These days more and more people are interested in
carting. This activety is mainly practised for leisure by people
who appreciate walking with their donkeys, but we have noticed a
group of experienced people who are well-informed in donkey and
cart techniques and who see a sport emerging in carting.
There are federations which organize competitions
to reward who show the most aptitude in driving their cart and also
for their technical skills which they display, such as driving through
narrow tracks, in wet conditions... The criteria of evaluations
are multiple and include amongst other things: your presentation,
speed...
There are different techniques, but the two most common
are:
Single cart with only one donkey harnessed
Double cart with two donkeys harnessed, one on each side
of the principal axis called the tiller. This technique requires
two donkeys of the same stature and colour trained for single
carting. We write about single carting as followse.
It is difficult to summarize the techniques of carting and therefore
we advise you to consult a professional, who will be able to show
you how to harness a donkey correctly and to drive it in complete
safety. You will thus avoid making errors which could result in
wounding the donkey or putting yourself in danger.
If you have never driven before then it is better to educate your
donkey first before yourself. The Asinerie du Bocage can provide
this service. We would keep your donkey for one month to educate
it in this discipline. (cf. activities)
Ideally, to begin with you will require a light cart in the style
of the photograph below:
The donkey is harnessed with a breast plate most commonly used
for leisure carting. The breast plate must always be connected to
a swingle-bar so as not to rub on the donkey's breast which could
cause inflammation.
In driving the collar can replace the breast plate,
but this is usually used for heavy work.
Contrary to the breast plate, the tugs of the collar are not
always connected to the swingle-bar.
The collar must be perfectly fit the donkey's stature.
The choice of the harness is very important for this
discipline. It needs to be perfectly adjusted to your donkey's body
without being to tight. Before buying the harness it is necessary
to take the donkeys measurements.
So, we have prepared a document to show how to
measure your donkey: Choosing the harness
