# Taming a donkey?



## longhorngal

Does anyone have any suggestions for taming a donkey? I have had this big john gelding since August. He is not my first untrained donkey but is by far the most difficult. He came from an auction and I really think he must have been a roping donkey in his previous life
.
He will come right up for feed and I have gotten to where I can stroke his face but forget moving to the side of him at all. It's straight on or he leaves in a hurry. At first you couldn't get within touching distance so that is some progress lol! He doesn't want to be in the same county with a rope or halter.
He's a big gentle guy otherwise and gets along with all the animals. I'd really like to get him to where I could mess with him but having no luck!

I'm getting another donkey john next week that is very tame. Will that maybe have a positive influence on him I wonder?


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## farmergirl

The other donkey may help the current one see not to be afraid of you. To teach the shy one to accept a rope and halter, you might try hanging the halter over the fence by the lead rope so that the open halter lays on the ground, then feeding him hay on top of the halter so that he has to touch the halter a little bit each time he takes a bite of hay.
I've also found it helpful to just putter around in the paddock or stall, ignoring the donkey completely until the donk becomes curious about me and what I'm doing. A curious donkey is a trainable donkey. Foster his curiosity; you'll be amazed at how quickly he comes around if you approach it that way


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## farmergirl

forgot to mention, the male donks are called jacks, not johns


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## wr

You might get lucky but I've found that a nervous animal just teaches other animals bad habits and one runner will teach an entire herd to cut and run because it appeals to their basic instinct.


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## Teej

Anytime I've brought home a hard to catch horse, the first thing they have to learn is if they want to get to their grain bucket they have to get a halter on first. When they're done eating halter comes off without me asking anything else of them while they have it on. Next step is letting me walk up to them in the pasture and letting me halter them. Slip the halter on, they get a treat, take the halter off and walk away. Usually that method worked pretty fast although I had a pony that would always have to run about 20 feet away and then stop and look at me like "ok, I'm ready now". I think it was a game for her. 

None of them were ever wild though just not thrilled with the idea of being caught. Nor do I know if working with donkeys would be a whole different ballgame.


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## mrs whodunit

farmergirl said:


> forgot to mention, the male donks are called jacks, not johns


Johns refers to a gelded donkey. Jack to an intact male.

For the wild donkey we had a curry comb worked. We started brushing from her back end and slowly work our way up to her head. After a year or so she finally would let us walk straight up to her head. She was a sweetheart but somebody had a abused her, she ran away and lived wild for 7 years before going to the where we got her.


Our tame donkeys also helped relax and allow us to work with her... the mooches Pol

Remember, donkeys aren't horses so don't treat them as such. Donkeys have their own way of thinking.


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## Rogo

I've had horses, mules and donkeys. I've trained them all the same way.

I raised my Mammoth jack (14.3 hands as an adult) from a baby and he was the sire of many mule foals from my broodmare band. He also bred outside mares. I started riding him and breeding him when he was 3. We went on day rides, multiple day rides, did parades, worked cattle, etc. We were even invited to lead a group of 10 mules one year at the Rose Bowl Parade in California. The Mammoth was 4 years old at the time and it was his 36th parade.

I've also adopted wild burros from the BLM. These are the only critters I didn't get from private folks. I didn't consider them all that wild -- had a halter on them the first day and was riding them within a couple of weeks!
All the other equines I've had thru the years have come from private folks. I don't buy from swap meets, auctions, etc. I like to know what I'm getting!

It's difficult to tell you what to do. I don't know you, your personality, your donk. I don't train like most and I don't recommend what I do. I ride my critters out from my place the day I put the first saddle on their backs. The following week we ride with a group of folks.

I've never grained any of my equine. I don't train with food/treats. I want them to concentrate on ME!

You don't know what your donk has experienced before becoming yours. If he had bad treatment, it could take longer for you to earn his trust. Patience really are needed for such a critter. Once you earn their trust, critters will do almost anything for you. Go at his level, not yours.

I got very tired of hearing folks call Mammoth jacks killers. So altho I didn't start riding him until he was 3, I climbed up on his back for this photo. He was 2 years old:


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## longhorngal

Thanks so much for the replies. I do like the idea of the halter and ropes around the feed. I'm going to try that for sure. It reminded me of a retired camp horse I used to have. He came with his own saddle and it was extremely poor fitting. As a result he was really hard to saddle. I started saddling him at feeding time every day (with a saddle that didn't pinch!) and he came right around.

I know, who knows if I'll get anywhere with this guy. I won't buy another one from a typical auction though I'll tell you that!

He is gelded-not a jack.


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## farmergirl

I've been around donkeys for over half my life and had never before heard the gelded males referred to as "johns". Learned something. Thanks


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## GrannieD

I work with donks a lot & find some of them are crafty about being caught if they haven't been handled ...not necessary to be abused to get the idea..I would crowd him into a corner of a corral or stall..I use a gate to take up the space & put them against the wall & put a halter on with a good rope...(rope halter is best too) Tie him right there in the stall or corral & make him be the good guy ..Most donks will not do the frantic pulling a green horse will so I don't generally do a drag rope to start.. 
If you have no use for him other than a pasture ornament do the feeding & enjoy watching him have his own way..Their favorite move when they've been very free is to bolt to get away so any attempt to lead him must be started in a corral with a stud chain to give you the advantage...Most donkeys are more like goats in their persistance to get their way..They are fun to work with & as Rogo says the training is pretty much the same as for the horse..
.One warning on one that is unknown is the fact that they are fast as lightning to react, & can kick up past their shoulder..Usually they settle down fast when you know what you are doing... Wr is right on..I've not had it work to put them with a tame one except to follow if you need to coax them someplace without leading them..
Also never called a male donk a john -- its a common mule term with molly being the the female..Gelding is used for a cut jack... GrannieD


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## Rogo

longhorngal --reminds me of one of the parades I did. One of the groups was about 25 folks riding saddled longhorns.

Since my previous post was no help, I just thought back to how I worked with the BLM burros I adopted. Might be of help.

All my livestock roam free and at that time I was on 40 acres. I used portable panels and made an enclosure to work in.

I put my camping chair in there, sat down and read out loud from a book or magazine. Don't remember which. I ignored the burro. Eventually, it came closer. I ignored. I then let my arm hang down to the ground and when the burro came close enough, I rubbed whatever part of its body was there without moving my hand around. Rubbed just a couple of times, then took my hand away, said "good baby," and continued the out loud reading.

Little by little, the burro stayed longer with me. Each time I thought it was ready, I rubbed a different part of the body - neck, back, croup, ears, etc. All while still sitting down. The wild burros aren't that large! 

When I thought the time was right, I held a halter in my lap, then my hand. While petting, I held the halter so it could be sniffed. When that was accepted, I slowly rubbed it around the body. And then I put it on the burro. Just stood there. I slowly stood up. No running away. I took the halter off and put it on and off several times and then quit. Always quit on a good note!

When I went out there the next day, the burro came right up to me. I was allowed to put the halter on and off several times. I had earned the trust. Slowly put a lead rope on, clicked my tongue and slightly pulled the rope. Got forward movement. Then used "ho" and again just slightly pulled the rope. Burro stopped. We did this a few times and quit.

I worked the other burro the same way. Unknown to any one, I had purchased a mom and daughter and didn't know mama was pregnant. Found out a few months later! So, got a 3-fer -- 3 for the price of one!

When mama weaned that baby, I sold mama to a young girl who rode the burro and used her in 4-H.


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## longhorngal

Thanks for the further help. Yeah, I've had him since August and have just put no pressure on him at all and as I say the furthest I have gotten is to where I can stroke his face!

He certainly can kick, early on when I got him I was not paying attention and got around behind me and he got me good in the thigh. I will say he looked as surprised as I was and I don't think it was malicious. I know that unhandled doesn't = abused but as I say he's not my first donkey and I just can't get him to come around.
I got my new white donkey-we named him Atticus- and he is such a sweetie. I am having fun with him and I don't think I will put them together after all. I guess Trouble can just hang out in the big pasture with a couple of other horses and cows since that seems to make him the happiest.


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