Since June I've had the opportunity to see donkeys, mules, hinnies and horses in many capacities from dairy donkeys in Italy to carrying sugar cane in Colombia. It still amazes me that there's still so much to learn about these beast of burdens that have been serving mankind for thousands of years!

Enjoy the photographic journal of the long ears from around the world. Today, my travels will take me to Hydra, Greece to a conference devoted to mules, hinnies and donkeys. Most of the Greek islands do not have automobiles and rely on working equips primarily mules and hinnies to unload ships at the docks everything from cargo to tourists. The conference will cover many topics related to long ears. My talk will focus primarily on the physiological and biochemical aspects of mules and hinnies compared to donkeys and horses.

Data presented in the study will include data most recently collected in Colombia at a Paso Fino Mule Farm as well as data collected from long ears in Spain and Portugal. Keep your eyes open as you will see the AMA President, Casie Fairbanks hard at work helping collect data for a conformation study and board of director, Laura Hermason, helping out :-) and taking lots of great pictures.

I first met our wonderful Colombian hosts, Don Ovido Osorio and his lovely daughter Luzma Osorio in 2010 at Bishop Mule Days. They were filming Bishop Mule Days for their Mule TV program and had asked to film Wild Bill, his first Tv appareance.

A few photos from colombia:

Data collection team, Drs Miguel Rueda and Amy McLean, AMA president Casie Fairbanks, the Donkey Sanctuary representatives, Sophie Carter and Pippa Hockin, photo by AMA board of director Laura Hermason