For the past few weeks, We the Donkeys, have been having some fun with some volunteers from Reunion, Germany, America and United Kingdom.
It seems a plan is ahoof to 'train' us to "Walk On" and "Stand" using halters with lead reins. Now! We completely understand and <ahem> sympathise <ahem> with the humans' need for the use of aids. However, as Twinkles- our resident Diva of the herd competently demonstrated, the only aid we donkeys need from the humans is our favourite bribery currency of carrots. We choose to overlook the fact that one of the volunteers succeeded in 'tricking' Twinkles into following her around the schooling arena with a very convincing act of deception. What was the very convincing act of deception? Bwaaaah-Haaaah! One may ask! The human volunteer showed Twinkles a carrot in her closed hand without allowing her to eat it (quite an achievment in itself!) then came the scandalous skulduggery. The volunteer REMOVED the carrot and Twinkles obligingly followed her around the arena; convinced that the carrot was still in her hand... In fairness to the volunteer, she did reward Twinkles for her outstanding obedience with a carrot and then an extra carrot because- Twinkles, being Twinkles, was so fixated on the carrot in the hand which was not there that she did not realise the volunteer had also 'made safe' the lead rein by wrapping it though the halter so Twinkles actually followed her around the arena three times OFF the lead rein!
Personally, I have suspicions that the volunteer has some (albeit limited) knowledge of Pirelli training methods...
I vow that we will have the last bray...
It seems a plan is ahoof to 'train' us to "Walk On" and "Stand" using halters with lead reins. Now! We completely understand and <ahem> sympathise <ahem> with the humans' need for the use of aids. However, as Twinkles- our resident Diva of the herd competently demonstrated, the only aid we donkeys need from the humans is our favourite bribery currency of carrots. We choose to overlook the fact that one of the volunteers succeeded in 'tricking' Twinkles into following her around the schooling arena with a very convincing act of deception. What was the very convincing act of deception? Bwaaaah-Haaaah! One may ask! The human volunteer showed Twinkles a carrot in her closed hand without allowing her to eat it (quite an achievment in itself!) then came the scandalous skulduggery. The volunteer REMOVED the carrot and Twinkles obligingly followed her around the arena; convinced that the carrot was still in her hand... In fairness to the volunteer, she did reward Twinkles for her outstanding obedience with a carrot and then an extra carrot because- Twinkles, being Twinkles, was so fixated on the carrot in the hand which was not there that she did not realise the volunteer had also 'made safe' the lead rein by wrapping it though the halter so Twinkles actually followed her around the arena three times OFF the lead rein!
Personally, I have suspicions that the volunteer has some (albeit limited) knowledge of Pirelli training methods...
I vow that we will have the last bray...