If you have followed our journey with Jack, our mammoth donkey, you will know it has been trying at times. Hundreds of dollars have been spent on training videos, halters, whips, crops, lunge lines, hobbles, ropes, trainers, etc. Hours upon hours have been spent trying to desensitize him to every little thing that moves. At the advice of our trainer we have run after him shaking plastic grocery bags, made him wear our jackets on his back, and run up on him with our arms in the air yelling like fools. I have personally stayed out in the round pen for over four hours getting a halter on him after the trainer recommended not letting him out until we got the halter on. Little by little we have figured out what was working and what wasn’t. The halter battle is hopefully behind us as he now allows the placement of the halter without a fuss. The goal for Michael was to be able to ride Jack. Through careful trust building exercises, he had gotten Jack to the point that he could be mounted. The problem was, once mounted, he wouldn’t move. That obstacle was removed yesterday when Jack, with Michael on his back walked around the yard for 23 seconds. Twenty three seconds may not sound like much, but from where we started to now, it’s a miracle! Here’s a 23 second video of the event.
bill cox says
That was great,story and film on ride.That has me thinking of my short story.Got mule one day put halter on lasted 2 days haven’t seen since.
MichaelO says
OMG Bill, that is funny!
Tonya says
Yeah Jack!!!!!