A carol service with cuteness all around was held in Rangitīkei this afternoon.
Miniature donkeys and horses joined a children's choir for a charitable cause.
One of the young singer's told 1News they were initially nervous about performing alongside the animals in a real-life nativity scene.
"They're fun, [and] timid, I was very worried about being kicked," Samantha Cusack said.
Fellow singer Gabbey Cusack said: "When you pat them [the donkeys] too much your hands get dirty, [but] they're cute and adorable."
Organiser Merenia Donne commissioned a special manger for the event outside Marton - and planned a programme with 14 songs.
In the spirit of Christmas giving - the funds raised by the group were for the Kōtuku Foundation, to train therapy dogs, emotional support dogs and disability assistance dogs.
The charity's Helping Hooves project is now setting its sights on training a disability-assistance miniature horse.
"To help people with all kinds of impairments in much the same way as dogs do, except that horses have the advantage of living a whole lot longer and being a lot stronger," Donne said.
Check out the Christmas cheer in the video above.
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