Leading

My goal yesterday was to halter JJ.  That proved to be a little more difficult than I thought it would be.  While he let me touch him with the halter, I could see that putting it on was going to be challenge for the afternoon session.  Instead of potentially frightening him into moving away, which could set that up as a pattern, I decided to use corral panels to move him into a small space where I could train him without allowing him to avoid me.  By positioning two panels in the corner of his paddock, so that they formed a wedge, he could neither turn around or kick me, but he could move his head and body away to let me know if I was pushing him too hard.  It also allowed me to work with him through the panel, which was safer for me, should he react suddenly.  Once he was in there, I didn't rush the process.  I continued to take my time and reassure him.  After about ten minutes, he allowed me to halter him without trying to move his head away.  Once he was out of the wedge, I scratched him a bit and left him alone to get used to the halter.  

This morning, I showed him the lead rope carefully and then clipped it on with little trouble and we started the rudimentaries of leading.  At first, he was unsure of the long skinny thing that was attached to him, so I dropped the lead rope and let him drag it for a few moments, to get used to the sight of it.  Soon enough, he stopped and I picked it up and showed it to him, again.  Once he relaxed, I began to pull gently on the lead to look for a movement of his head towards my direction.  Once he responded to that pressure, I asked for a step.  He moved out at the trot on his own few times and I kept the rope slack at this point.  All I was looking for was him to give into pressure.  The pressure I used was the same type I do with calves; steady until I get a response, and then slacking up as a reward.  After some good responses, I unclipped the lead rope and fed him a carrot.  After this afternoon's leading lesson, I'll remove his halter for the night.  I'll use the wedge as long as it's needed to halter him.  

I'm very happy with his progress so far.  I have heard about others making quicker progress with bolder burros, but JJ has a different personality.  He is not bold, nor particularly brave, but he thinks about things a lot and has never shown any aggression towards me.  While some burros have been braying to ask for their breakfast already, JJ is silent.  He is also so careful about taking treats that I don't have to worry much about him becoming pushy.  He has a quiet personality.  It may take longer to gain his trust, but it will be worth it.  I also think his personality would do best with another burro.  We have already considered doing that, either the next time a BLM auction comes to our area, or through another TIP Challenge.  Burros are social animals and they need the companionship of another burro.  We did try to adopt two, but they were in high demand.  

Picking up the Pace

We did two sessions already this morning and I gave him a lot to think about.  He'll have a long rest before we do another this afternoon.    

I moved him around in both directions using a small piece of rope.  I rubbed it over his shoulders before we started and showed it to him again after to ensure he was not afraid of it.  We worked on the commands "walk" and "whoa".  He is still awkward moving to the right compared to the left.  Consequently, I spent more time with him going to the right.  He did shut down at one point, which I patiently worked through by asking the same thing in the same way until he responded, then moved onto something else quickly.  The shut down was probably due his basic donkey sense wondering why we were doing the same thing, yet again.  Burros and donkeys are like gifted students; they always want to know why.   

I also spent a lot of time petting him, showing him the halter, and touching him with it.  He did very well.  Over the weekend, I removed the nylon halter that was put on him in the chute during pick up, because this week was predicted to be quite rainy and it would likely rub him raw when it became wet and heavy.  It was a poor fit anyway, so I used a different halter to show him today.  He tolerated it very well, going so far as to let the noseband touch his nose.  I hope to be able to put the halter on and off by the end of the week. 

Donkeys and ponies can learn by example, according to research, and many of us that have been around them for awhile can attest to that (I think ponies tend to study bad habits a bit more..hehehe).  With that in mind, I have been tying the horses and pony where JJ can see them when I do grooming sessions.  Today, I walked both my Mustang and our Shetland Pony out to the grass next to JJ's paddock to see if he was curious about them, yet.  He still showed some fear, so we stayed back.  He was more comfortable with the pony, probably because she's smaller than him.  

I've increased both the length and number of training sessions because I need to get to where I can lead him and move into the paddock/stall combination in the barn relatively soon.  With all of the rain, he is danger of developing thrush and/or rain rot if I don't move him to the next level.  I also need to consider the fact that we're in prime hurricane season and he will need shelter if one approaches.  You can't rush donkey time, but by increasing the sessions, I hope to arrive at the same place a bit sooner.  

Both Sides

 Equines have an unusual quirk in their brain structures.  The parts of the their brains that process the visual images received by by their eyes are not fully connected.  That's why a trail horse will often spook at the same object twice; once on the way out and then again, on the way back.  The best way to deal with this is to make sure both eyes look at the spooky object.  With a little imagination, you can guess why this might actually work to their advantage.  For an animal that needs to be alert for predators, dismissing an object easily would work against them in the wild.

This also means that we need to work with equines equally on each side during training.  Sometimes, we skip this step, or hurry, and that results in unevenness.  I'm already thinking about this with Jeremiah.  I first pet him on his left (near) side.  He seems to prefer that I approach him on that side.  I doubt there is any trouble with his vision.  I think this is just a quirk or natural unevenness he developed.  When the animals are moved around in holding pens, it is likely that the handlers are right handed and move them from right to left (facing their left sides).  That could be the simple explanation.  So, I have been trying to even up the offside with the near side by focusing on spending as much time petting both sides of him.  We have made great progress last night and this morning.  I can touch his shoulders, neck all the way to his ears, cheeks, upper legs, back, and sides.  He takes pieces of carrot very carefully from my hand now.  This morning, while I was standing next to him, he turned his head towards me several times.  Best of all, he seemed to be waiting for me for both his breakfast and when I returned later for training.  

Carrots and Scratches

 9/7/2020

The smothering blanket of high humidity lifted a little as winds from the Northeast passed in overnight.  Everyone felt better this morning.  

Jay (JJ, Jeremiah) is becoming more accustomed to the routine.  He watched as I fed the barn horses and then brought him his flake of hay (plus, a few oats and minerals in a bucket).  He enjoys the minerals, but isn't showing any interest in the handful of oats.  

Next, I cleaned the stalls.  I do this twice per day because it keeps the bugs down.  He has been alert when I climb over the corral panels to scoop his pen, but this morning, he grazed.  He knows that isn't training time.  I left him to eat his breakfast in peace for an hour or so.   

When I returned, I had a few, small carrots.  He took them from my outstretched hand cautiously and I backed off while he enjoyed his first treat.  I left the third one on his hay.  

Next, I approached him for scratches.  He was easier to approach and seemed to enjoy it for the first time.  He reached down and grazed a bit while I scratched his back.  He likes the area around and below his ears scratched.  I left after a good scratching session.  It was good to see him happier today.  

Ready for the Rain

 Jeremiah watched a bit forlornly this morning as the horses and pony he barely knew were led out of the barn to the pasture.  He could catch glimpses of them in the pasture around the buildings, but their absence seemed to worry him.  He has not even touched noses with the horses, (his HMA has only burros; no wild horses).  However, he has no doubt become familiar with them in his years at the holding facilities.  

He has not brayed, which is not unusual.  A wild burro has every reason to hold his tongue when he is unsure of his surroundings.  The day his bray echoes through our farm will be a good day.  We hope to add another burro to our farm eventually.  That will be better for both.  

After an extensive scratching session, he trusted me to touch his head enough to remove the halter.  He looked at me brightly when it was gone.  Almost a thank you.  

Finding a treat he enjoys will help with training.  I dropped a bit of carrot on his hay this morning,  He ate it.   

This afternoon, I used a sheep hoof trimmer to neatly cut his BLM cord off of his neck.  He has worn that ever since he was processed into the holding facility, so it will be quite a change.  They are useful in quickly identifying animals in holding, but he has a family and a name now, so he doesn't need it. I hope he sleeps well tonight.

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First Touch 9/5/2020

 It hasn't been 24 hours yet since JJ came home, but he is doing very well.  I gently moved him around with just the minimum pressure (me walking towards his hind end) and used the words Walk and Whoa until he knew what I was asking.  It's too hot to do much and donkeys hate to be drilled.  When he was stopped, I practiced moving towards him and retreating towards his shoulder until he could tolerate me almost touching him.  I kept it up without touching him until he didn't flinch his shoulder as if a fly were about to land.  Then, I reached out and touched before retreating.  I did that several times until he tolerated longer scratches along his withers.  I repeated the lesson in the evening, but added touching his other shoulder.  He is not ready for anything else, yet.  At this point, we will rest here.  I will continue the lessons and try to build trust at this level.  I don't want to lead him or push him in any way until he is not just tolerating, but receptive.  

Rain is coming tomorrow.  His nylon halter will be a heavy, wet burden likely to rub his head.  HIs nylon neck cord will also rub him in the heavy rains.  My simple goal tomorrow will be to remove them.  He is not ready for leading, yet, and if I can touch him, I can train him.

Jeremiah Was Not Just a Bullfrog

 The name of a place can be descriptive of the terrain, animals, or plants to be found there.  When one mentions the Nevada desert a lot of animals come to mind, but I will admit that a bullfrog is not high on the list.  Nevertheless, there is a place known as the Bullfrog Herd Management Area and that is where our burro's story began.  He was born in 2014 and rounded up in 2018 in the Bullfrog HMA.  Upon arriving, he was vaccinated, dewormed and gelded, none of which was likely to endear him to humankind. Since then, he's been in BLM holding pens, which I suppose is like a form of wild burro purgatory.  Sometimes humans moved him with flag sticks from one pen to another, but, just as in the wild, the other burros he was with were his temporary family.  

His journey east, with all the other burros and Mustangs being adopted for this event, was delayed several times.  The pandemic made it difficult and hurricanes made it treacherous, but he arrived, safe and sound.  

My first glimpse of him was when the TIP Challenge organizers (and their equine savvy kids) moved him through the lanes and into a chute where I had my trailer backed up.  He was a furtive grey creature dwarfed by the sheer size of the specially made chute.  They used twine to lower a halter into place and strap it on his head.  Then, I watched as they opened the chute for a path to the trailer.  He was unimpressed.  As many times as he has been loaded and unloaded on his journey east, I could understand.  He turned back a few times but flag sticks directed him toward the inevitable.  His lips were clamped tight and his body tense as he finally decided to step into the trailer.  

I had one pit stop at a gas station on the two hour drive.  He mashed himself against the front wall of the trailer, as if trying to blend in, while I quickly ran inside the convenience store.  At our farm, I set up the portable corral panels that directed him into a large pen with food, water, and a shade tree.  

We named him Jeremiah, (the aforementioned Bullfrog HMA) and because we hope he will be a friend of ours.  His nickname is Jay.  He got to work mowing the grass in his pen and learning the sights,sounds, and smells of his new home.  

One short session with him to find out how close he would allow me to get to him.  We worked up to five feet and called it a day.  He has a lot to take in.