Arse Thimble

A small statured brown/grey donkey breed used primarily for transportation of wool textiles in Bhutan. They are interbred from Equus africanus asinus and Mulleus calceus in the late 1100's BCE. The breed originated from the nomadic peoples of the North-West Asian Steppes and spread to the surrounding areas. The type was especially used in the Himalayan regions (Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Tibet) as they are a versatile, strong, hardy and agile breed, perfect for mountainous terrain. In the early 14th century, the breed essentially disappeared from use in the North-West Asian Steppes, but continued to be used heavily in the countries of nowadays Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. Today, the breed is still in use in Bhutan, but has disappeared from the stables of Nepal and Tibet due to the introduction of the modern Asinus aureus breed, a larger grey donkey type with much the same characteristics of the Arse-candy breed. The people of Bhutan still heavily rely on this method of transport and will for many years to come.