Behavior and Psychology FAQ's
Q: I hope you can take a few moments to answer my most puzzling question. Mini
donkey Amber , lost a long time companion about 1 year ago.. Appeared to not
react but I saw some subdued behaviour changes such as quieter. Found a
companion mule who she became accustom to and this mule stayed for 1 year.
Mule was sold, donkey alone for a few days. 2 mini horses were introduced
into her area. She reacted wildly. Raced around in a panic. Sweating,
almost wild. I separated them immediately but donkey continued to race
around even though they were in a field away from her immediate location. 5
days later, I found a home for the donkey with a sympathetic person who
needed 1 donkey to add to her 3 donkeys. She appeared ok, the day she left,
walked about with me, loaded into the trailer. On arrival, appeared
unsteady on feet and continues wobbly after 5 days. Could this be due to
emotional trauma? She had been in good physical health here. She will be
seen by a vet, however I am wondering about emotional overload for the poor
girl.
Thank you
Genevieve S.
Alberta Canada
A: Donkeys need donkeys and donkeys are very social. They bond and grieve from
the loss of their companion. This is very stressful for them as I am sure you
know now. I highly suggest a vet check as she could have gotten hurt when
running on adrenaline in fear for her life without her buddy and herd
companion to help her survive.
* Are you sure the place she is living is safe and of outstanding
care?
* Is her living arrangement safe with shelter?
* Are her new companions mini donkeys, mammoths or standards?
I highly suggest a vet check. Please let me know what you find out?
Q: What can I do when my donkey, mule or horse wants to bite me or kick me?
A: Learn Parelli! Go to http://www.parellinaturalhorsetraining.com and they will teach you about timing, looking ahead and having a plan. Equines naturally nip, kick and play with their pasture mates. This is how they communicate. As the human leader we never allow our equine to play this game with us. We set boundaries. When you see their head coming towards you yell “NO” do a jumping jack and your donkey will not nip you. Never let their butt come at you “TWO EYES”, your carrot stick, will help with the porcupine game to keep them facing you. Most important be consistent. If you pay attention they can not nip you unless your timing is off and you let them nip you. Teach the equine to back up and when they are starting the nipping game say “NO” AND FOLLOW UP with a back-up. I believe that safety is the most important ingredient when working with any equine and this is why I choose Parelli with the carrot stick. I stop all this nonsense effectively without abuse and without anger. I have never abused any of my equine. The carrot stick (parelli stick becomes an extension of my arm and a long tale in the equine world) acts as my communication tool. Equines are non verbal communicators and these techniques work effectively to keep me safe and stay in the leadership role.
Q: My donkey kicks at the barn when he/she wants to be fed what can I do to stop this behavior?
A: My answer: Make sure your donkeys (if in a dry paddock) are getting a minimum of small four meals per day. Most people only feed twice a day because they work. If you can get a neighbor or friend to give lunch and a last snack before bed (spread out the same amount of hay as you were feeding in two meals per day) your equine will be much calmer. Equine should be fed off the mat and on a clean area of ground, as they are built to have their head down most of the day eating. Our Mammoth donkey tries every once in a while to kick with his front hooves the barn door to speed me up in getting his vitamins and goodies at night. I open the door point and say “OUT”. I always have my Parelli carrot stick and if he starts to move out I swing it over his back and rub him on his way out to say thank you. If he does not move, I spank the ground and if necessary I spank his butt once, but only once and he moves out of the barn. Equine are smart and they learn from repetion, so make sure you are consistent every time and this behavior will stop.
Q: I just purchased two seven month old molly mules and one got scared while walking past the chickens and I got kicked I am scared and hurt now not sure how to proceed?
A: My answer: You should be scared as equine are powerful and can hurt the human or even kill them, but not intentionally! I highly suggest you get the Parelli kit starting out, rope halter, carrot stick, lead line and learn the seven games. If you had your carrotst stick and your timing was right the mule could not have kicked at you. You would have seen the chickens and cleared the path and protected your own space. I understand fear of getting hurt, as I had the semi truck accident and I am so grateful that I had trained all of my equine the basic manners before the accident as I do not want to have any more pain on top of the pain I still have.
These two lucky mules need you to teach them the basic manners and requirements of living with humans. How to stand for grooming, picking up their feet, backing up, trailer loading, walking over tarps, bending their necks to pressure and much more. Try not to spend too much time on each lesson....... less is more! Do no more than 10 to 15 minutes per session for equine under age four.
If you are having problems with the feet use your parelli stick to swing it around their feet and rub their feet before placing your head down next to them. Always be careful and have a plan when working with equine as this is a dangerous sport but very rewarding.
