Difficulties with leading your donkey

Difficulties with leading your donkey As with any behavioural problem there are a number of reasons you may encounter difficulties with leading your donkey. Donkeys may simply not have been taught how to lead in a correct and safe manner; donkeys young, or older may experience fear or nerves which cause them to want to rush past objects. There may be problems with leadership or what we can call domesticated behaviour, which is where the donkey does not have sufficient trust or faith in the handler s skills and ability to deal with the situation and the donkey feels they must take charge in order to survive. Donkeys may have a difficulty in leading in certain situations where they are fearful of an object such as a bridge or gateway, and of course pain or medical conditions may significantly influence a donkey s behaviour. As with any behavioural problem, it is very important that you illuminate pain or medical conditions as a cause of a leading problem before beginning any corrective behavioural work. Pain may originate from any part of the donkey s body but the spine, pelvis, legs and hooves are most commonly associated with painful conditions that may affect leading. These range from conditions such as arthritis and muscular injuries through to conditions of the foot such as laminitis, thrush and foot abscesses. The donkey s stoic nature can mask pain and it is sometimes easy to forget that leading problems may be associated to these painful conditions. It is always advisable to have your vet check your donkey thoroughly to ensure that pain or any medical conditions are not the cause of the leading difficulties. Due to the apparent higher pain threshold of the donkey compared to horses, pain may be difficult to diagnose especially if it is intermittent. They may suffer from conditions such as low grade laminitis or they may find it difficult to lead over particular surfaces or at different times of the year. With any change in behaviour it is important to carefully examine the environment, paying attention to detail, such as, where your donkey finds it difficult to lead, conditions under foot, the relationship between companions, whether it is more difficult to lead uphill or downhill, whether the time of day or light conditions affect the donkey s leading ability. This investigation will hopefully shed further light on the cause of any difficulties. It is important to spend some time carefully examining the donkey s behaviour and considering all possibilities before beginning any behavioural correction. If in doubt or if the donkey s behaviour is in anyway dangerous then consult the services of a professional behaviourist, with experience in working with donkeys. When dealing with any leading problem use the appropriate protective equipment such as; steel toe capped boots and suitable protective gloves to prevent personal injury. It is important to take into account that donkeys do not react to fearful situations with the same intensity as horses. Donkeys often display the classic donkey stance of heels dug in and not moving when they face difficulties with leading. Horses, due to their increased flight mechanism, can of course also adopt stationary position but tend to prefer movement or avoidance of difficult situations. A horse negotiating a fearful situation will clearly demonstrate, to any observant handler, that they are fearful of the situation with wide eyes, flaring nostrils, tense body and a desire to avoid the situation. Due to the donkey s enhanced fight mechanism they display far fewer symptoms of fear than the horse. This can lead to a misunderstanding of the donkey s behaviour and the donkey being labelled as stubborn, difficult or just being awkward. This is seldom the case; donkeys always have a reason for their behaviour, even if it is not immediately obvious to the handler. At a similar level of fear to a horse a donkey may only show minimal signs of nervousness or discomfort 1

and for that reason the donkey handler has to be more observant and much more aware of the individual nature of their donkey. Communicating with your donkey Releasing the pressure Often donkeys who are exhibiting the behaviour of standing still and not wanting to move have been incorrectly reinforced and inadvertently trained to do so by the handler. Donkeys that have difficulties with leading have often been repeatedly asked to move forward and when the donkey remains stationary the handler returns to the donkey releasing the pressure in the wrong place then strokes or pats the donkey as a method of reassurance and encouragement. This incorrect behaviour actually reinforces the donkey s standing still, not only through the release of pressure, but also through the attention they receive while standing still, these two reinforcements mean the donkey is much more likely to stand still in future. Donkeys are into-pressure animals; evolution has designed them to move into any pressure they feel on their bodies. If you stand along side a donkey and apply gentle pressure to its side they will generally lean further into your hand rather than away from it. When pulling on the donkey s head collar via the lead rope pressure is exerted on the donkey s poll and under the chin, it is normal for an untrained, young or nervous donkey to pull back into this pressure. Donkeys have to learn to come off the pressure through careful training and the consistent correct use of negative reinforcement. Negative reinforcement is one of the methods we can use to communicate to the donkey which behaviours we require. This is scientifically defined as the cessation or stopping of a negative stimulus. In the case of leading, the negative stimulus is the pressure the donkey feels around its head when the lead rope is pulled. It is crucial to understand the importance of the timing of the release of pressure if you are to communicate to your donkey which behaviours are desired and which are unsuccessful at removing the pressure. Once pressure is applied to the head collar by pulling the lead rope, generally, it should not be released until some degree of forward movement is offered by the donkey. At the exact moment the donkey offers forward movement the pressure must be released. The most common mistake people make when trying to lead their donkeys is to pull on the lead rope, and while the donkey remains stationary they release the pressure from the lead rope and head collar in order to pat the donkey or to change position. To the donkey, this incorrect timing reinforces the behaviour of standing still. With that said, it is important to understand that increasing the pressure, i.e. pulling harder and with greater force is not necessary and, in fact, can make the situation more uncomfortable for the donkey who will then pull back to try and release the pressure. Once the pressure of the lead rope and head collar are applied, an even pressure should be maintained until the forward movement is felt. Another common mistake is to feel the donkey begin to move forward and then try to pull the donkey forward in order to elicit movement. This often has the reverse effect causing the donkey to pull back into the increased pressure and stopping any forward movement. The handler must keep his hands light and open ready to release the pressure in a split second. Teaching a donkey to lead is not about strength or physical force it is about the 2

ability to release the pressure with perfect timing and to remain as light as possible on the donkey s lead rope and head collar. Food as a reward Using food as a reward for donkeys can be extremely successful method of training. However, just like the release of pressure, the timing of the delivery of any reward is crucial. It is also important to note that there is a difference between bribery and rewards. Bribery is a payment for something not yet done and dangling food in front of the donkey and then moving it forward in order to elicit forward movement for the donkey is not usually advisable as the donkey will, either learn to develop a very long neck and grab the food or they will learn that if they stand still food rewards are produced from the handlers pockets in order to tempt them, this can lead to more standing still in the hope of the arrival of food rewards. When using food rewards it is important that the animal never receives any food rewards for mugging or demanding behaviour. It is also important that the handler uses a bum bag for any food rewards rather than their pockets, this means the handler s pockets do not smell of food and the donkey can easily discriminate when food rewards are available and when they are not. This reduces the tension and frustration to the donkey and reduces the amount of mugging behaviour. If you intend to use food rewards, ensure the timing of the food reward coincides exactly with the forward movement of the donkey. The donkey will also be observing the movement of your hand to the bum bag and this action should also coincide with the donkey s forward movement to ensure the donkey clearly understands that forward movement produces food rewards. For more detailed descriptions of how to use food rewards and ensure mugging is not an issue then the book The Art and Science of Clicker Training for your Horse, a positive approach to equines and understanding them covers all the details you require on the use of positive reinforcement. Scratches can also be used with most donkeys as a form of positive reinforcement and can be used during leading training as a way of marking successful behaviour. Donkeys understanding behaviour that is closest to their normal and natural behaviours, therefore patting the donkey has very little value as a reward for donkeys, after all have you ever seen two donkeys pat each other? Scratches on the neck, withers, spine and rump are similar to the mutual grooming that donkey perform on each other and as such are easier for the donkey to understand and find enjoyable. Once the donkey has responded to the pressure from the head collar immediate scratches can be offered to the neck and withers to reinforce that forward movement is a good thing. The timing of scratches is just as important as the timing of food rewards, but well timed, hard and slow scratches given in bursts of 6-7 seconds can be a very effect reward. Training the young donkey It is important that young donkeys are trained in the correct way and that they are given every opportunity to learn how to lead correctly, however, if you have an older donkey that 3

has difficulty with leading, the same process and structure of training can be applied in order to retrain the older donkey s behaviour. To succeed we must shape the donkey s behaviour in small steps in order to allow them to understand the desired actions. This can begin as small as using the pressure of one finger on the donkey s head collar in order to get them to move their head in any direction, as the movement occurs the pressure should be released. Once the movement of the head has been established, through the pressure applied to the head collar, the handler can then ask for one step forward. With a young donkey, including foals, pressure on the head collar, in even this small way, can result in the donkey pulling back or rearing up, that is why the pressure should be extremely minimal at this early stage, gentle pressure applied with persistence is the key to success, if the donkey does pull back slightly or show discomfort, the pressure should be maintained at this minimal level until the donkey yields gently to the pressure. Remember, increasing the pressure will more than likely result in a more aggressive or reactive response and for that reason should be avoided. The same principles can then be applied to requiring the donkey to take one step forward. Try not to pull the donkey straight from in front as you will be trying to pull the entire weight of the donkey, which is clearly unfeasible. Instead, it is more successful to apply pressure to the donkey s head collar asking them to step slightly to the side, so the head is turned slightly as you ask for one step, this causes the balance of the donkey to be interrupted and encourages them to take a step forward, again, the pressure is released the moment a step is taken. All training should begin in a safe environment and progress to other areas once leading is successfully established in the safe and familiar working environment. Following this we can begin to teach the donkey to deal with problems he might face. It is important that the donkey learns how to deal with obstacles that they may encounter out on the road or in their environment; however, these should be introduced in small, easy to achieve steps. This may be starting with something as small as a piece of wood on the ground, working up through, jump poles to small sheets of tarpaulin; gradually opening them to become bigger and bigger, water obstacles, and walking on and off scary objects. All of these exercises will help the donkey to deal with the problems they encounter provided that you do not force the animal to cross the obstacle, they should be allowed to learn how to deal with the problems they encounter and not be forced to do so. This may require time and the animal, especially if he is nervous, should be allowed to walk around the obstacle and approach it at his speed and generally take his time to approach in a calm, relaxed manner. Forcing the donkey to cross an obstacle may only teach it that you are stronger than they are, or should they choose to resist you, that they are stronger than you. Gentle persistence and consistency are the key to teaching a donkey to lead. The Handler and Trust In order for the donkey to trust the handler they must work together and experience a variety of different and challenging tasks. Trust is merely the ability to predict the behaviour of another animal or person and this can only be gained by doing things together. If the handler is nervous or frightened of the donkey s behaviour, the donkey will sense this and find it is impossible to deal with difficult situations and freeze or may be forced to take control of the situation by barging through the owner to escape from what he perceives as a dangerous situation. If the handler lacks confidence, by following the programme and shaping plan described in this document and contained at the end, it will help to build the handlers confidence and experience, this, in time, will increase the donkey s trust and 4

confidence in the handler s ability. Until the handler is comfortable and confident with handling the donkey, only limited work should be undertaken in any environment which might prove dangerous to the donkey, the handler or onlookers. It may take several months to retrain a donkey to lead. If you experience leading difficulties then you can, in the short term, use the methods described in this document to get you donkey home, or through a difficult situation, but having experienced it once, training must be undertaken to rectify the situation before the donkey is exposed to similar experiences. Dealing with Scary Situations There are no shortcuts to good leading in donkeys, the use of pressure halters is not advised, as donkeys have a greater tolerance for pain and do not show the same flight instinct as horses. The inexperienced handler using a pressure halter, can do serious damage to a donkey and they should be avoided in all situations. Donkeys also, due to their reduced flight mechanism, do not respond well to natural horsemanship techniques which require the engagement of the flight mechanism through the use of either punishment or negative reinforcement and often attempting to use these methods will make the situation worse or the donkey will be forced to engage their fight mechanism which can prove dangerous. On occasion donkeys may display fear or apprehension relating to specific items, such as, bridges, drain covers, walking through steams or water and ideally the donkey should be trained by a process of shaping to deal with the object of their fear in a controlled and safe environment. This may involve, in the case of a fear of going over a bridge, starting with a pole on the ground, working up to several poles, progressing to walking over a rubber mat or tarpaulin, walking over a piece of plywood and pallet, with a secure and safe top that will take the donkey s weight. Go through narrow obstacles such as bales of straw placed in a tunnel shape and then try placing the pallets in the tunnel of bales and walking them over that before attempting as obstacle such as the bridge. Despite the best of intentions there will be occasions where, leading a donkey out on a walk, you may encounter an obstacle they find difficult to overcome, the best plan of action is to take your time, do not escalate any physical force or try to coerce the donkey over the obstacle, allow the donkey opportunity to examine, smell and see the obstacle. Approach the obstacle from a distance that the donkey feels relatively comfortable with, allow them to relax and then take another step forward, only ask them for a step forward when they have completely relaxed at that particular distance before proceeding any closer to the obstacle. The donkey should be offered plenty of reassurance in the form of scratches and, if possible, offered food rewards for approaching the obstacle in any way. If necessary, in the interest of safety, it might be advisable to retrace your steps back to home and do some more training rather than making the donkey deal with a situation or obstacle they find threatening. 5

INDIVDUAL SHAPING BEHAVIOUR, TRAINING PROGRAMME Name of subject Donkey Name of Trainer Current status of behaviour Young donkey with no experience of leading. Can be caught and have head collar put on easily and remains relaxed. EXAMPLE ONLY Start date Shaping behaviour step Completed Donkey happy to yield head to pressure in all directions while remaining standing still one step forward two steps forward three steps forward one step backwards two steps backwards five steps forward Donkey stops to pressure on head collar when walking Donkey stands still with handler for 10 seconds Donkey stands still calmly and patiently with handler for 20 seconds Donkey stands still calmly and patiently with handler for 40 seconds Donkey stands still calmly and patiently with handler for 60 seconds ten steps forward Donkey happy to have lead rope attached to head collar and stand relaxed and calm donkey takes 2 steps forward calmly and relaxed donkey takes 4 steps forward calmly and relaxed donkey takes 1 step backwards donkey takes 10 steps forward calmly and relaxed donkey walks forward calmly and relaxed around safe area 6

In safe area donkey calmly walks over a pole on the ground Donkey calmly walks over 2 poles on the ground Donkey calmly walks over a tarpaulin on the ground Donkey calmly stands on a tarpaulin for 30 seconds Donkey calmly walks over a carpet on the ground Donkey calmly walks over a piece tinsel on the ground Donkey calmly walks over a hose pipe on the ground Donkey calmly walks over a hose pipe turned on Donkey calmly walks under flags or bunting Donkey calmly walks past plastic bags, dustbin, balls, logs, drains Donkey calmly walks over a reinforced pallet or similar hollow object. Repeat all obstacles in a new area Introduce short walks on the road starting with just 10 metres and progressing. Walking in other areas with obstacles and any other areas. Aim or goal. The donkey walks calmly and relaxed in any environment and calmly deals with any obstacles they meet. The donkey stops easily when asked and can stand calmly and patiently when required. Please note this is an example only and steps for individual donkeys may differ. Every trainer is responsible for creating their own shaping plan suitable for their donkey and taking into account the nature of the donkey, previous experience, health and medical conditions and level of owner s experience. Each step listed above may need be broken down further during training sessions to ensure the donkey has every chance of success. For example, walking over a tarpaulin may need to be broken down in to smaller steps of; walking up to tarpaulin, walking over a tarpaulin 30cms wide, 60cms wide, 100cm wide, and the donkey should complete each step before moving on to the next step. Remember to secure any obstacles that could be caught by the wind and scare the donkey. - 7 -