Long reining a donkey

Wimbles

Wimbles

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So dinky donkey Timothy is now 2 years old. He's absolutely brilliant and happily goes out for walks and travels around in the horsebox.

He's a bit of a hooligan in the field and enjoys playing with my big ram Ulysses and rounding up his least favourite sheep. He's not bothered one bit in socialising with the other donks or tiny ponies that are about and would much rather be following humans around and mithering the sheep.

I would love one day to break him to harness but that might be just one of those things that goes "on the list" of stuff I would like to get done. I did, however, wonder about starting to long rein him. It would be something that I would maybe consider with one of the ex racers of that age but I'm ashamed to say that I'm not really sure how fast donkeys mature!

Anyone got any experience in these matters?
 
Wimbles said:
So dinky donkey Timothy is now 2 years old. He's absolutely brilliant and happily goes out for walks and travels around in the horsebox.

He's a bit of a hooligan in the field and enjoys playing with my big ram Ulysses and rounding up his least favourite sheep. He's not bothered one bit in socialising with the other donks or tiny ponies that are about and would much rather be following humans around and mithering the sheep.

I would love one day to break him to harness but that might be just one of those things that goes "on the list" of stuff I would like to get done. I did, however, wonder about starting to long rein him. It would be something that I would maybe consider with one of the ex racers of that age but I'm ashamed to say that I'm not really sure how fast donkeys mature!

Anyone got any experience in these matters?
Click to expand...
That is the boat we are in ours is now 3 years old and more like a pony than a donkey by her behaviour, she is lunged and has been long reined a couple of times. There is nothing stopping ours being broken to harness when she is older but her other half mum is lazy and now has a new pup is not playing her part in her training as her heart not in it - which is a shame since it was HER who wanted a young one and HER who wanted something to learn to train and do something with.

Now pup is priority makes many excuses to palm her responsobilites of the donkey onto her sister to do.
 
Donkeys mature later than ponies so I allow an extra year before asking for real work. Nothing against working on long reins out and about though.
 
Wimbles, my friends donks usually get long-reining at 2, just to alleviate them from being little pesky nuisances in the fields.
We did the same with our shetlands at same age, gentle 20 min sessions round the fields or along the local tracks, really gives them something to think about.

I'd definitely make a start now whilst you have the long evenings of light, hope you have fun doing it :)
 
I can see us now, long reining the donk to the local pubs!

TFF, do they do specific equipment for mini creatures do you know? Thinking rollers etc
 
Timothy's a dude! He looks like he'd rather like a job. We tacked up our mule and did a bit of lunging (not overly successful: he enjoyed it a bit too much!) and long reining. Never have progressed it as we don't have a vehicle for him (yet), but he liked having a job for a while.
 
Yes, dinky has some great stuff the rubber grip 2m long reins are great. I use them for my horse too.

If anyone in Leeds wants to come and give a mule a job let me know. :)
 
Sparemare said:
Oh ��I was hoping there might be donkey photos...
Click to expand...


that is the spare end of the side reins which came out of the loop for those who might wonder
I will oblige
DSCF5615_zpsj2d4d4tt.jpg
 
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