Maria Barbaria of Foxtail Farms has been breeding miniature donkeys for over 20 years. Her love of the unusual is partly what prompted her to purchase a young 6-month zebra filly years ago from a breeder in California who was looking to quickly liquidate his stock. Problem was, the majority of stock had not been "handled" in years, making them extremely wild, dangerous and unpredictable.
"He said that those that didn't sell," remembers Barbaria, "would go to a hunting preserve. I did not question that, considering the zebra skin he already had hanging on a wall in his home. It was kind of like having a dog skin up on the wall if you ask me."

Barbaria purchased the youngest foal she could so that it could be handled successfully. Fast forward 4 1/2 years later, "Foxtails Misfit Spot" ended up getting bred to her champion herdsire, a miniature donkey named "River's Crest Foxtail," producing Barbaria's first Zedonk, "Foxtail Farm's Gizmo."

Born June 16, 2004, "Gizmo" is a beautiful golden buckskin with zebra-striped legs and a stripe around his neck. In addition, he also sports the usual donkey cross (dorsal plus shoulder stripe) down the back, striped donkey-length ears, and the sweetest all black zebra muzzle. Unlike his mother "Spot" who still retains her flight instinct, "Gizmo" is all donkey personality meaning he can't seem to get enough of human companionship. And that's just fine with Barbaria.

"My new goal now is to have a second Zonkey to put to a wagon," she says with a laugh, "so I can have my four-in-hand with the zonkeys in the lead and my pony team just behind them."

(This Page last updated: September 21, 2004)