A Gift for Donkeys

Arsenal Football Club donates its players’ old socks so donkeys don’t get bitten by flies.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary (www.redwings.org.uk)

Donkeys at Redwings Horse Sanctuary display the red socks that have been donated by Arsenal Football Club.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary in the United Kingdom (UK) provides love and care for more than 1,000 horses and donkeys. But even the kind sanctuary workers can’t keep flies from biting the animals.

“In the summer, flies take a fancy to our donkeys’ legs and can cause a lot of pain and scabs,” Jenny Herod of Redwings told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Luckily, the donkeys are getting help from an unlikely place: a football (soccer) club. Arsenal Football Club, a legendary soccer team, is donating its players’ old socks to the sanctuary. The bright red socks have no “feet,” so it’s fairly easy to put them on donkeys’ legs. They protect the animals from flies and many other things.

“The socks are being used for anything from protecting our rescued residents’ sensitive legs from flies to holding their vet bandages in place,” Nicola Knight of Redwings told the Southwest News Service.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary (www.redwings.org.uk); Photo composite Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

(left) A donkey at Redwings Horse Sanctuary wears a mask and a pair of socks to keep the flies away. (right) Three donkeys display AFC socks.

The idea for the sock donation came from Michael Lloyd, who works for Arsenal. Football, the game that’s called soccer in the United States, can be rough. It doesn’t take long before a pair of socks are too worn out for a player to use them again. Rather than throw out old socks, Lloyd thought, why not donate them? Redwings gratefully accepted the offer.

It’s possible that one particular Arsenal player influenced Lloyd’s decision to donate the socks. Kai Havertz loves donkeys so much that his teammates call him “Donkey.” In 2023, he was thrilled when another donkey sanctuary named one of their animals after him.

“Donkeys are such incredible animals, and I am very happy to give my name so this little donkey can help raise awareness of the importance of good donkey welfare, here and all around the world,” Havertz told the BBC at the time.

Now, a lucky donkey may be wearing Havertz’s old socks.

Did You Know?

Megan Rapinoe (15) of the United States and Clare Polkinghorne of Australia wear their soccer socks during a game.

Soccer players wear long socks for many reasons. The tight socks squeeze the leg muscles, improving blood circulation. This helps the muscles feel less achy after a game.

Donkey Helpers

Did you know that donkeys can be great therapy animals? Intelligent, gentle, and calm, donkeys have positive effects on people.

Donkeys can improve people’s moods. Their quiet presence can help people feel calmer and happier. Therapy donkeys have been used in places like hospitals and schools.

Some donkeys are used in physical therapy programs. People with disabilities or people who are recovering from accidents practice different movements just by caring for a donkey or guiding it around a farm or field. The therapy can help improve things like strength and balance.

Margaret Coulter is the executive director of Road to Independence, a U.S. organization that provides donkey therapy. Coulter says donkeys know how to help people.

“We do have some folks who are not confident walkers,” she told New Hampshire Public Radio. “And so if [the donkeys] sense that someone is unsteady, they’ll stop on their own, wait for them to rebalance, and then walk forward.”

More About Donkeys!

On farms, donkeys bray to mark their territory, ask for food, or just say hello.

There’s a lot more to learn about donkeys. Check out Britannica to find out what else there is to know!

WHAT'S THE WORD?

sanctuary

Part of speech:

noun

Definition:

: a place where someone or something is protected or given shelter

Definitions provided by

Play

Word Flower

How many words can you make from the letters in the flower? All words must use the letter in the center.

In Case You Missed It

What makes the oldest candy shop in England so successful?

June 12, 2026

Mycelium grows fast, making it a great building material.

June 9, 2026

Farmers get annoyed when elephants eat their crops. But it’s possible the elephants understand that certain plants are great medicine.

June 4, 2026

Krista Richard fixes up old bikes and gives them to children.

June 2, 2026

How to Cite This Page

Here is how to cite this page using the MLA style. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some differences. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

“In the News: A Gift for Donkeys.” Britannica School, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 21 June 2026. https://news.eb.com/level1/a-gift-for-donkeys. Accessed 22 June 2026 [Replace this date with today’s date.]