# Love my new donkeys!



## nuevomex (Dec 17, 2009)

I just got two adorable mini-donkeys. They are like having two BIG dogs. They're so sweet and love the attention. Need to cross fence them in as they literally LICK the glass door into the living room. So. now. They are one year (Dusty, gelded jack) and Daisy, 1 1/2 year jennet. (are those the right terms??) I would love to teach them to drive a cart. When I was a little girl we had a shetland and my dad trained him to a cart. (went through a few wooden slats, let me tell you!) Have so many questions. But first. I have never bit trained a horse. (I did have horses when I was younger) and I am assuming that is the first step. But the bridle. Can I use a pony bridle to start? And how in the world do I measure their heads for a bridle? Daisy's head is quite a bit larger than Dusty's. I am including the only pics i have of them. But will certainly take more!!


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## MeadowRidge Farm (Dec 18, 2009)

Hi, and WELCOME to the donkey end of the forums from Wisconsin. Congratulations on becomming owned by two beautiful donkeys. Your going to wonder how you even managed to not own one long before this. They are so addicting. You can use a pony bridle with a donkey IF you can find a decent fit with one. I know of alot of people who do use pony bridles, but you also can order a special made donkey bridle but they do cost alot more. I have always used a pony bridle with mine, and have never had any problems. But, if you want to measure your donkeys head..here is how you would go about that...LOL..

Hope this kind of helps you. Measure from where the top of the bit ring would sit (above the corner of your donkey's mouth), up across the top of his head (behind his ears), and down to where the top of the other bit ring would sit (above the corner of his mouth on the other side). Compare this measurement with the size of the bridle - length of the cheek straps and crown piece (over the top of the head).Next measure your donkey's throatlatch. Start at the top of his head, behind his ears (where the bridle would sit), measure down under his throat and back up to the same point above his head. Add a few extra inches. Compare this with the size of the throatlatch strap on the bridles. This is one of the two places where I find most bridles are too small. So make sure that a pony bridle one is big enough.The third measurement to get is the brow band size. Measure from behind and slightly below your donkey's ear, around across the front of his forehead, and back to behind and slightly below the other ear. Compare this measurement with the size of the bridle's brow band. This is the second place that I find most bridles are way too small. You want the brow band to be big enough so that the bridle sits comfortably behind your donkey's ears, and not pulled up so tight that it is rubbing on the backs of his ears all the time! It really helps to take a flexable ruler along to your tack shop to measure what they have in stock.

Corinne


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## nuevomex (Dec 19, 2009)

Thanks, Corrine, that was most helpful. A good place to start. Susie


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## TheCaseFamily00 (Dec 19, 2009)

Your donkeys are adorable! Just wanted to say hi and welcome to the forum




.


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## nuevomex (Dec 19, 2009)

Thanks for the welcome! Lots of questions (mostly dumb ones!) to come! Just love these little guys (well, one guy and a girl) but they SURE messed up my patio yesterday! Susie


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## Bunnylady (Dec 19, 2009)

Welcome, and congrats on your longear furbabies! I think your donks are gorgeous!





I'm not sure what is usually done with donkeys, but I think most of the people on this forum would consider 1 year old a bit young for bitting, if we were talking horses. I know I wouldn't consider it until they were at least 2 years old, myself. There's a lot of groundwork to do before you get to that point, anyway. Things like walk, trot, whoa, back. How do your kids work on a lead?


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## nuevomex (Dec 19, 2009)

Thanks! They are completely halter broken. (at least when they WANT to go somewhere!) You are probably right. Yearlings are too young to bit. (not bite, bit!) Do you know of any good tapes or books on training young donkeys? Thanks, Susie


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## MeadowRidge Farm (Dec 19, 2009)

I have started alot of yearlings they just dont know that they are being started.



I DONT use a bit until they are 2 yrs old. I always have made a "game" out of it, and in winter...once they are well halter broke and lead good, I will attache a light weight lead rope on each side of there halter, and up and down the barn aisle we go. They learn left, right, back, ahead and whoa..all in a good PLAY game. By the time they are 2 years old..it makes them so SOOOOOOOOO easy to finish them with driving. The young donkeys seem to have fun doing it and think they are really good struting there stuff up and down the main barn aisle in front of everyone to see. (my aisle is 10' wide and about 92' long, it makes a good training aisle...





Corinne


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## FlatCreekFarm (Dec 20, 2009)

Hi from Missouri, and Welcome to the Forum! Your little donkeys are super adorable


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## friesepferd (Jan 3, 2010)

you can do plenty of training b4 bit. get them used to a harness, can learn to have someone / something behind them with just a halter fine


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