Southwestern Montana's orginal beverage burro service

From tip to tail, Big Sky Burro was a great service. Expectations were set ahead of time and they far exceeded our expectations. Kodiak was a gentleman and everyone loved him! We would welcome the Big Sky Burro crew back anytime to our events.
-Kithship, Livingston MT

​The donkey, Kodiak, and Lacy were truly fantastic. Kodiak was the highlight of the wedding and something guests haven’t stopped talking about since the weekend! It was so great working with Lacy — she was extremely communicative, helpful in planning and was so professional the day of with all of our guests. Kodiak looked amazing all dressed up and behaved so well with kids and tons of guests surrounding him. One of the best decisions we ever made for our wedding. We’d hire them over and over again!
-J. Joslin, Bride

We cannot recommend Big Sky Burros enough! Kodiak was the best guest of honor for cocktail hour at our daughter’s recent wedding. We have had wonderful comments from our guests even weeks later about how neat it was to have Kodiak greeting them and offering them a beer or other beverage! Truly so much fun and worth every penny!
-J. Schmitz, Groom

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Do you only do weddings?
the burro(s) can be booked for any event where you would like beverages served or items handed out, corporate events, birthday parties, whatever you can think of.  They also can be booked for photoshoots, please contact me directly for photoshoot pricing.

Can guests take a photo with them and pet them?
Yes! the burros enjoy being petted on their necks and around their ears.  Each guest can get photos with them, or even take a selfie if they feel comfortable.

Do you only do weddings?
No, the burros can attend any event where you wish to have a photo opportunity or would like goods distributed to guest, as long as they fit in the panniers and do not exceed 35lbs per pannier.

Do you give rides?
No, I am sorry, the burros are not available for rides, for children or adults.

How much can they carry?
The burros are limited to 35lbs per pannier.  Being large standards they are capable of toting around your ice and beverages in their custom wooden panniers. They can carry anything you would like to distribute that is under that weight limit.

Do you shave/clip them?
No, due to being located in Montana, we let them have the variations of their natural coat for protection from the weather and pests, in spring and fall they will be fuzzy making for great textures in photos, mid summer they will be slick and shiny.

​Do you bathe them?
If the daytime temps reach 55 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer and their training level permits, they will be bathed. They are thoroughly groomed before each event, often starting days prior.  During shedding season, please expect to get a little bit of hair on you, but don't worry, we have lint rollers to round up those stray hairs.

How long have you had them?
I've owned Daisy since 2009 and Rocky since 2012. Kodiak is our leased burro for the 2025 season.

Their ears are back! Are they mad?
No, they're listening to what is behind them.  If they're mad, their ears will be flat against their neck.

Are you insured?
YES! We carry commercial liability insurance.  We also are fully vaccinated and carry current Coggins to show that they do not carry any transmissible diseases.  We can also provide proof of Brand Inspection in the state of Montana.

Do they spook easily?
Not usually, but they are animals, we can never predict what might scare them.  In general, compared to a horse, donkeys prefer to assess a situation rather than run from it. 

Do you book more than one event in a day?
No, we only serve single bookings per day to ensure that your event receives our full attention.

Will you travel?
Our normal service area is forty miles within Manhattan, MT, anything outside of that distance will incur a $0.56/mi travel charge, both ways. We will only travel up to two hours away from Manhattan, MT. This is to keep the travel stress on the burros to a minimum.

Please email me to check if we will travel to your venue! We carry all the appropriate documents to cross county lines within Montana. Our travel range is subject to change at any time for the health and well being of our burros.

Do you hire out year round?
No, we operate from the third week of June to the end of September.  Montana has such a unpredictable weather pattern, these are the only months that we are guaranteed warm enough weather to bathe and be presentable.  We will not operate in temps below 35 degrees.