In the 1930s, there were about 9,000 Cotentin donkeys (Equus asinus) in the Manche department. Primarily used as pack donkeys, they used to transport milk jugs and maids sitting aside. With a well-built anatomy, the Cotentin donkeys have a beautiful dove-grey coat with a crucial black stripe called the St Andrew cross. Naturally docile, although a little shy at first, they have always been at the service of human beings. At the Domaine d’Esthine, they now accompany hikers on the paths of the Mont-Saint-Michel bay.