Good article

[Nat(wasIxy)]

I came across an article in this months ‘Carriage Driving’ magazine which is about horses, but I love the trade cart set ups and enjoy reading them getting very het up in the letters section about rein handling, week after week 😀

Anyway, this article is about driving donkeys, and myself and bivol were recently discussing that both of us and another ox person I know all prefer oxen and donkeys over horses. This article describes the difference between donkeys and horses in driving, and I feel that you could happily substitute the word donkey for the word ox in this article – I struggle to articulate the difference, but I feel this article does it!

For example:

“When driven correctly, a donkey will work out how to do its job for you. You give the commands and plan out its course intelligently, yet the donkey must be given the responsibility for taking its steps. It needs to be involved in decision making or it simply will not move freely. The experienced donkey which knows its job will become very light in the hand, and will respond to a contact as light as the weight of a rein.”

“If you drop contact with a novice donkey it will quickly lose forward momentum and often break pace or deviate in its direction”

“Unschooled donkeys resist driving in three ways. Firstly they refuse to go forward, secondly they refuse to steer. Thirdly they try a combination of the two. The first evasion si dealt with by creating more interest for the donkey. Find out what it enjoys, gain forward momentum by taking it on walks, climbing hills and longreining…”

“Once the donkey becomes experienced it becomes crucial not to patronise him with the training above. Just as pupils in a school hate to be taught what they already know, donkeys like to show you what they can do, and like to learn new challenges. Once a donkey responds to all the stages above you start to see how little you need to do to get a response.”

“The point made is this: that once a donkey is experienced he needs to be given the responsibility to to complete the work with minimal interference. It is their intellectual freedom that inspires thier physical ability”

“Donkeys need relationship in order to perform tasks well;……You need to think before acting upon problems when working within a relationship with a person: the same is required of the donkey. This is where a donkey becomes a real blessing, as it will work for you as you learn to respect its intellectual ability, listening as well as communicating as you do with a close friend.”

So well done to Debs Street, who’s put into words what I could not!! This is what I have found in driving and working oxen in general down to a ‘T’!

[bivol]

hey Nat!

well what i like about donkeyss and oxen alike over horses is their calmness and that they dont bolt and don’t panic easily.
BUT
i think donkeys and oxen are still different in terms of willingness to work – cattle won’t work unless we push them , donkeys can and will want to work if they have a good relationship with their master…

first quote – i think it’s an important lesson when plowing laone with oxen – cattle around the world show so much “talent” for walking alone that it’s simply amazing to someone used to leading oxen only.

third quote… i don’t know… maybe oxen are happier to just be directed and told: look, do this, and nothing else, while donkeys will often ask “why” they have to do it. oxen don’t care that much as long as it’s routine and learnt task… what do you think, how’s your experience regarding?…

“The point made is this: that once a donkey is experienced he needs to be given the responsibility to to complete the work with minimal interference. It is their intellectual freedom that inspires thier physical ability”

i absolutelly looove this one:D

they’re absolutelly right about the need to let the animal have some responsibility when it masters something, and needless hanging on the subject can by right irritate it!

[Nat(wasIxy)]

Hmm, I think the willingness to work thing IS a big issue with oxen, but in my own experience it sounds very like the donkey – yes, if they do the same thing day in, day out (necessary in a working environment of course) they will need to be pushed to do it or else become like robots and do their routine with no verve or deviation, but I go out of my way to interest my animals (because I get very bored quickly too and hate repetition!) and this greatly increases their willingness. I find that in their training, they only need one, maybe two short sessions being taught something and once it’s in, it’s in and they really don’t like to go over old ground – they like to ‘get out there’ and do it 😀 And this has created animals which do genuinely seem to enjoy ‘working’ with me – they call to me as I go past and hang over fences, crowd me for attention when I go in and I can often walk and have the lead rope draped over their neck and they will still follow; even Angus, who is quite lazy and aloof, gets jealous when I tack up any of the others…

[CharlyBonifaz]

they only need one, maybe two short sessions being taught something and once it’s in, it’s in and they really don’t like to go over old ground

positively true! and they do let you know when they have fun with a chore and when they just do something because you ask them to…..

[Baystatetom]

I have had 6 six teams of oxen and really do think they like to work. They do like repetition but that doesn’t mean they are not willing when I ask them for something new. Just the other day I went to gather sap when I noticed I left the chain in my truck. I told the steers to whoa and left them alone for a minute to get the chain, when I returned they had walked over to and backed up to the sled and were waiting for me, ready to be hooked up. You can’t tell me they don’t like to work.
~Tom

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