Training a Jack to drive?

[wendyluvsminis]

I have a yearling Jack, that I bought as a weanling. He has a very sweet disposition. Next year, I will breed him to a few mini-mares, to make a couple little mules. I would love to have him trained to drive, for my donkey crazy hubby. I normally do the ground-work on the little horses, then my friend/trainer hitches them and gives them 60 days. She has never trained a donkey before. I started one donkey gelding in ground driving, and wasn't real successful. Lots of turning around in circles and not moving forward! What do you do differantly with a donkey? I know you are supposed to "make it their idea", but what does that mean?

Thanks, Wendy

 

[leeapachemoon]

I trained my Jenny to drive. It is not easy and I tell everyone her power steering is broken. She doesn't always like to turn and will walk into things. I definitely needed to use the crop to get her going but then if you use it too much she gets mad and just stops. When she's in the mood, she goes very nicely. They defnitely have their own mind.

 

[Helicopter]

I 'trained' a Jenny to drive....and I use the term 'trained' loosely.

Long reined her a lot beforehand and then one day just stuck her in the cart. She said OK and off we went.

Sometimes, well often really, it's like "steering a brick".

 

[Carriage]

I had hoped that there would be more discussion on this topic as we have recently become interested in this segment of driving. I have sought out and been presented with insight specific to mindset and ability regarding the miniature donkey. I became very interested when I heard that some are interested in CDE's. I don't know where this interest will lead or that it will lead anywhere but the commitment to combined driving would, of necessity, lead to greater involvement in training and encouragement. I did have a chance recently to see a mini put to and was impressed (as were the drivers) to see the donkey come alive compared to its normal driving attitude. They kept exclaiming, he's trotting, he's trotting. There seems to be a growing trend to driving the mini donkey on the trail and in showing.

It will be interesting to see where it goes in the coming years.

Bb

Graham Carriage Works

www.grahamcarriageworks.com

 

[wendyluvsminis]

I had hoped that there would be more discussion on this topic as we have recently become interested in this segment of driving. I have sought out and been presented with insight specific to mindset and ability regarding the miniature donkey. I became very interested when I heard that some are interested in CDE's. I don't know where this interest will lead or that it will lead anywhere but the commitment to combined driving would, of necessity, lead to greater involvement in training and encouragement. I did have a chance recently to see a mini put to and was impressed (as were the drivers) to see the donkey come alive compared to its normal driving attitude. They kept exclaiming, he's trotting, he's trotting. There seems to be a growing trend to driving the mini donkey on the trail and in showing.

It will be interesting to see where it goes in the coming years.

Bb

Graham Carriage Works

www.grahamcarriageworks.com

I had hoped for more discussion also. We owned a wonderful driving donkey gelding. Now we only have the Jack and all mini horses. At coming 2, our Jack is so sweet and obedient. I hope breeding him to probably 2 mares this year doesn't change that.

 

[wendyluvsminis]

I trained my Jenny to drive. It is not easy and I tell everyone her power steering is broken. She doesn't always like to turn and will walk into things. I definitely needed to use the crop to get her going but then if you use it too much she gets mad and just stops. When she's in the mood, she goes very nicely. They defnitely have their own mind.

She looks very nice! What a pretty girl!

 

[leeapachemoon]

She looks very nice! What a pretty girl!

Thank you. She is a nice girl. I don't really think I have the time to turn her into a show donkey because I think it will take alot of work and my main goal is showing my mini but I will continue to drive her and see where it goes. I need a bigger cart for her as she is not mini at about 40" so my mini cart is a little small. I really do like them because they are unique to themselves and are so different then horses. You can tell they think differently. If no one buys her baby, which doesn't seem to be happening, I will geld him and see what kind of driver he will be. Maybe geldings will be easier to work with then jennys and jacks.

 

[wendyluvsminis]

Previously I had one show driving gelding (doneky) , that was wonderful, but did blatantly prefer my husband. Eventually, he quit trotting for me! He had been shown very successfully by a woman, and he is now being shown very successfully by another woman! He just didn't like me! We are having one of our mini horse stallions trained by an Amish boy this summer. He specializes in mini and pony stallions. Our other mini stallion was trained by him, and is bomb proof. I might seen do alot of ground work with Ziggy this year, and send him to the Amish as a 3 year old. The boy is known to be very gentle with the little equines!

 

[Lormule]

A forum member Shawna, of Sagebrush Miniatures, taught her jack to drive. I know she had been using a half cheek snaffle but was having some difficulties at the state fair one year, and I lent her my copper twisted wire bit and turning a stopping improved greatly. I myself have switched to the Liverpool, but I have a very aggressive moving donkey and whoa was a challenge. My donkey came to me with a history of abuse, so comparing the two is mute.

Youv'e already figured out that the long- ears have a different mind set. They are thinking all the time and are a very self preservating. Patience is "key", repeating a task three times exactly and getting the same result can be a good thing or a bad thing. If it's a bad habit, it can be corrected BUT they remember it forever and will test you. Out of the blue they will pull out there bag of tricks. I thought I knew a thing or two about driving BUT my donkey humbled me quickly!!

An old muleskinner buddy of mine gave me this bit of advice, " You have to have the answer to their question, 5 minutes before the wreck happens" I didn't know what he was trying to tell me until I started driving long-ears.

You can tell a horse, but you have to ask a long-ear.

Lorre

 

[minimule]

Hey Lorre! Welcome to the forum!

Kilroy was trained to drive before we bred him. That way we had his undivided attention. Two very critical steps were left out of his training though. STOP and BACK. The guy that trained him failed to teach him those 2 very important steps. I've been working on it and he's getting better but teach them those first.

Kilroy loves to go. He will go all day as fast as you want to go.

 

[Lormule]

Hey Shawna, hope Texas is treating you well. I don't get on hear much, but thank you for the welcome! Wish we could have taken the boys for a "Putt" before you moved. If you ever come back for a visit, give me a call and we can take a cruise down down all the ditch banks with my long ears.

Lorre