ground tied

[menageriehill]

My donkey is very well trainned except he wont stay where u leave him. What is the proper way to train a horse/mule/donkey to stand and stay?

[Donn Hewes]

There is a very good thread right above in the mule section that talks about this question. There was one thing in your question that I was curious about though. You said “leave him” , and I was wondering exactly what you wanted to use this skill for. The skill of standing is primarily taught so you can move around the animal, work around him. Open a gate, load a sled, harness, hook to carts and vehicles. None of these require use to leave the animal. Part of how this skill is taught and maintained is the fact that we are there and can correct and encourage the right behavior.

Haveing an animal that you can “leave” is a whole ‘nother thing. Harder to teach (takes longer), less useful (to me), and usually a result of more hard work (physical work will encourage an animal to stand still longer). The ability to stand calmly can be taught and practiced before, during or after hard work.

[menageriehill]

while hitching him up to a cart or hooking him up to a piece of timber is the only leaving him that I was refering to.

[Donn Hewes]

I guess there are as many approaches to this basic question as there are horses and teamsters. It can take a lot of work and patience. When I start with an animal, (doesn’t matter if it is trained or not) I start with a loose unrestrained horse. I teach it to move on my command, and stand on my command. Some might use a round pen for this work, but they need to remember the object is to get the horses undivided attention. Some times for a green animal or an animal that is having trouble giving me it’s attention I will work with a rope halter. Either in a few hours or a few days I have a horse (mule, or donkey) that without a rope, halter or pen, will move when I ask, but more important, will stand while I work around it. I will trim it’s feet while it stands, all ways retraining as needed. using my hands, voice and body to encourage the standing we want. I harness them while they are unrestrained, again teaching and developing their ability to stand and be patient.

None of this means that I won’t have to repeat the process when we try something new like hooking to a cart, or a log. But, now the horse and I have the knowledge of what to do (how hard it will be) get them to be still. They know as well as I know that I can and will do it. I tell a beginning teamster that is trying to hook to a log, to go slow. Think about what it takes to make them stand still for trimming (the focus, the quite, the body language). This is just the same.

I know what you mean, but the word ‘leave’ provides the wrong image for me. When I want an animal to learn to stand they should feel me (my eyes, energy, focus, perhaps a little touch) just as if I where sitting on them. Then I slowly and carefully go about the thing I want to do (hooking, what ever,) while maintaining this connection (no leaving, not even for a fraction of a second) with the horse.

The horses understanding of each new task grows quickly, and they ability to stand when and where you want grows with each successful effort. It gets easier and easier over time. Just my two cents. DH

[Robert MoonShadow]

You’ve got an excellent way w/ words, Donn! This will help me! Thank you.

[menageriehill]

Yes that is a great way of putting it. Jack loves to work. He stands fine for me when i need to lift a foot etc. etc. .well put sir.

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