I’m not a
trainer; I don’t
profess to be
one. With that
said and close
to 500 hours of
donkey driving
under my belt I
was ready to
start one of my
own and had the
perfect
opportunity with
OK Sir Galahad,
a four year old
gelding. It is
an ongoing
wonderful
experience and I
am lucky in many
ways to have
three delightful
helpers Erin,
Robert and Don
and of course my
husband Jim who
I could not have
done this
without.
These are
basically the
training steps
put into place
to teach Galahad
to drive. It is
written in such
a way you could
follow along in
your own
training. I
would highly
recommend you go
beyond my words
and get
additional help
from trainers,
other drivers,
books and
videos.
For these
first sessions I
used a sturdy
halter and a
chain and a 12
foot cotton lead
rope. Do not
coil this rope
where it could
trap your hand;
always wear
gloves and a
helmet.
Start every
session with
food. Something
they like and is
a treat. I feed
a beet pulp
mixture in a
bucket that
hangs on a fence
at training time
or a canvas
Calvary style
nosebag with a
mixture of small
hay pellets and
grain for
something to
munch on while I
brush and
harness. This
gives them
something to
look forward to,
they know they
are going to be
worked but the
treat makes it
worth while.
Make this your
regular routine
and start
everything you
do with them on
this program.
End your
sessions using a
hoof pick and
some quality tie
up time
extending the
amount of time
each day to
teach patience.
We would
incorporate a
short trailer
loading practice
or trail course
session before
turning him
loose always
ending on a
positive note.
Step one The
Basics: Your
donkey must be
well schooled in
ground manners
before embarking
on more serious
training.
Teaching them to
halter, lead,
pick up feet,
turn on the
forefront and
hind on cue and
to back is a
must. Now it is
time to begin
taking your
donkey for
walks.
Here you will
teach the number
one most
important word….
WHOA… drag it
out
whoooooaaaaaa
making it a very
long, a deep
soothing word.
Remember the
only time you
ever use this
word is when you
want all four
feet to quit
moving. Never
say the word
unless you want
all forward
motion to cease
immediately and
only at that
time do you dare
to utter “the W
word”.
Easy is
another word I
like to drag out
… to slow my
animals down as
in
“Eee-zzzzz-yyy
Walk either
starting out or
coming down from
a trot
Eee-zzzzz-yyy
Trot” is used
for a slow jog
trot. “Trot On”
is my extension
command and is
voiced in a
crisp slightly
higher more
energized tone.
Other words
introduced
during ground
drive schooling
included
walk-on, back,
gee and haw for
turning. Always
say your donkeys
name first and
give the command
word, always! So
it sounds like,
“Galahad Gee
Over” a cue I
would use for a
fanning maneuver
where I would
want him to
cross over on
the front
turning to the
right.
I do want to
go one step
further in this
discussion and
that is training
yourself and
picking your
words. I have
inserted my
favorite
description of
this topic,
*“The voice of
the driver: The
main
characteristics
of the voice are
pitch (high or
low inflexion),
intensity (faint
or loud) and
resonance (the
individual tone
of each voice).
By choosing the
appropriate
pitch, intensity
and resonance, a
wide range of
commands becomes
available to the
driver. These
commands can be
adapted to suit
the perceptive
faculties of
each horse in
the tandem. Of
course, to avoid
confusing the
horse the vocal
command must
always be
exactly the same
for the same
horse in the
same
circumstances.”*1
A driveway,
an arena or
pasture area
will be great
places to start
with your daily
walks. Venture
out into the
neighborhood;
haul to an area
that is quiet or
walk in the
woods. Where
ever you plan to
drive is a must
to walk. This is
your time to
build a bond
with this
animal, all
donkeys even
pasture pets
should get some
quality one on
one walking time
with you.
Note: If you
must use a stud
chain on your
lead rope to
stay in control,
do it! Ninety
percent of the
time our chain
is loose and is
never needed but
it is there if
we need to
remind the
donkey who is in
charge for a
brief moment.
Remember the
reward is a
quick release
when they give
to you. The
worst thing that
can happen is
your donkey
getting away
from you and
racing home
scared or for
you to forget
the quick
release. Start
small and build
slowly on your
walks, stay
within your
comfort zone and
expand. I also
like a long
cotton lead
rope, and gloves
are an absolute
must. If you
have a trail
course set up
introduce that
slowly into your
routine as you
gain confidence
keep your walks
fresh with
something
different every
time. During our
walk sessions we
incorporated
trotting in hand
along a fence
line which was a
great learning
tool, later we
added trotting
in harness with
a driver and a
handler at the
head.
Once this is
going well it is
time for Part B
of Step One and
that is to
harness your
donkey and
proceed with
walks. It will
take him or her
time to get use
to the sounds,
smells and the
feel of wearing
a striped down
harness while
walking. This
includes an open
bridle, with no
blinders, and a
bit even though
you are still
working your
lead rope off
the halter. I
start off with a
snaffle bit that
hangs a bit low
in the mouth so
they learn to
pick it up and
pack it.
Step Two as
you are walking
slowly drop back
behind the front
shoulder and
then back to the
hip. Once they
find you are no
longer in your
normal place
your donkey may
stop and turn
back to look for
you or try to
bolt ahead. If
he tries to run
off let him
circle around
you, the reason
behind the long
lead rope. As
long as you have
control of the
head and the
direction of the
feet they most
likely will not
escape. Just let
them circle as
long as they
like, you can
even encourage
this until they
want to stop and
be with you. The
key to this step
is once they
settle down and
start breathing
normally is to
start walking
again first near
the head and
then begin to
quietly drop
back towards the
hip. Something
that works well
is to use a
fence line on
the donkey’s
side while
dropping back.
Always end your
sessions on a
good note, hugs,
atta boys and I
add a few
treats.
Part B of
Step Two is to
attach your
lines; I prefer
to run them thru
the collar
rings, then the
shaft holders
and directly
back to my
hands. The lines
can be attached
to the sides of
the halter if
you have a
helper and are
working in an
enclosed area as
you cannot let
your donkey get
away from you.
Later you will
want to attach
them to the bit.
Your helper will
take over for
you on the lead
rope and you
will start to
man the lines.
At first you are
going to simply
let your donkey
get accustomed
to you walking
behind and some
simple turns
using gee and
haw, this
probably will
make him/her a
little nervous
especially once
you add a bridle
with blinders.
Don’t forget the
whoa training
here. You want
your donkey to
stop as soon as
you say whoa and
before you have
to apply bit
pressure. You
can drive
towards a fence
or wall and say
Whoa just before
reaching your
natural stopping
barrier, after
several sessions
of this move
away from the
barrier and see
how he does.
I have had
little success
with donkeys and
snaffle bits. We
seem to do
better in a
straight bar
bit. Galahad had
no respect for
the basic Mylar
snaffle so I put
him into a
Kimberwick
snaffle which he
tried to avoid
by raising his
head but seem to
have more
respect. The bit
that worked best
for him was a
Mullen mouth
butterfly
driving bit with
the lines ran
through a lower
ring on the
collar and
through the
shaft holders.
Experiment!
This is where
I introduced the
driving whip,
after he was
accustomed to
the bridle with
the blinders,
and still tied
to the hitching
rail or in the
round pen. It’s
a simple
introduction of
touching the
donkey all over
while at his
side then later
from the back of
him touching the
shoulders for
future turns and
rump rubs with
lots of atta
boys while you
are standing
next to him. I
only use my
driving whip on
the days I use
the bridle with
the blinders. I
just want him to
become
accustomed to
being touched
not completely
desensitized to
the whip so I
don’t spent much
time on this
component.
While your
donkey is tied
or in a small
pen, introduce
him to the PVC
poles. He must
be okay with
them touching
his body, legs,
head, across his
back and under
his belly before
you go further,
this will take
some time and
several short
sessions. I do
want him to be
okay with the
big white poles
touching him as
someday he will
be flag racing
and the poles
and barrels must
be familiar to
him. I began
packing smaller
poles with me in
the open pasture
working my way
up to the larger
ones when he
were used to
getting a treat.
If he wanted the
treat Galahad
had to put up
with the white
poles. Later we
moved into a
small pen with
him at liberty
and progressed
into dragging
the poles past
him until he
understood the
poles meant
treats were
forthcoming.
My donkey had
a Part C to Step
Two as I had an
experienced
donkey to hitch
him into a team
set up where I
could ground
drive them
together. Having
a partner made
it easier for
Galahad and was
invaluable later
on. During these
sessions we
incorporated
serpentines,
circles, and
figure-eights so
that Galahad
would learn that
when he was on
the inside
making him the
pivot he must
slow down and
when he was on
the outside he
needed to step
up his pace.
Here we are
going to switch
gears a little
bit and go into
the actual
lessons I used
to train Galahad
to drive.
To practice
holding your
lines make up a
Rein Board, mine
was patterned
after this one
so I could drive
and watch TV at
the same time.
Practice
using your
driving whip and
make sure it is
long enough to
touch your
donkey’s
shoulder from
the cart. At any
time you feel
you have gone as
far as you are
comfortable
there certainly
is no shame in
getting
professional
help. Stay
within your
comfort zone,
always wear a
helmet, gloves
and be safe!
*1 Driving a
Tandem by Paul
Doliveux page 30
Published by J.A.
Allen London
Other great
reads include
Breaking and
Training the
Driving Horse
Doris Ganton
Videos I
recommend
include Mules
and Donkeys A
Logical Approach
to Longears Tape
#3 Preparing for
Performance:
Driving Meredith
Hodges
Other books in
my driving
library include
Donkey Driving
by Vivian and
Richard Ellis
and Joy Claxton
A Teamster’s
View More and
Different by
Steve Bowers
Training
Workhorses
Training
Teamsters by L.R.
Miller
