(Pagemaster's note:  Donkeys should be mature prior to riding - at least 4 years of age before maximum weight is applied - no more than 25% of the donkey's total body weight - this includes rider, saddle and gear.  Overloading young stock can cause permanent damage.)

The donkey should be responsive on the ground prior to riding.  Working along a wall or fence is a good way to practice  various manuevers.  Photo courtesy of Kris Anderson.

If the donkey has been thoroughly halter trained, he will usually understand how to turn his head from the bit without much trouble. Always keep in mind that the most important part of using aids (such as the bit) is in the timing of the release, and that the release should be given the instant that the donkey responds correctly (or at the very beginning - responds at all!) to the aid. It doesn't have to a big release, but there has to be enough to reward the donkey and he can understand he did The Right Thing

Choosing a word or a sound which will tell your donkey when he's doing The Right Thing can also be a useful training tool. Use the word repeatedly whenever you scratch him or give him food treats, and when you're riding get in the habit of relaxing all your aids whenever you say the word. Not only will this give your donkey the release/reward he needs in response to his effort, but he will soon associate whatever word you choose with reward (The Right Thing), in any situation thereafter. (Some trainers just say "G-o-o-o-o-d", using the same inflections each time, until the donkey associates that sound with reward. Others pick a sound which they don't use in conversation very often, such as "X", although if the donkey is to be trained by others it's arguably better to choose something more common.)
 

A word or sound which can be used to tell the donkey that he made the wrong choice is often helpful as well.  Whether the rider thinks he needs a helper at the donkey's head the first time he mounts depends upon his riding ability and the donkey's disposition (for yours and the donkeys sake, always try to err on the side of caution, it's better to have too much than not enough help). One way to do it is to use a mounting block and just slide on. Some donkeys will walk right off as soon as the rider slides on, others will just stand there. Whichever he chooses to do, let him. (Mount in an enclosed space the first few times so if the donkey goes off at a trot he can just go on until he's ready to listen.) Then, as soon as he seems to be relaxed and paying some attention it's time to begin to attempt to influence his direction and/or speed.

Turning:  Note body is in a curve from nose to tail - using a wall or corner to work out of can help get the idea across.  Photo courtesy of Kris Anderson

Sometimes it is necessary to over emphasize cues at first and then gradually refine them over time. Photo courtesy of Kris Anderson

Right from the very beginning the rider should use seat cues to tell the donkey what to do. The donkey may not perceive these cues at first, and he may be more easily influenced with rein, leg or whip cues (example: the whip taps to reinforce the leg cues, the leg cues reinforce the seat cues and the seat cues balances and supports the rein cues), but the goal is to have him respond to the weight (seat) cues more and more reliably as his attention to the rider increases.  The reins turn and position the head, the rider's seat and legs tell the donkey where his body should be. So, if the rider wants to make a circle he turns the donkeys head in the direction he wants him to go, and then he directs the donkey's body around the circle by turning his own body in that direction. If the donkey is just learning and doesn't "hear" the weight (seat) cues, use the legs and/or whip to reinforce them, but give him a chance to perceive and respond to the weight cue first .

 Which leg is used where, and how much it is used, depends upon what the donkey's body is doing and whether he is listening. The donkey should be taught to move away from pressure, but the riders consistency is the most important part in obtaining it. Ask for the movement you want in exactly the same way each time, reward when you get it, and don't go on to the next lesson until you have both mastered the previous one. 

Hints:

If you're not making much progress, you may be trying to teach the donkey to much, too fast. Make sure that the lessons are broken down into simple enough parts that he can learn to respond to one request at a time. In other words, don't try to get the donkey to do a full circle if he can't yet keep his balance on a half or quarter circle. 

Don't always wait until he's stopped to tell him he did the right thing. Let him learn that just because the rider said he was "g-o-o-o-d" doesn't mean he can stop doing it. And remember that he's going to associate the reward with the last thing he did. For example, if he walks off when he's asked, praise him while he's started walking, not after he's stopped (in which case he perceives the reward to be for stopping rather than for walking off in response to the cues).  If the donkey's having trouble learning something, he may need to go back to a previous lesson and review it, or the trainer may have neglected to teach him skills which he needs to accomplish the new lesson. In other words, make sure that he already knows how to go forward and turn before you expect him to be able to do a barrel pattern.

A well trained donkey is a joy to ride.  Here Kris and Zak at the trot.  Photo courtesy of Kris Anderson.