# Skittish donkey



## Janis R (Jun 27, 2013)

We got a donkey about a month and a half ago, she was very friendly came up to you ate out of our hands. We were able to pet her, check her hoofs. She got a little skittish if you moved too quickly or had something in your hands and moved them quickly. We would put her on a rope so she could graze during the day.

About a week ago she became very skittish, now she runs from us or anyone. Since we can't catch her we turned out with the goats. :hair

What do you think happened? How do we get her to accept us again?

She has attacked a turkey hen, we think. She is very aggressive with the goats about food. Tomorrow we are going to move her to her own pen if we can catch her.

Thanking everyone in advance for your advice


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I doubt if anything happened to her. 

Did you do any homework before you got her? If you did, you would know that donkeys guard territory not flocks so she likely did kill the bird. 

I'm guessing, you had not plans for training and that appears to be a significant problem for you. Do you have a pen you can sort from? It isn't overly hard to put animals into a pen and sort out the animals you don't want, if you have someone to operate the gate.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

You say "we". Does that include kids? If so, many younger kids can spook off a good equine or canine just by being a little kid. Noise, movement, etc, can run off a sensitive donkey pretty quick.

If no kids, then have you at ANY time slapped at or smacked the donkey, kicked out at it, yelled, pushed, anything at all like that, or otherwise moved it away from you or feed? There has to have been something to lead up to the behavior she is exhibiting now. They don't just flip a switch and become unfriendly and unable to be handled, that isn't how they are. At least, mine are not that way.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

aoconnor1 said:


> You say "we". Does that include kids? If so, many younger kids can spook off a good equine or canine just by being a little kid. Noise, movement, etc, can run off a sensitive donkey pretty quick.
> 
> If no kids, then have you at ANY time slapped at or smacked the donkey, kicked out at it, yelled, pushed, anything at all like that, or otherwise moved it away from you or feed? There has to have been something to lead up to the behavior she is exhibiting now. They don't just flip a switch and become unfriendly and unable to be handled, that isn't how they are. At least, mine are not that way.



It sounds like the change in behaviour occurred about the same time they turned the sensitive donkey out with the goats. I'd bet the farm that the sensitive donkey has suddenly risen to the top of the herd social order and nobody has the skill to remind her that manners count.


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## Janis R (Jun 27, 2013)

No children, no treating her badly
Didn't put her in with the goats until after she became skittish
WR I don't understand what you mean, she was already trained and pleasant to be around. The only reason the previous owner got rid of the donkey was b/c her other donkey had died and she was lonely. 
I had read that donkeys were good guard animals.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Janis R said:


> No children, no treating her badly
> 
> Didn't put her in with the goats until after she became skittish
> 
> ...



Not all donkeys are good guard animals and some will kill what you think they should be guarding. They guard territory not flocks so often they are fine until lambs, kids or calves show up. 

How trained is this donkey? Can you ride her, she's halter broke or something else? If she is trained, why all the touching time and why not walk up an halter her? That tells me you've set the pattern by allowing her to decide if she feels like being caught. Is she trained well enough for a farrier to trim her feet or a vet to treat her or give her vaccinations?


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## Janis R (Jun 27, 2013)

She was/is trained, would stand for hoof care, brushing etc. She has just become skittish in the last week or so.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Janis R said:


> She was/is trained, would stand for hoof care, brushing etc. She has just become skittish in the last week or so.



Trained for what? Is she halter broke, trained to ride, pull a cart or something different?

Is she cycling? How long ago did she kill the bird and and if she is trained, why were you allowing her to play coy and just touch her but now catch her?

Every time you interact with an animal you're training it and it sound to me like she's being trained to do what she wants.


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

Does she come to you for feed? Greed usually wins out.

I'm guessing (as all equines will) she just decided to push the limits one day and won. So now she has found out she doesn't have to cooperate. Get her to come, (even with feed at first), make the time spent with her pleasant, and soon you will have her following you around like a dog.


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## Janis R (Jun 27, 2013)

We are going to catch her put her in an area by herself but close to the other animals, we have an enclosed area for the little goats and she goes in there sometimes and when she does it will be easier to catch her. We will not give her feed unless she comes to us for it and see how that works.


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## Skandi (Oct 21, 2014)

I've never had donkeys but with the horses and dogs if they suddenly changed behaviour with no apparent reason I always check to see if there is a injury or illness, pain can instantly change your loving creature into a unsociable demon.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Janis R said:


> We are going to catch her put her in an area by herself but close to the other animals, we have an enclosed area for the little goats and she goes in there sometimes and when she does it will be easier to catch her. We will not give her feed unless she comes to us for it and see how that works.



But what level of training does she have?


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## Janis R (Jun 27, 2013)

WR- I am not sure exactly what level of training shadow has we only go t her a couple of months ago. I am going to call the lady we got her from


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

Could be just about anything; someone moved too quick and scared her, or tried to catch her and she felt threatened. I have a "semi-feral" mini that is very difficult. She is so sweet and is friendly but I don't think she had a lot of human interaction (was a broodmare and ended up in a herd dispersal). If she thinks I am trying to *catch* her she will run. She is terrified of needles and will go ballistic for vaccines, but loves to be groomed and will let you clip her and have her feet trimmed with no issues -- as long as you can catch her.

I'd go back to square one with the donkey - lure, lure, reward. Lure and reward. Get a halter on her and do some basic groundwork daily...make it easy and reward (with grooming, or petting, or whatever she likes best...maybe a treat or piece of apple...don't overfeed though).

Just make it the normal routine. If you leave her in with the goats and don't require her to allow human contact, she will turn into a semi-feral animal pretty quick. Just like my poor little mini (we've had her for about 2 years but she's almost 25 now). Not sure we can un-do what has been done to her.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Unfortunately, since we have no idea of the level of manners she came with, it's hard to know what caused the problem but if she was trained, I'm guessing she could be cycle or you have allowed her an elevated position and she's a touch arrogant right now.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

If she was raised with goats then she should get along with them and want to be with them. But, she will also become the alpha of the herd. This is why she would protect them, because she feels responsibility. If she has not been raised with goat she could beat them up.

Get a bucket, put oats in it. Shake the bucket to get her attention. Then whistle. I use two tweets for the donkeys (one long whistle for the dog). Shake the bucket again. When she arrives, feed her a little out of your hand, or pour a bit on the ground. If the goats have also come for the treat, lay out a line of oats for them and a wee pile for the donkey. Walk away. Do this a couple more times (twice a day) and they will all come to you when you whistle. You then use the oats as a reward when you put on the halter, when you lead her somewhere, and so on. You won&#8217;t have to run after her to catch her.

I think the best thing my farriers liked about my mini donkeys is that if they arrived early, I just had to whistle to get my donkeys and halter them.

they also clicker trained faster than my border collie, so preplan what you want to teach them.


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## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

aoconnor1 said:


> You say "we". Does that include kids? If so, many younger kids can spook off a good equine or canine just by being a little kid. Noise, movement, etc, can run off a sensitive donkey pretty quick.
> .


Donkeys LOVE children and normally display their best behavior around them.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

mrs whodunit said:


> Donkeys LOVE children and normally display their best behavior around them.


Usually, that is right. I have 5 little donkeys and two small grand daughters. My grandkids are quiet, well behaved, and have a wonderful love of all things equine. Not all kids are like that though! My horses and donkeys absolutely dislike when an obnoxious, loud, hyper kid is around. That's why I asked if they have kids, one of them could have spooked the little donkey. Since she doesn't have children around, that is obviously not the problem


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I'm confused as to how we can offer advice on an issue with such scant information.

We have no indication of age, level of training or anything other than the perception that after a donkey had been in on site for 6 weeks and suddenly gets a bit silly. If she's young and just halter broke, her reactions will be quite different than a mature donkey that's been handled consistently and ultimately, any helpful advice will require sufficient information to form an opinion. 

Do you have any equine or donkey training or handling experience?


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## Irish Pixie (May 14, 2002)

mrs whodunit said:


> Donkeys LOVE children and normally display their best behavior around them.


Tell that to the jenny that clamped her mouth on my forearm and had to have a 2x4 knocked upside her head to get her to let go when I was 6 or 7. I still remember it vividly and will carry the scar until I die. Or the gelding that tried to kick the stuffing out of me when I was 10. Or when I was 12 the donkey that scraped me off with a tree and then tried to stomp me into the dirt, oh wait, that was a mule. Still half donkey tho....

They are many that aren't even remotely kid safe, nevertheless LOVE children. Some of them are nasty little buggers.


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## offthegrid (Aug 11, 2009)

wr said:


> I'm confused as to how we can offer advice on an issue with such scant information.
> 
> We have no indication of age, level of training or anything other than the perception that after a donkey had been in on site for 6 weeks and suddenly gets a bit silly. If she's young and just halter broke, her reactions will be quite different than a mature donkey that's been handled consistently and ultimately, any helpful advice will require sufficient information to form an opinion.
> 
> Do you have any equine or donkey training or handling experience?


Because it's an online discussion board....  What else can we do?

I agree that to me, it sounds like a young and "just" halter broke animal, that has had minimal training. I guess my opinion is still sort of the same --get a halter on it, work it daily, and reward. My mini is older, but pretty "green" nonetheless. Luckily, she is docile (unless you are a vet with a vaccine) and the worst thing she will do is run from you. Can't say the same for the OPs donkey, so it is possible that injury will result. More likely to the handler than the donkey. 

OP - it would be helpful if you could give more specifics. Age of the donkey, type of "training" and your experience.

I can say, though, that I wouldn't take an unbroken/untrained animal again. The mini is easy enough because she's kind, but if she wasn't - definitely would not be worth the trouble.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

offthegrid said:


> Because it's an online discussion board....  What else can we do?
> 
> I agree that to me, it sounds like a young and "just" halter broke animal, that has had minimal training. I guess my opinion is still sort of the same --get a halter on it, work it daily, and reward. My mini is older, but pretty "green" nonetheless. Luckily, she is docile (unless you are a vet with a vaccine) and the worst thing she will do is run from you. Can't say the same for the OPs donkey, so it is possible that injury will result. More likely to the handler than the donkey.
> 
> ...


Yeah, I kinda get the same impression but I think the owner is also fairly green and I find it's a lot more helpful if one can relay information in such a way that the owner can comprehend. 

Another pet peeve of mine is that if an animal is silly, jumpy or ill mannered, it must be because it was abused or someone didn't make friends with it so it's emotionally scarred for life.


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