There is a popular misconception that donkeys are slow-moving animals. They are portrayed as stupid and sluggish in stories. However, there is barely any truth in it. The fastest donkey can run almost as fast as a horse, and reach speeds between 64km/h to 70km/h!
Asiatic wild asses are the fastest breed of donkey. They are known as onagers. They can reach the speed of a thoroughbred racing horse when in good shape! A German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas discovered and described onagers in1775. Onagers are closely related to the African wild ass. Both these breeds share a common ancestry. There are other domestic donkeys that can beat a horse in a race. In fact, in Europe, there are contests in which horses and donkeys compete with each other in certain timed events such as pole bending.
However, donkeys, very often, refrain from running fast. They prefer to go at a slower pace than horses.
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