"a donkey can not be made a running horse" in German A donkey can not be made a running horse. Man kann aus einem Esel kein Rennpferd machen. Detailed translations for "a donkey can not be made a running horse" A donkey can not be made a running horse. A donkey can not be made a running horse.(also: You can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig.) Man kann aus einem Esel kein Rennpferd machen.