Leading: Why is it so important to teach a donkey to lead? Maybe he's going to be a pasture ornament his whole life and his only job is to receive your affection and carrots. Lucky donkey and that's great, but what about the times that donkey needs his feet trimmed or medical care, or someone invites him to be in a parade or a Christmas play -- or worse case, what if disaster strikes your home as in a fire or flood and you have to evacuate your donkey?

You have to be a good leader in order for your donkey to be a good follower.  Photo by S. Kudo

So we've established that a donkey needs an education, to help him have a healthier, productive life, allow you have more fun with him, and possibly even save his life. There are many ways of teaching a donkey to lead. By far the easiest is to start when they are babies teaching them while following mom. It helps to have another person leading mom, while you have baby in-hand.

Some also place a butt rope/twine around the haunches as additional incentive, while others swear by a slip knotted rope around the girth area, coming out between the front legs and threaded through the halter ring and into ones hand. Which ever method is used, be sure your lessons are very short with young ones, their attention span is almost nil.

What if you have a weanling or adult donkey that doesn't know anything? You have to start from scratch just like you would with a baby, except these are bigger and are much stronger babies - unlucky you! (Just kidding). First look at the halter you are using. If it's one of those nice flat wide nylon jobs - it's usually just too darn comfortable to be training in. The novice donkey can just lean back and ignore you while you become all red in the face. Find another halter that works for you and you are comfortable with using, such as a "Be-nice Halter", a thin hand tied rope halter, or even adding a chin chain (sometimes called a stud chain) to a flat nylon halter will usually provide some motivation for the donkey to listen and pay attention to you. (Note of caution: please do not use Be-nice Halters or Chin Chains on animals younger than 6 months).

Break your lesson down into tiny steps and really think about what you are trying to teach. By pulling on the halter, you are applying pressure and you want the donkey to yield to that pressure and follow you. You first have to teach the donkey yield or give to that pressure before you can go strolling around. So I begin by teaching them to follow their nose.

An easy way to start is to first teach your donkey to stand tied.  Use a strong well made halter (quality nylon ones are practically indestructible) and strong rope with good hardware and ALWAYs tie to a solid post.  Something that they can not break or pull from the ground.  Never tie to a cross piece - always tie to the post itself.  This rule should hold true even with trained animals.  Once they have learned to pull back and breakaway it can't really ever be fully cured. By starting out with a tying lesson they are learning the basics of leading while standing there.  The post is very patient and corrects them immediately every time they try and step out of line.  Once they understand that you can go on to actual leading.

In a small area, even a stall will do, I stand off to the side of the donkey, back toward his/her hip facing the head and gently pull on the halter rope. As soon as the donkey's head starts turning toward me I release the pressure on the rope. The donkey responded to what I asked and my release was an immediate reward to them. The faster you can give a release at the time the donkey is doing exactly what you want - the faster they will comprehend and learn. Also saying "Good Boy" or what ever you use as praise would be required at this point too.

After asking several more times, and of course rewarding with a release, you will notice that the donkeys nose will be coming around more easily and readily as he begins to understand what it is that you are asking and has already begun to learn to yield to pressure. As long as you make it fun for your donkey - they do seem to like the stimulation and want to please you.

The next step is to literally obtain a step from the donkey. Again standing off to one side, I apply pressure by gently pulling the rope, the donkey's nose comes around and I'm still asking - and the donkey doesn't move! - but his weight shifts a little and I give an immediate release. He thought about and and that was a try! All tries no matter how minute should be rewarded. It seems tedious at first - but it really is rather amazing how fast they do catch on. I will again ask for a step by pulling the nose around and reward another try and then finally put a little more pressure the next time and get a actual step - immediate reward/release, GOOD BOY!! and even a small carrot. Wow says donkey, that was easy.

After the donkey has been giving one step successfully, we will try for two consecutive steps, then three (again, keep rewarding all tries with immediate release, or the donkey could get discouraged) and soon, as you keep backing up your donkey is now moving in a circle. (Tip: also be sure and train this on both sides - treat each side as if you where working on a different animal). Okay, great, you think, my donkey is going in a circle on both sides, but we are not getting anywhere. Actually, you have come a long way and have put down a foundation that you can now build on. Your donkey has learned to respond to you and yield to pressure in a positive way. Why go sideways at first? The donkey can easily brace against a forward pull, they are also much intimidated at first by someone standing directly in front of them filling up the vision in both eye's with your body.  When you are to the side, and your presence is filling only one eye, they feel less trapped and are more likely to to listen and respond. It's also easier to tug them off balance from the side, so compliance is assured.

Gradually, you will start making the circles bigger and bigger, until you are traveling in a straight line. When the donkey shows signs of baulking, go back into a circle. It can be a little tedious at first, yet the donkey just as quickly becomes tired of going in circles and finds it easier to just follow, which is the whole idea. You have discouraged his baulking reflex, and he's learned that you are very patient and persistent and he might as well do what you ask, because if not, he'll be doing those dad burned circles past dinner time! The key is not to force/beat your donkey into doing anything, but to keep persisting and not give up, keep him moving in a circle or back and forth and finally he'll just give in and follow you. The first few times are the longest, but once he realizes that you are more patient than he is and are someone he can trust (nothing bad happened the last time) they begin to gracefully comply with your wishes, as you gently ask for more and more. Be sure and use your voice a lot and even choose a word for come, turn left, turn right, move over, whoa, and back (this would be helpful if you ever chose to teach your donkey to drive). Donkeys are easily hooked in with verbal cues. 

Turning:

It's also important to teach your donkey to turn and pivot.  If you started with pivoting in a circle then you next step is to teach the donkey to go the opposite way, with you walking toward him rather than away and follow him around in a circle.  This teaches flexibility, respect and attention to your cues.  It is important especially when they learn to drive to be able to properly pivot around the front end and and to move hindquarters around as well.  Generally pushing the head/ nose away and following around so the donkey is turning around the opposite hip is the goal.  Start in the same little steps as when you taught the donkey to come around toward you, but this time he's going away from you.

Backing:

Backing up is not a normal or favorite thing for a donkey to do. Simply pulling back on the halter sometimes doesn't get the idea across.   Sometimes you have to prove that there is a need for this.  Such as having him stand in a corner and the only way out is to back up.  Some people have tried a carrot down between the forelegs so the donkey will back up to get it.  Pressure just above the point of the shoulder can sometimes encourage compliance.  Swinging a rope in front of the face (don't HIT the donkey please!!).  Even jumping up and down to startle them backwards - anything to get them to step back - and then LOTS of praise!   As soon as they understand what you want they often do not mind doing this strange thing for you.  It can just be a little difficult at times getting the point across.  Don't give up it will happen.

Confidence:

Once your donkey is being rather consistent in his performance, then take him for walks.  Getting your donkey off by yourselves is the best way to bond and have the donkey really start to listen to you.  You become his herd and security, and really they seem to enjoy seeing new sights as much a you would.  They  can be very curious and outgoing and the more you encourage this, the easier it will be for them when they start driving or riding, they will have more confidence in you and in their environment. They will look forward to exploring with you-- you just have to learn to be a good and honest leader.