not stricktly a horse but....

mickandmurph

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hi,
has anyone had any experience with training a donkey (just ground work) i do know they do not respond to preasure in the same way a horse does. if u give a tug on the lead rope they will tug back just as hard and do not give in. has any one had any luck with a rope headcollar or a dually or stud chain.. the issue is getting them to walk and stop again. they seem to want the exact opposite of what i want.

HELP!!!
 

tasteofchristmaschaos

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Patience, patience, patience. Oh, and ginger biscuits. Bribery is always the way forward with donkeys.
One of mine was almost impossible to catch, it took me 6 months of working with her to make her catchable most of the time, and in another 6 months time she became clingy! If I walk off she breys at me to tell me to come back with her polos!
I love donkeys.
 

mickandmurph

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the problem is they are worse when we treat them for good behaviour and walking ect they know what i want and will walk then stop expecting food. they are great for the farrier great to groom great to catch great to medicate but not to walk :rolleyes:
what training did you do with yours to get him on the move?
 

tasteofchristmaschaos

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We took our 3 out together, one behind another. The best one went in front, so that when she walked off the other two got a tap on the bum, and that, combined with seeing Dora walk off encouraged them to carry on.
We would treat them half way around the walk, and at the end, so that they know there are incentives. Half way around we let them stop at a yummy patch of grass and at the end they got a nice groom and some tasty ginger biccies!
The first time I took my baby donk out it took me an hour to get him to walk 250 meters away from his field and back! He did what your donks did and stopped, asking for food. But I would put the food just out of his reach, and sometimes we would be 10 minutes until he got he had to walk forward to get it But he did. When we had problems with them stopping and asking for food we would only reward them whilst walking. If they stopped, they got nothing until they started again. It will take time, as does everything with donkeys whilst they have to realise what is in it for them, but they will come good.
I love my two girls and little boy, so different from horses.
 
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