As an amateur donkey trekker, having experimented with a few home made pack saddles that didn't really work, i finally bought a ready made one. So easy to use, all ready to go in around 5-10 minutes. It is soft, so if the donkey rolls, (this happened to me!) it won't break, but is very firm and strong. Fits both my small and larger donkeys. I bought it from America designed for llamas, but suits my donks perfectly. Here is the link if you want to look up the details: https://www.soprisunlimited.com/saddles/soprislumbarsaddle
also my website is www.peacedonkeys.com