Commando lived with his sire Pinocchio as a companion for the first 9 years of his life once he was weaned. Pinocchio, who lived to 30 years, taught the youngster what was and what was not acceptable behaviour which, combined with regular handling,  has resulted in the wonderful nature and manners he  has today.

Commando is a standard size donkey stallion, out of Blackford Coriander and by Summerfield Pinocchio, born 1996, grey/dun.

Stallions and colts (i.e. donkeys that have not been gelded) are not for the faint-hearted. What started out as a cute fluffy foal will grow into a strong, wilful and potentially dangerous herd animal if careful and routine handling and training are not initiated right at the outset. Stallions can be an absolute pleasure to own, generally being highly intelligent and therefore receptive to learning new things, particularly in the early months. They can have a low boredom threshold and therefore require a lot of attention.