[4] It was formerly used as a pack animal in agricultural work, mainly for carrying milk churns; it is now used in leisure sports and tourism.

The breed was recognised by the Ministère de l'Agriculture, the French ministry of agriculture, in 1997.

The Norman donkey was recognised by the Ministère de l'Agriculture on 20 August 1997.

[4] The coat may be bay in all its shades, chocolate brown or black pangaré, with a darker dorsal stripe and shoulder-stripe; the legs often show zebra-striping.

[6] Like the Cotentin donkey, the Norman donkey was used in the 19th century as a pack animal to transport market garden produce, or take hay to livestock at pasture, or to carry milk-churns in a time when cows were milked by hand in the field; often the milkmaid or triolette sat on top of the churns.