming your booking. Reserve your place online.

Meet Our Donkeys Tours:

Twice a day, at 11.30am and 1.30pm you can join our free tours to learn about our sanctuary and hear stories about our lovely donkeys and ponies. The tours are always very popular, please book your tour in advance on our website.

Extra summer activities

Pamper a Donkey:

Learn how we care for our donkeys and enjoy the chance to pamper them, cuddle them and get up close! This 50 minute session is available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays and 11am and 1.30pm plus an extra session at 2.30pm on a Monday only. Book your session online.

Pamper a Shetland Pony:

Discover how we care for our super Shetland ponies and get hands-on with pampering them, including their lovely long manes and forelocks! Available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1.30pm. Book your session online.

Donkey Grooming Sessions:

A brilliant opportunity to spend 15 minutes giving one of our donkeys a groom; help make them look their best while enjoying plenty of cuddles. Available on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Book your grooming session online.

Picnic Meadow Storytime:

Relax in our Picnic Meadow this summer and meet Rosie Button and Kangarillapig! They’ll be here for 30 minutes of storytime, singing and dancing every Wednesday from July 31 to August 28 at 11am and 1pm.

Free activity - weather dependent.

Find out more about what's on and all our activities. Don't forget Music in the Courtyard most weekends.

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Equine Treatment Centre

by abigail.fox • 7 November 2024

In late 2022, we started fundraising to establish an equine clinic at the sanctuary. Thanks to your generosity, we raised £125,000 from the initial campaign. This is ringfenced to spend on the Equine Treatment Centre. In the summer of 2023, we paused fundraising and undertook a separate feasibility study, using the generous free support of a civil engineer. We used this opportunity to make sure our build plans were making the very best use of your donations and the funds we had raised. We’ve tweaked the initial plan and have planning permission to undertake a project that will greatly support our high standards of equine welfare. We plan to: Repurpose an existing structure to house the Equine Treatment Centre thus reducing construction costs. Construct an equine rehabilitation barn on the site originally intended for the clinic. Create an isolation barn at the site’s perimeter. This will mean we can provide the very best care for equines needing isolation for medical treatment or observation. We will focus first on building the new barns, then move on to repurposing existing structures into our Equine Treatment Centre. The work cannot start until spring at the earliest, when we hope the ground will have dried out and the machinery will be able to move around the site. We need to make sure our precious paddocks are well looked after while the building work takes place.