SEARSPORT—A red barn at the end of a dead-end dirt road in Searsport is one of the happiest places in Maine this summer. Inside Rebecca Loveland's barn, four gentle, sweet donkeys, Kota, Ed, Henry, and Cedar, are waiting for a visit.

Her microbusiness, Downeast Donkey Walks, allows private groups or individuals to do a one-hour pasture visit, a one-hour guided walk on a wooded trail of her 13-acre property, or a combination of both. A signed waiver is required before any interaction with the donkeys. Loveland said she can accommodate up to eight people in a session and each session is private, even if it is booked for one individual.

The donkeys, two of them Sicilian with beautiful black stripes that run the length of their flanks, and two brown mixed breeds, are bonded pairs.  

Loveland allowed me to get to know Kota by first petting his rough mane and scratching his long, stiff ears as his head reached up over the stall to nibble on my fingers. She gave me the rope that attached to Kota's halter and told me to "be the leader," or else he'll just hang back and snack on grass and foliage the whole time. 

Holding the reins of Ed behind me, Loveland guided me to stroll past the barn up the hill to a trail she spent all last year building. Behind, in the pasture, we heard Cedar braying repeatedly.

"He's mad because he can't come with us," she said. "He hurt his foot and is still healing."

Loveland, also the owner of The Galloping Crow Farm for the last six years, just started the Downeast Donkey Walks this year. 

"I already owned two of the donkeys when I moved here, and got the other two from Peace Ridge Farm Sanctuary," she said. "I would walk out here with the donkeys myself and realized it would be a good business opportunity to set up these walks and visits with the public. Donkeys are amazing animals, but also they are really expensive."

There are some basic rules to forest bathing with donkeys. Sturdy shoes (no flip flops) are a must. The trail is also narrow, so people need to be able to walk on uneven terrain. For folks with mobility issues, a pasture visit is the better option. Keeping voices low and calm, is necessary. 

"And no running, I tell people," she said. "If you run, they run."

There is a healing element being around them.

"They are very quiet when you walk in the woods with them with the wind blowing through the trees; it is very relaxing," she said. "It encourages people to calm down, because donkeys pick up on energy and don't like amped up energy. They're going to walk away from too-high energy."

At one point, Kota decided that he was done with me leading and he was going to snack anyway. He proceeded to rip leaves off a tree with his teeth and chomp down the whole branches like it was Chex Mix. 

The entire experience walking with Kota and Ed is a great way to reduce stress and high cortisol as we meandered through the woods on sunny, summer day. Back at the pasture, I got to meet Henry and Cedar, who proceeded to demonstrate their love for rolling in the dirt.

This is the first season Downeast Donkey Walks has been open, and according to Loveland, adults have mostly booked these sessions with the donkeys. What has surprised Loveland the most is the number of men who have been drawn to these walks and how it has affected them afterward. 

There is an outbuilding in the pasture she allows guests to "sign" the wall like a guest book.

"Happy Father's Day to me!" read one note from a man named Vince. "Thanks Henry & Friends—best ever!" 

Her seasonal hours start in May and end mid-October. Loveland said the prices for the various tiers are as follows: Pasture visits are $25 per person; the combination pasture and donkey walk is $35 per person, and the full donkey walk around her trails is $45 per person. Children need to be at least eight years old and any child 12 and under are $5 off. 

For more information, visit the www.donkeywalks.com or call 207-356-4149.

 Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com