(photos and collaboration by Carolyn Christian, Quarter Moon Ranch)
The author Judy Martens and Ank Dekker are driving Cocoa. Photo by C. Christen |
Many folks enjoy their Miniature Donkeys by just
keeping one of the world’s most pleasurable pets available in the back
yard for petting, feeding and just plain lovin’. For extra pleasure
and a thrill for the children and grandchildren, picture hitching up the
donkey and driving down the back pasture to enjoy a picnic under the trees
with the kiddies.
Driving your donkeys opens up all kinds of opportunities to further enjoy them and may increase your social contacts with other donkey enthusiasts. Enjoying your donkeys by describing their antics and listening to the many tales spun by others is a good way to escape the stresses of work and life in general. |
What else can you do once you have taught your donkey to drive? Many folks find extra enjoyment by using their driving donkey for entertainment. The Miniature Donkey is a great eye catcher when being driven in parades. This is also another very good way for breeders to expose their stock to the public and appeal to future buyers. Of course giving rides at birthday parties for children creates that extra special touch of enjoyment for the kiddies. Sometimes businesses request the presence of a driving donkey to exhibit during promotion of their enterprise. This is another way for breeders to promote their donkeys simultaneously.
Donkeys are good candidates for 4-H Clubs and shows for fun. Playdays would enhance the use of donkeys for these children. It must be emphasized, however, that children must be accompanied by an adult when driving a donkey so the playday activities must be planned with this in mind. Traildriving is another source of recreation available for driving your Miniatures. This activity provides a way to drive longer courses and an opportunity to camp out with your donkey. Traildriving requires a larger, stronger and more athletic type of miniature. To prepare for this type of driving, talk to experienced trail drivers and check out the length of the drive and the terrain. There are some relaxed type of traildrives held solely on large ranches that would probably be suitable for Miniature Donkeys.
Driving is an excellent way for you to keep your donkey in good physical condition, however, it is bad for the driver that also needs to keep in shape!
SELECTION OF A DRIVING DONKEY
The selection of use of a particular donkey for driving depends on the type of driving to which the animal will be subjected. For a purely pleasure animal that is used for light driving, just about any donkey can be used as long as it is healthy, sound, obedient, safe, and not too small.
For endurance driving, a larger, draft-type animal that has extensive athletic ability is desired; i.e. an animal with much stamina. The smaller and more refined the donkey is, the more careful the consideration must be given for its usefulness as a driving animal. The endurance animal must also have a willing attitude to overcome obstacles and must enjoy pulling a cart.
Driving donkeys, with the exception of those used for limited periods of driving, must be of correct conformation as described by the breed standard with emphasis on good legs and feet. Hind legs that are slightly turned in at the hocks, however, are desired by some driving trainers that claim this trait is preferred in order to get the rear legs underneath the animal for good impulsion. Another conformation necessity to ensure stamina in the driving animals is a full chest area to provide good heart and lung capacity. Of course, the show animal should be conformationally striking for a pleasing look and must have length of stride to move well before the show judge.
The show donkey must also be a willing animal and enjoy driving for it should look like it is happy pulling a cart. Additionally a showy, alert, pretty moving and obedient donkey will definitely appeal more to the judge.
When considering the sex of the donkey, the gelding is more preferable for driving than intact jacks and jennies. The gelding displays a more even temperament and is the animal of choice for the novice driver and children. Jacks are usually driven at shows by breeders for promotion of their breeding stock. Jacks should be driven by experienced people due to the jack’s mood swings. They may bolt, rear and sometimes are annoying due to excessive braying. Although many Miniature jacks display wonderful temperaments, they must never be completely trusted. Jennies also may display mood swings, particularly during estrus. They are known to completely shut down and attain the breeding stance with heads lowered and mouths gaping. Trying to get the jenny to move at these times can be very frustrating. A single jenny in the home environment, however, may never have this problem.
For overall temperament, disregarding the factors of sex as discussed, look for an individual that is easygoing, bold and willing in personality that seems to like driving. When considering the extreme types, some donkeys may be poky in nature while others are quite excitable. These individuals too can be driven, but require an experienced trainer and much more time to train.
PRE-DRIVING PREPARATION (Part I)
If you have had experience riding an equine and know how to maintain
contact
with the animal’s mouth via the bit and reins, then you should be able
to adapt well to driving in short time. English riding experience
which entails using two hands and holding a crop, as well as the reins,
is even more desirable. For the complete newcomer, it is advisable
to take driving lessons and also use an instructor to help with the selection,
purchase and/or training of your future driving donkey. To find someone
knowledgeable in your area use donkey, driving, and trailriding associations*
for contacts and access to trainers. Assuming that you have the background
experience to train a Miniature Donkey to drive, the following requirements
are expected as pre-driving preparation for the donkey. The donkey
should be trained to:
a) stand tied (this teaches patience)
b) tolerate grooming over the entire body (groom before and after driving)
c) tolerate mouth, ear and tail manipulation for ease in placing the
bridle and the crupper of the harness
d) tolerate handling of the feet for trimming and cleaning (the feet
should be picked out before and after driving)
e) lead and obey the verbal commands WALK, TROT, WHOA, STAND, and BACK
f) lunge with response to the previously described commands except
BACK
g) tolerate objects touching the body and objects moving close by
h) tolerate barking dogs, bicycle riders, carts and carriages, motorized
traffic, and other moving and noisy objects (In other words, the donkey
should be well socialized.)
Much of the pre-driving preparation can be taught to the young foal while it is with its dam. As you spend time each day petting and playing with the foal, time can be well spent by training the foal to accept strange and noisy objects on and near it. This procedure is called "sacking out" in the horse training world. Rub the foal with a burlap bag or towel, plastic raincoat, paper feed sack, etc. This will desensitize the foal to strange objects and teach it to someday accept the harness, wear a blanket or accept a small saddle. Drag objects around it such as a burlap bag filled with straw. Spend time desensitizing the very young foal in the groin area for future body clipping, milking the jenny later if needed, and post-surgical aftercare in the gelded jack. Spend extra time rubbing the ears, tail and around the muzzle/mouth. Run electric clippers over the foal’s body without clipping. Be sure and spend much time picking up the feet. Move manure carts around the foal to condition it to the driving cart later. Many of you realize the intensive handling of the very young foal is termed "imprinting" which leads to desensitization and acceptance of the human touch and manipulations. Can we imprint the young Miniature Donkey too much? Perhaps. The Miniature Donkey foal is innately more sociable than most horse and mule foals. Possibly excessive handling of the donkey foal may desensitize it to the point where it loses all respect for the touch of the whip during driving. It may completely ignore our commands and guidance with the whip. How much to imprint the foal may be a value judgement that depends on the personality of the particular foal. The placid overly friendly donkey won’t need much work. In contrast a nervous and flighty animal will definitely need much more handling.
A key point to note when undertaking the following suggestions is to
always make the lessons easy on YOURSELF. The donkey is quite strong
and quickly learns how to manipulate the trainer by putting its strength
against yours. Let the donkey fight against itself or an inanimate,
fixed object such as a post. Not only does this save wear and tear
on your body, it sometimes saves time which can be better spent such as
working on barn chores nearby.
| While the foal is in the stall with the dam, place a halter on it for a few minutes each day. This can be done quite early about 3 weeks of age. Around 2-3 months of age and when the foal is accustomed to the halter, attach a lead rope and secure the foal to a ring or stall post with a quick release wrap around the post. Hold the rope and stand by to let the foal fight the restraint (Fig 1). Should the foal throw itself down or get into trouble, release the rope. | 
A few minutes spent each day will teach the foal to respect the rope and stand quietly tied. Photo by C. Christen |
Use the verbal command BACK and hold until the animal takes a step back. Release immediately and praise. Photo by C. Christen |
This same procedure may be used on the adult donkey after it too has been taught to stand quietly tied. For backing, use the verbal command BACK and gently flex the head at the poll (the top of the head behind the ears) by pulling down on the bottom halter ring with the leadrope while simultaneously pushing back toward the donkey with the rope. As soon as the foal takes a step back, release and praise. Repeat the backing each day until the foal is backing several steps. For backing the adult donkey that is much stronger in resistance, lead between 2 posts, use an assistant to lead the donkey one body length ahead of the posts, slip ropes that are attached to each side of the halter around the posts, and evenly pull back until the animal’s head is flexed at the poll (Fig 2). |
An assistant may help to attain the position. Use the verbal
command BACK and hold until the animal takes a step back. Release
immediately and praise. Repeat until the animal is taking several
steps back. You may have to hold for a very long time for the first
steps back, but the animal is uncomfortable with the head flexed and will
eventually step back to release the pressure. Once the donkey learns
what you want and learns that it can’t evade the pressure, it will obey.
| Using the same concept of pressure, teach the donkey to STEP UP. Tie the donkey to a secure post, say STEP UP and apply downward pressure to the lead rope (Fig 3). Once the donkey takes a step forward, release and praise. Repeat until the donkey takes the desired number of steps. STEP UP is taught for times when the tied donkey may pull back on the lead rope and halter while you are switching from the halter to the bridle. When the donkey is pulling back during the switch, difficulty is encountered because at this very instant the donkey could become free of the halter before you have a chance to buckle the halter strap around the neck. | 
Once the donkey takes a step forward, release and praise. Photo by C. Christen |
As previously described, picking up the feet at the very young age is much easier than with the adult donkey. To make your life easier on your body while teaching an adult donkey to left its feet, loop a 3/4" to 1" diameter of soft cotton rope around the pastern (the indented area just above the hoof) of the foot. The jerking/leaning movement is greatly diluted through the rope and you can stand beside and hold the rope until the donkey stops fighting. Then release and praise. Repeat until you can bend over and pick up the feet without difficulty. This is a great way to save your back and shoulders. Several lessons over several days will be required.
Later, after the donkey foal is weaned and comfortable away from its dam, the socialization period in a foreign environment must be initiated. Lead the youngster in unfamiliar places on your property first, then down the road to the neighbors. Hopefully, there will be confined barking dogs, lawn sprinklers spraying and light traffic in the area. Exposing the youngster to children’s antics of running, jumping, shouting, biking and ball throwing etc. is also very helpful. Don’t forget to lead the foal through water and boggy areas after it rains. It is so much easier to make the small foal walk through these areas than an adult donkey. Take the youngster to a show and exhibit in leadline as well as halter classes. Play a radio at the barn. This simulates a show announcer’s voice and is very helpful if you plan to show. The more you expose your foal without any bad experiences, the more it will trust you and become a willing animal when you ask it to try new places and obstacles while being driven.
End of Part 1 to Part II==>
*For information regarding driving and trailriding, you may contact the following:
Carriage Association of America
177 Pointers-Auburn Rd.
Salem, NJ 08079
American Driving Society
P.O. Box 160
Metamora, MI 48455-0160
Trail Rider
147 Sunridge Rd.
Alexandria, LA 71302
American Donkey & Mule Society
PO Box 1210, Lewisville TX 75067
(yes, moved from Denton in 2001)
phone: (972) 219-0781
Fax (972) 420-9980
e-mail adms@juno.com
Author Biography: DR. JUDY MARTENS, D.V.M.
Cact-Ass Ranch
Somerville, Texas
Dr. Judy Martens received a degree in veterinary medicine at Michigan State
University. She has practiced small animal surgery and medicine in 4 states - Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Dr. Martens received her Ph.D. in veterinary microbiology at Texas A&M University where she has been heavily involved in equine viral and bacterial respiratory diseases and bovine leukosis. Dr. Martens has retired to a hobby of raising miniature donkeys and mules and driving miniatures. She is currently president of the Carriage Association of America - SW Division with local headquarters in Bryan/College Station, Texas. In the past 12 years, she has participated in many pleasure drives, wagon train drives (camping with the mules), and showing events where she has raised, trained and shown her own animals. Dr. Martens is particularly interested in the welfare of donkey geldings by promoting their use through driving.
Photographer, editor and collaborator: CAROLYN CHRISTIAN
Quarter Moon Ranch
Franklin, Texas
Carolyn Christian and her husband Pete have been successful in breeding, showing, and promoting miniature donkeys throughout the country and abroad at their Quarter Moon Ranch in Franklin, TX. Carolyn is Contributing Editor to the ASSET and writes articles for various donkey and exotic animal publications worldwide. The successful Rio Brazos Miniature Donkey Expo held in Waco, TX last May was her brainchild, along with many other projects whose purpose is to introduce the miniature donkey to those who are unaware of these special animals. Carolyn is a featured speaker at seminars in Canada and the US. Both Carolyn and Pete were named Honorary Ambassadors for the Breed by the National Miniature Donkey Association.
Many thanks to Judy Martin and Carolyn Christian for sharing their knowledge and articles.
1996-2007 by Jeanine A. Rachau.