About Benson Ranch

Dr Mitch and Cindy Benson with BR Lotta Chrome

Benson Ranch was established in 1992

ABOUT US

AND THE RANCH

BENSON RANCH IS 360 ACRES OF SERENITY - AT LEAST MOST OF THE TIME! MY HUSBAND, MITCH, IS AN EQUINE VETERINARIAN AND PROVIDES HIS EXPERTISE AND GUIDANCE AS NEEDED, AND I, CINDY, RUN THE RANCH. WE USUALLY HAVE 80-100 MINIATURE DONKEYS HERE WHICH ARE MY PASSION. MITCH RAISES MINIATURE COWS AND LOVES THEM AS MUCH AS I DO MY DONKEYS. WE BOTH ARE HORSEMEN AND ARE AVID PACKERS WITH OUR DRAFT MULES. THE RANCH IS A SECLUDED HAVEN FOR US AND OUR LARGE ANIMAL FAMILY.

MITCH BENSON DVM IS AN EQUINE VETERINARIAN SPECIALIZING IN EQUINE REPRODUCTION, LAMENESS, AND DENTISTRY AND HAS BEEN PRACTICING FOR 25 YEARS +. HE WAS THE UNITED STATES EQUESTRIAN TEAM'S ENDURANCE VETERINARIAN AND TRAVELED WITH OUR US TEAM'S HORSES TO THE WORLD GAMES IN SPAIN AND HOLLAND. I HAVE BEEN RIDING AND TRAINING EQUINES SINCE I WAS 10 YEARS OLD. I HAVE EXTENSIVELY STUDIED GENETICS, AND EQUINE CONFORMATION, AND HAVE MANY YEARS OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY BEHIND ME.

BECAUSE OF MITCH'S BUSINESS HE AND I BOTH SEE EQUINE PRACTICES THAT BOTHER US, SUCH AS ANIMALS IN PAIN, NEGLECTED, MISUNDERSTOOD IN TERMS OF TRAINING, AND THE LIST GOES ON. WE HAVE SEEN STALLIONS ABOUND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD GELDINGS AND I PARTICULARLY REMEMBER A CLIENT HE HAD THAT BRED CLUB FOOTED QUARTER HORSES YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH HER FULL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. MITCH AND I ARE DEDICATED TO REPRODUCING OUR ANIMALS RESPONSIBILITY AND LOVE EACH OF THEM AS FAMILY BECAUSE THEY ARE!

OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR DONKEYS AND THE MINIATURE DONKEY GENE POOL

WE PROVIDE OPTIMAL CARE FOR OUR DONKEY'S MENTAL AND PHYSICAL WELL BEING INCLUDING HIGH QUALITY FEED, CORRECT VACCINATIONS AND FARRIER CARE, TRAINING AND GENTLE HANDLING, AND ROOM TO RUN AND PLAY WITH EACH OTHER!

WE HAVE SELECTED OUR BREEDING STOCK VERY CAREFULLY IN SEARCH OF DONKEYS THAT REPRESENT HIGH QUALITY CONFORMATION, KIND TRAINABLE DISPOSITIONS, AND PROVEN PEDIGREES. WE BELIEVE THAT DONKEYS SHOULD MOVE BEAUTIFULLY WITH ATHLETICISM AND GRACE AND BREED WITH THESE GOALS IN MIND. WE ARE PROUD OF OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE MINIATURE DONKEY GENE POOL AND ARE DEDICATED TO PRODUCING DONKEYS WITH INCREASING EXCELLENCE.

OUR BREEDING PROGRAM

WE LOVE OUR PERFORMANCE DONKEYS! MINIATURE DONKEYS WERE ORIGINALLY BRED WITH HEARTINESS IN MIND AND AN EXPECTATION OF YEARS OF SERVICE AS DRAFT AND PACK ANIMALS. OUR BREEDING PRACTICES ADHERE TO THESE PRINCIPLES. WE LIKE DONKEYS WITH SUBSTANTIAL BONE AND LARGE WELL-SHAPED HIPS BECAUSE THEY ARE STRONG. WE LIKE DONKEYS WITH CORRECT LEG CONFORMATION BECAUSE THEY ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE SOUNDNESS PROBLEMS AND BECAUSE OF MOVEMENT. CORRECT MOVEMENT IS A RESULT OF CORRECT CONFORMATION. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR PERFORMANCE DONKEYS WHERE WE ALSO VALUE QUALITY OF MOVEMENT AND LENGTH OF STRIDE BUT WE EXPECT IT OF OUR SMALLER HALTER TYPE DONKEYS AS WELL. BEAUTIFUL HEADS ARE IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE THEY SHOW A DONKEY'S CHARACTER AND ARE PLEASING TO LOOK AT. THE DISPOSITION OF OUR DONKEYS IS IMPORTANT TO US AS WELL. MINIATURE DONKEYS WERE SELECTIVELY BRED FOR THEIR KIND, GENTLE MATURE AND WILLINGNESS TO PLEASE. IT IS ONE OF THEIR MOST SPECIAL TRAITS. HERE AT BENSON RANCH A JACK WILL BE GELDED IF HIS DISPOSITION IS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD BE EVEN IF HIS CONFORMATION IS EXCELLENT.

WE WANT IT ALL!