(Note:  these pages are designed in frames - if you are not seeing frames,  please be sure and click here to optimize your viewing experience.) 

It can be one of the more frustrating things, to want to medicate, trim feet or just play with and groom your donkey and he doesn't want any part of it. It can put human control freaks right over the edge. But realize, for the tame donkey, this is a man made problem.  It arose from neglect,  ignorance, or sadly to say abuse, or even too much indulgence and spoiling.  When the donkey has learned something negative, it takes some time and real patience and perseverance to overcome ingrained avoidance behaviors.  (Note:  It generally only takes the repetition of one time  for a habit to become programmed into a longears.)   Whether the "I don't want to be caught" mode was an acquired problem with a new donkey or one that was created by you yourself alone, it needs to be rectified for the future enjoyment of all. 

If given half a chance - most donkeys want to come out and play.  
Photo by S. Kudo 

The potential trainer has not only to retrain the spoiled donkey, but especially if they helped to create the no-catch situation, they must also retrain themselves with the proper mind set and comprehend their own body language of what they are actually telling the donkey without realizing it.  Also one must  understand that once the donkey has learned an avoidance behavior, he might always regress in times of stress and your training, patience and vigilance can be tested.  It is of course always better to avoid capture problems in the first place - (ain't hind site wonderful?) but when you cannot.....you must begin somewhere to rectify the situation.

Where do you start in this adventure of capturing the halter shy donkey?  You need to evaluate where your starting level is....  Such as,  is your donkey tame once he is caught?  Or is he wild and untouched?  Is the donkey spoiled and lacks manners or just plain scared when he possibly kicks out when you try to catch him?  Does the donkey just not want to be caught but loves goodies and attention? All of these factors and very possibly a blend of several  governs where you begin and how to possibly proceed to overcome each of those obstacles in this capture game. And on top of that each trainer has to find what works best for his donkey, his training beliefs and comfort level.

You must have a training area.  You cannot  teach a donkey with any efficiency to be caught in an open 40 acre field.   You will need to set up some sound safe area, such as a corral or round pen.  These areas should not be of wire fencing that a panicked animal could try to push through or leap over.  Solid wooden or pipe panel fencing is preferred.  It's also works better to isolate the donkey you are working with.  They will come around faster and bond more quickly with you - if you  become their only herd member for the duration.

Equipment to use:
 

Necessary:  your mind, heart and compassion, some knowledge, a lot of common sense, perseverance and patience.

Optional:  25 ft 3/4" soft cotton rope, 15 ft 3/4" soft cotton lead rope, stout nylon halter, stock whip with a black one foot square of black plastic tied to snapper (section of black plastic garbage bag works well),  several pipe horse panels (for making a temporary chute to capture and halter a wild donkey), hay, grain, treats, soft body brush.

Your mind set:  Understand that it's not the donkeys fault for running away.  He is a prey species, it is not natural for him to be at your beck and call.  We are blessed that donkeys are herd animals and very tolerant of our eccentricities, but when a donkey avoids us - we have only ourselves to blame.  Look into your heart and realize that you have to correct yours or someone else's error.  You need to be honest inside your self before trying to train or rehabilitate any donkey.   If you are trying to hide anger and frustration -  the donkey will look through you and read this and avoid you at all costs. You have to have peace and understanding inside first for the donkey to be able to see your honesty and caring.  Also try and set aside an entire day for training.   Not that you will use this, but if you have no other agenda crowding your time clock - you will be more patient and the donkey will actually respond better and faster to your training efforts. 

Catching Categories:

The totally wild donkey is far easier to come around, because he is a clean slate.  Once he has learned that his new two legged herd members mean him no harm is he is almost eager to accelerate the training process and like a dry sponge - soaking up all the attention you have to spare.  You first have to prove yourself to him.   You have to go about establishing contact in a way that shows you mean no harm. 

Wild one - The slow method:   With a wild BLM or unhandled donkey spending time watching him eat is a good positive way of exposing him to your presence.  Your goal is to be in his environment at positive times and work slowly moving closer and closer each week until you can sit next to the hay and have him eat.  Placing a grain pan near you is also tempting.  Most wild donkeys do not understand what grain or treats are so it might take them some time to warm up to this new food.  I don't believe in constant hand feeding of donkeys - there is no reason to bribe their affection - but for very shy, wild animals - food is a great way to open doors.  Once positive contact and behavior is established I begin to wean them from the treat cycle.    Once the wild donkey is accustomed to your presence they can even begin to make contact.  Let them set the pace, don't try to pet the face first (do you like some stranger reaching out to YOUR own face really?), but touch their wither area (top of shoulder) - this a safe neutral zone for the animal - that even other donkeys take advantage of  in grooming each other - it's comforting, bonding communication.  This is where you want to scratch in the beginning to gain confidence in your donkey.  Always be the one to leave first - that is scratch and then walk away before they become bored or too scared.  This establishes a leadership roll from the early beginning, and the donkey doesn't fall into the habit of always leaving you which can develop later on into catching problems.

Wild one - The Progressive  Method:   What I prefer to do with a wild or unhandled donkey is to have them in a secure enclosure with no posts or other objects for the donkey to become entangled in. (No animal should ever be turned out in a large area with a drag rope that could be caught up around other animals or obstacles or have enough room to gallop).  They should have a wide snug nylon halter on and a drag rope, preferably 15' in length of soft 3/4" cotton rope. Sometimes you can make a squeeze chute out of horse panels so you can initially get the halter and rope on in the first place.    Beware than any animal that is fearful can be invoked to flight or fight response.  In the small area you get the donkey used to your presence and slowly walk up and put your foot on the end of the rope and finally slowly bend down and pick it up (this is why you should have at least a 15' lead so that you can get a hold of the rope without panicking the donkey and are still out of kicking range) I generally will take the end of the lead rope and pull it around one stout corral post and run the end of the rope down to the next post and tie it there.  This is a safety precaution so you are out of harms way.  The donkey is then tied up.   Give him time to get used the idea and then try to walk up to him and pet his shoulder and then walk away. .  Your goal is to be able approach without soliciting a fear response - sometimes you have to fall short of actually touching him before walking away - but gradually you are able to get closer and closer.  Repeat, over and over.   This is where being able to read them comes into play - because you want to stop and walk away before the donkey acts scared.   Don't push them until they break, but watch their body language, and whether they have twitched their ears, or started to shift their weight in preparation to move out away from your approach - immediately freeze for a moment then you yourself back off.   Your walking away at the right moment actually rewards the donkey for his bravery.   You are showing respect for his space, but at the same time are laying down foundation rules to build on.  You are wanting to desensitize the donkey to being approached, gain confidence and trust that you will not hurt them.   When done for the day (pick a moment you feel was positive on the donkeys part and stop for the day), untie the donkey from the other fence post and then walk away before he knows he's released.  Again you don't want him to get into the habit of running away from you.  That is defeating your purpose.  Expand on this over time - keeping all contact as pleasant as possible.  Eventually you can do away with tying to the post and catch hold of the rope and walk up to give a pat.   Begin going through the motions of placing a halter and lead rope OVER the one he is already wearing.  This accustoms the donkey to having a rope put over his neck and having a halter taken off and on - while you still have control with the halter previously on his head.  Once you can walk up, catch and halter the wild donkey without resorting to using the halter and rope he's been wearing, you should be able to dispense with the need for him to have a halter and catch rope on any longer.  You can also stop calling him wild - it's a great accomplishment on both your parts! 
 

A note on halters:  I normally do not leave halters on donkeys - though for wild or unhandled adult donkeys,  I will leave on a well fitting wide halter,  in a safe environment for training purposes only.  Foals NEVER at any age should have a halter on without direct supervision.  Tragedy can and does occur.

The tame one:  The tame donkey that simply doesn't wish to be caught I put into a corral and will simply walk down.   I'm not chasing the donkey,  I'm just walking after him and I will not stop until I have my hands on him. It's his choice - if he wants to keep walking then we walk.  If he stops his reward is the cessation of motion - and I stop also.  It's that exceedingly simple.     If the donkey stops I too will stop and stand there for a bit as long as the donkey is looking at me.  I talk to him and let him know I'm not going to hurt him and then will walk closer.   I always try and approach his shoulder.  I've spent several hours walking down a semi wild donkey only to just scratch his withers and walk away - that was all I wanted.  It really throws them for a mental loop when they realized they spent all that energy on avoidance behavior and there was nothing to be concerned about.  Once I've walked a  donkey down, I normally never have to do it again.     The donkeys are so intelligent that they just give in gracefully ever after.  Beware, that to use the walking down method, you have to read the donkey properly or you can make the situation even worse by giving up or not rewarding the donkey for stopping to look at you (you should pause respectfully as a reward). A safety precaution is to never try to capture your donkey in the open field until you know he's totally trust worthy.  Bring him into a corral with hay or some other incentive.  By controlling the catching environment, it keeps the deck stacked in your favor until you have established a solid relationship.  Even so, if you walk toward a donkey with the idea of touching or capturing  - and the donkey walks away - always, always walk after him until he stops - pet him and then you walk away.  If you let it slide and don't follow through, then it will take twice as long next time.  You are the leader and if you always walk away first it stops all sorts of problems from developing with the donkey learning he can gain control.  Establishing gentle leadership roles is most important of young animals or ones in training.

The disrespectful one:   This is a class of ass with attitude!  They need a firm idea of who the leader is.   Remember a donkey should not kick, bite or knock one over.  Disrespectful behavior is potentially dangerous.  We love our donkeys, but they must be safe!!   I firmly believe that kicking, biting donkeys are man made and it's our responsibility to teach that misguided donkey how to be a good citizen once again.   Generally a donkey that kicks when you approach is using avoidance behavior in extreme.    It's a challenge on the trainers part to find a balance of trying to teach the donkey manners and try to teach him to be caught!  The disrespectful donkeys is one that you want to make eye contact with, and don't turn your back on - you need to always be assuming a dominant leadership role in his eyes.  One can use the progressive method of wild donkey handling with the halter and lead rope.   Sometimes just being able to grab the rope and guide him into the correct behaviors is all the help that is needed (i.e., turning the donkey as you approach by gently pulling the head around so the donkey turns a half circle around his hind quarters - a treat should be then offered for his bravery in facing you).  Sometimes once confidence and trust is obtained the kicking will disappear as it was just a manifestation of fear in the first place.  I always try to work through the negative behaviors by ignoring or down playing them and guiding the donkey into positive behaviors with positive praise, rather than trying to bully the donkey - forceful treatment can easily backfire and create even worse future avoidance behaviors.    My favorite method is putting the naughty donkey in a small enclosure and start working them in some variances of round pen work.   Beware that donkeys do not tolerate repetitive work for very long, and once they realize they are not going anywhere in a round pen, without some sensitive handling,  they can stop and lock up - thus controlling the round pen and that particular teaching tool is lost.   Quit circling at some positive point (usually as simple as the donkey turning his head a little to the inside is enough for me to end the lesson as job well done!), stopping the lesson before the donkeys does is the total key.  I've found the best persuader is a stock whip with black plastic (a one foot square) tied to the snapper - the rattling plastic can really encourage forward movement with out having to even touch the donkey.     It is a way to get your leadership role across without a direct confrontation or wrestling match.  You know you've made your point when your donkey is looking at you and yes, even licking his lips.  Don't expect him to readily come inside and follow you.  The donkey that acknowledges your leadership role will stand rock still and allow you to approach and pet him.  Which is your goal in the first place.

Study training videos, get some books on natural horsemanship, take some classes - get very educated before trying round pen work on a donkey.  And then forget almost everything because you are working with a different species that views life and herding behavior in a different way.   Your ability to read your animal will determine the success of the results. 

It's very important to obtain manners and respect from the misguided donkey - as continued dangerous behaviors could end up costing him his life.

The scared one:    If the donkey is very timid or abused I will use a combination of all the above depending on his circumstances.  Remember that half of the donkeys problem is behavior patterning.  If he's learned to do something one way - such as automatically running away from people - you have to reprogram with a new set of behaviors.   Most of the time simply watching them eat is not enough if they have learned bad things about people.  It can help them gain confidence in you, but mostly they need hands on work.  By your having one end of the rope you can stop their automatic flight response and set up for new positive behaviors.  Continuing to allow their old behavior just reinforces their flight  response - you have to nip it in the bud.  And once a donkey learns to do something a certain way - they will always follow that pattern, whether they are really scared or not.  Read the last sentence again.  Some donkeys will ACT scared but not really feel so, just because they've gotten used to reacting that way to everything. By your working with them and encouraging  them past those behaviors - you expand their world - and both of you reap the rewards.  Sometimes the best confidence builders with the shy donkey is simply walking away from it at the right time.  Try to give this reward when the donkey has stood well, whether you've been petting him or have only gotten within 10 feet the first time.  Don't push until he breaks and runs away.  Stop before the donkey moves out and back away.   'Bout every third advance you should be able to come up even closer.  Timing is everything.   Also try to avoid staring at the timid donkey - direct eye contact can be dominating and a sign of aggression.  Glance at the shy one and turn your head away slightly or look down.  Avoid fast moves or expansive arm gestures.   You know when you are making progress when the timid one starts walking up to you!

The fine art of Haltering:   Don't laugh - it does take some finesse to get a halter on a skittish animal, and if you try to rush and are unsure - you can feel all thumbs and find your donkey has thrown it in high gear and left you in the dust with an empty halter.  Or lack of experience could have you bonking the animal on the muzzle accidentally while slipping the nose band on - it can make a very bad first impression.  So best before attempting to halter a new timid animal if you are unsure of  the procedure is to practice on a calm, tame one.  Make sure your halter is the right size, if even a little on the big size.  Having to tug a snug halter into place can be very scary to a timid animal.  As you are handling your timid donkey, slowly get it used to your bringing  your arms over and around the neck.  When ready to begin haltering your donkey, he should be accustomed to at least being approached and having you move your hands and arms on his body and head.  Some people start out by putting the lead rope over the neck before haltering.  This works fine for horses or trained donkeys, but a wild or unhandled donkey - a donkeys neck is so strong that a simple rope around the neck will not afford you any control.  I normally just have the end of the lead rope looped over my shoulder (less hanging and flapping around) and I'll walk up to the donkeys shoulder (we are in small corral remember in case we have to walk him down if we at first don't succeed), turn to face his head and step closer and slip the nose band on taking care to not knock the halter against his face - it should glide on.  If done smoothly, I'll have the strap flipped over his neck and buckled before he's even reacted.  I will praise and even offer a hand treat.  Lots of praise - praise.  Don't ask him to lead right now that is another lesson entirely.   When the donkey seems calm, gently unbuckle the halter and let him go and you are done - be sure and be the one to walk away first.  Try to organize your lesson plans so that your donkey does not associate bad things with being haltered.  Always end your sessions with a positive happening from the donkeys view point.  It will make the next time you try and capture him that much easier.  Remember sometimes little steps at first will lead to giant leaps of faith from your donkeys later on.

Rules to live by:
 

• Respect in order to obtain trust and compliance. 

• Always be honest in praise and discipline.

• Safety for you and the donkey is essential.

• Learn to give immediate rewards, not just food, but in walking away or backing off to give space.

• Learn to balance work with play. 

• Educate yourself - keep an open mind and always look for better ways to communicate.

• Set yourself up for you and the donkey to always win. 

• Become a positive trainer and leader. 

• Don't make haltering always a time when bad things happen. 

• Remember the ultimate key ingredient is patience - inside and out.

• Your goal shouldn't be just to capture your donkey - but to train and condition in it the desire to be caught.

See the index for my Library, of Donkey Books, for favorite donkey and training books.