Understanding the donkey in front of you
Donkeys are not small horses with long ears, and most visit-day trouble starts with treating them as if they were. A donkey's instinct under pressure is to freeze and assess rather than flee, so a donkey rooted to the spot is not being stubborn - he is deciding whether this is safe. Donkeys also bond intensely, usually to one companion, and separation from that partner can distress a donkey more than the procedure itself. Add a memory that stores bad experiences for a long time, and calm visits become something you build deliberately, not something you hope for on the day.
Practice in the quiet weeks
The real training happens between appointments, in sessions of a few minutes. Pick up each foot, hold it briefly the way a farrier would, and set it down before the donkey objects; run your hands over his ears, legs and belly; stand him on a hard, level surface and let him be looked over while nothing happens. Reward calm behaviour with a scratch in a favourite spot or a small food treat, and always end on a success, however small. Little and often genuinely works with donkeys - ten quiet repetitions across a fortnight teach more than one long wrestling match on the day itself.
Setting up the visit itself
Catch the donkey well before the appointment and let him settle in a familiar, dry place with his companion in sight - ideally the companion stays in the same pen or the next one along, not led away to another field. Let him look at and sniff the farrier's apron, tools and rasp before work starts, and tell the farrier or vet in advance how he likes to be handled and what he dislikes. Ask for an unhurried slot if you can: a donkey who feels rushed digs in, literally and mentally. Keep your own movements slow and your voice level, because he is reading you first.
Reading the small signals
Donkey stress whispers before it shouts: ears held flat back or sideways, a tail clamped or lashing, weight shifting from foot to foot, a foot stamping, or the fixed stare of an animal who has stopped cooperating internally while still standing still. Treat those as information, not defiance - pause, let him look around, scratch him, and let the tension drain before continuing. Pushing through escalating signals teaches him that visits are ordeals, and he will start the next one already braced. A session that ends early but calm is a better outcome than a completed job bought with a fright.
Making the routine stick across helpers
A donkey handled by several people needs those people handling him the same way, or every visit depends on who happens to be free. Write down his routine - where he stands, who holds him, what he is rewarded with, what to avoid - and keep the short practice sessions going between farrier and vet dates so nothing about the day feels new. KinsLe's Care Teams lets you assign those little practice duties to whoever helps with your donkeys, each one marked with its time when done, so the calm routine is a habit the whole team keeps, not a favour one person does.