Below, Doc’s response to Ann’s question about bits and her Donkey:

Hello Doc,

 I was looking at your DVD’s after a recommendation from a friend. I have a small 10.2hh donkey who is just starting his driving career, and has never been ridden. He has a very experienced driving pony pal and has been around carts and driving since a yearling. We have done a lot of groundwork with a natural horsemanship practitioner and he has been driving with enjoyment in a safe environment with just a rope halter. Unfortunately my instructor  moved away.

 I went for a few days to a very experienced driving instructor to introduce him to driving with a bit, as I felt this was certainly an area in which I have little, if no experience. My Donkey opened his mouth to evade pressure from the bit and the answer was simply to put a flash noseband on. This is not a route either myself or my donkey are happy to continue with.

The Donkey has a small mouth, and I know very little about selecting the correct bit, hence the Internet search for solutions. I am happy with harnessing and hitching, but need further info on the above and about teaching the line signals via a bit, as I realised just how good my pony was and as a result, just how begining level my rein driving is. I am also looking at bit-less bridles as a possible option/ solution. Which of your DVD’s may be helpful ?

Thanks,   Ann from the UK

 

Dear Ann,

With donkeys and mules, (actually, all equines) I believe it is extremely important that we gently and thoroughly teach them to respond to cues (pressures) on their nose before attempting to “teach” their mouth to respond to cues (pressures).

Consequently, your training approach - up to introducing the bit to your donkey - was very appropriate in my opinion.

I commend you for not continuing with the flash nose-band trainer.

Even with horses I start driving in a small confined pen (a round pen is my preference as it has many advantages) and begin driving with a halter.

When I do introduce the bit the animal is given a lot of time to adapt to it by standing tied with the bit in its mouth day after day until it basically is comfortable with and accepts and ignores the bit.

I also use what I call a drop nose band which is a strap that goes over the bridge of the nose from bit ring to bit ring and is tied up to the bridle nose-band with a loop (so will not slip down too low on the nose but can slide from side to side and not bind up).

Initially the drop nose band is adjusted with a buckle so that it does not let the bit contact the gum tissue on the bars of the jaw when the mouth is closed, but rather just barely touches the top of the tongue when the mouth is closed.

Care is given to not buckle it too tight or it can push on the upper jaw or roof of the mouth.

At this point the animal is comfortable with the weight of the bit on the tongue from wearing it day after day when tied (the drop nose-band is not used for this part of the process).

When I first start driving with the bit and drop noseband it is such a small change from being driven with the halter without a bit that the animals seldom act as if there is any difference.

Once I have them working well this way, day after day, in a completely comfortable, relaxed and responsive way I loosen the drop nose-band one hole (one half to one inch) and repeat the process. Later, I loosen the nose-band another hole and so forth until they are working off the bit comfortably, relaxed and responding well without any issues along the way.

 I have some concerns with respect to bit-less bridles and bit-less driving.

My experience with bit-less bridles is somewhat limited but the designs I have used and seen used have not impressed me.

Typically, I have better luck ground driving an animal by switching from students bit- less bridles to just driving in a halter.  I feel this is because the complex designs of many of the bridles send confusing and sometimes conflicting messages to the animals.

 There is a huge difference between riding in a halter or bit-less bridle and driving in one.

As drivers we do not have the advantages of direct body contact and the communication that can come from such things as leg pressure, shifting our balance and weight, touching our mount with a calming hand, etc.  Our only physical contact and communication when driving is through the driving lines.

Therefore, I prefer to graduate to an appropriate bit before advancing from safe confined enclosures (round pen in my case) into gradually larger enclosures and environments.

Although I am prepared to experiment and find the perfect bit for each and every animal individually if necessary for there comfort and responsiveness, I find that a solid bar bit with a curved mouth piece and protection from pinching at the corners of the mouth is by far the most common bit I use for driving.

For me this turns out to be an egg butt, Mullen mouth snaffle with a relatively large diameter mouth piece.

Although the most common bit used in driving bridles is a jointed snaffle, I rarely use them for driving – they are not as mild and easy on the animal as most people think.

I feel like I can communicate with more finesse and more effectively with one or both sides of the animal’s mouth with a solid bit rather than a jointed bit.

 Having said all this we now come to your realization that it is our skill with our hands on the lines that is the most important factor of all.

I believe that more people and animals have benefited from the rhythmic pressure/release method of driving that I use and teach than from any other single thing I have to offer.

This technique along with other important safety considerations, basics, and techniques of harnessing, hitching, and driving and working in harness are in my Fundamentals 1, 2, 3, and 4 DVD set (at the time the DVDs were produced I was calling this the see-saw technique rather than rhythmic pressure/release driving).

For many reasons including line handling techniques and skills my first recommendation of my videos appropriate for you is all 4 Fundamentals DVDs.  They focus on the knowledge and skills needed for driving any animal whatever the level of training may be.

Then, because I feel everyone has the potential to become their animal’s most appropriate and best trainer if they choose to, I suggest the 2 DVD set Teaching Horses to Drive (it all applies to donkeys and mules as well).

With these DVDs and some “more timely” help from me via email or phone I’ll bet you can get your donkey working safely and well for you.

With great appreciation and a wish for 2012 to be the best year ever for you and your animals,

Doc

workshops@dochammill.com (Doc)

 Hi Doc,

Thank you so much, for such a thoughtful and extensive response.
Cheers, Ann

 

A recent question from many-times student and good friend Laura, owner of 47th Avenue Farm www.47thavefarm.com/

Hi Doc,

Hope you’re doing well! I just have a quick question about horses and oats. We grew some oats and combined them and I’d like to feed some to the horses. My question is – they are not hulless nor am I able to mechanically de-hull them. People certainly don’t like to eat them like this, but is it still ok to feed them to the horses? I’ve heard some horror stories about bearded grains causing abscesses in horses mouths and hope this wouldn’t do that but thought I should check.

Thanks, Laura

 

 

Hi Laura,

Traditionally oats for horses are fed just as they come out the combine.

Breaking down the kernel by rolling, grinding, etc., only increases the digestibility of oats for horses by about 5% so is usually not worth the effort and or expense – whenever I’ve compared prices and practices, I could buy 105 pounds of whole oats cheaper than 100 pounds of processed oats and get the same nutrient value.

Remember  when you begin a new feeding program  with any  concentrate or forage for horses start with small amounts of feed or short grazing times on the new feed and gradually work up to the desired amount over a period of a week or ten days  - while monitoring for signs of adverse digestive or other effects.

 We still have snow on the mountain tops but its wet, green and blooming in the valley, sunshine and in the 80s alternating with clouds, coats, gloves and frost – in other words, a normal springtime in the Rockies.

Take care, stay safe and have fun with those mares of yours,

“Doc”

Tying Lines to the ‘Jake Staff’ for safety

Team lines tied in clove hitch to the "Jake Staff"
Again, long team lines through hands to "Jake Staff"	Lines through Doc's hands looping down and to the "Jake Staff"

 

My students know how much  emphasis I put on safety when we work with our horses.  Line control is  a very important piece of the safety picture. In my article, “Ten Common Driving Wrecks with Horses”, I state, “It’s easier to drop a line than you might think. A horse can stumble or root with his nose pretty hard, and it’s not uncommon for us to simply fumble a line and drop it. If you don’t have the lines secured as a backup one or both can be lost and you can easily lose control. My preferred safety net is to sit on the lines.”

Sometimes, it just isn’t practical to sit on the lines.  I encountered that situation this winter while driving Dolly and Molly on a bob-sled; I always drive them from a standing position.  The above photos show a safe alternative to sitting on the lines; they are  secured and retreiveable if they are dropped or pulled from our hands.

There are a few reasons I prefer to use the clove hitch

• it is quick and easy to tie
• it is quick and easy to tighten
• it is quick and easy to loosen or adjust
• it is a very secure knot
• it is quick and easy to slide up and off the “Jake Staff” if necessary
• this knot doesn’t tangle: slide it up and off the “Jake Staff”, drop the part of the lines with the clove hitch in it, and the knot falls leaving the lines tangle free.