# Would you have your donkey trained with this person???...rant kind of!



## Celtic Hill Farm (Dec 14, 2008)

ok, so my freind rides at this barn. The owner/trainer/instructor is training this donkey for a customer. They have ground drove it ONCE! and they just hitched it to a cart, and let it run around like a mad mad while laughing and taking videos! you can't tell me that that donkey was ready to be hitched. I acutally was the first (and only) person to ground drive it. And she had me running around with it trotting the whole time. it didn't have breaks and didn't back. I expect my donkeys to be able to walk, stop, stand, and back before I'm gong to hitch them. Idk, i stand firmly by my belief that donkeys they way you train horses, it don't work that way. This trainer, as a horse trainer is acutally really good and knows what she's doing. but it is almost like she's taking it like a joke to train a donkey. The owner (i know the owner personally) of the donkey could have sent the donkey to me, paid me FAR less to keep the donkey on my property and (attempt) to train it, or at least get it started ground driving. (that sound/'s cocky, but you get what i mean) (i only mean it in a figurative way).

it just kind of made me mad that some one would just throw a harness on a donkey hitch it and go to town.


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## wendyluvsminis (Dec 15, 2008)

Celtic Hill Farm said:


> ok, so my freind rides at this barn. The owner/trainer/instructor is training this donkey for a customer. They have ground drove it ONCE! and they just hitched it to a cart, and let it run around like a mad mad while laughing and taking videos! you can't tell me that that donkey was ready to be hitched. I acutally was the first (and only) person to ground drive it. And she had me running around with it trotting the whole time. it didn't have breaks and didn't back. I expect my donkeys to be able to walk, stop, stand, and back before I'm gong to hitch them. Idk, i stand firmly by my belief that donkeys they way you train horses, it don't work that way. This trainer, as a horse trainer is acutally really good and knows what she's doing. but it is almost like she's taking it like a joke to train a donkey. The owner (i know the owner personally) of the donkey could have sent the donkey to me, paid me FAR less to keep the donkey on my property and (attempt) to train it, or at least get it started ground driving. (that sound/'s cocky, but you get what i mean) (i only mean it in a figurative way).
> it just kind of made me mad that some one would just throw a harness on a donkey hitch it and go to town.


That's really horrible. I had my 3 year old donkey gelding trained this past summer. I had gotten him used to the harness, and tried to ground drive, with-out alot of success. So, I figured let the pro do it. My farrier also trains reining horses, and has trained mini-donkeys in the past. He has two of his own, so I thought give it a try. He worked a couple weeks on ground driving, drove him a number of times, then turned him over to his 11 year old son (co-trainer, I guess, the youngster has done this a number of times already) to put miles on him. After a month, he called me and said the donkey was being driven several HOURS a day, and they had taken him on a camping trip, up and down hills and even throu water. He asked for a couple more weeks to fine tune him. Well, he even came home broke to ride. The boy decided to ride him too--once again, Dad got on the first couple times to get him going. "Sweet William" came home pretty sensible and definately with a lot of miles under his belt!He is in Northern IL. I don't know if I am supposed to give out names, but I would recommend him and give you his name if you e-mail me! Sorry for your bad experience!


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## vetasst (Dec 16, 2008)

I understand what you are talking about. I am in an area where there are "horse" people (no finger pointing or offense ment, sorry) but my donkeys are the brunt of jokes all the time. I do get offened because they are so much a part of my life. I have had a hard time finding a trainer that is willing and trustworthy to train Hershey for carting that i have started myself. (i am hoping i am doing more good than harm) He is doing wonderful, stands, backs and reins very well. Most people i have talked to say you train them just like a horse :arg! , and i walk away. I may have missed out on a good one but they are not like horses and need more patience. If anyone can recommend a good one for my Candy Crew let me know.

Thanks


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## Bunnylady (Dec 16, 2008)

Oh, yeah, it would have been a real gas if that poor frightened, confused animal had tried to jump the fence to get away from that cart, wouldn't it? Absolutely hysterical!






It is extremely foolish to hitch an animal up without first doing lots of groundwork, especially getting a solid WHOA in that animal's repertoire. If this trainer isn't going to take her pupil seriously, she has no business training it, IMO. Who knows who may get into the cart, and who's life may be at risk, once this animal is "trained?"


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