EVERY donkey has its day - especially when there are no stallions around.

It is a case of when the horses are away the asses will play - and the evidence is cropping up across the New Forest.

Close encounters of the breeding kind between mares and the donkeys that roam the area have led to some unusual offspring found alongside their mothers.

Now visitors expecting to see a traditional New Forest foal are increasingly likely to come across slightly shaggier youngsters with longer ears.

At least two mares have given birth to mules - a cross between a horse and a donkey.

One of the mules is in the East Boldre area and the other is in one of the northern parishes.

But Jonathan Gerrelli, head of the agisters, who deal with pony issues in the Forest, is not convinced that the absence of stallions is entirely to blame.

He said: "Stallions are taken off the Forest for ten months of the year and that may have encouraged donkeys to take advantage of the situation.

"But at least one of the mares with a mule was covered when the stallions were still out.

"Because of their rarity value the mules might fetch slightly more money at the sales, so the commoners could benefit.

"It's not a problem at the moment but we will monitor the situation and take action if we need to." Dozens of male horses have been removed from the New Forest again this year in a bid to reduce the annual glut of foals.

The flooded market means the price of horses has fallen to as low as £3 at the Beaulieu Road pony sales, although the figure has risen recently.

For the past three years commoners, animal owners with grazing rights in the Forest, have been allowed to let their stallions out only in May and June.

The scheme was introduced by the Verderers, the Forest's ancient guardians, to halt the collapse in pony prices and eliminate the animal welfare problems caused by late foals.

Richard Manley, chairman of the Commoners' Defence Assoc-iation, said: "The birth of mules could be one of the consequences ofwhat we're doing.

"But the benefits of the scheme far outweigh one or two disadvantages."