159 The donkey team: A collaborative independent study project to investigate health and behavioral management strategies of long-eared equids

Abstract

The growing demand for educational resources on appropriate donkey care and management provided a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to conduct an independent study focused on developing an appropriate preventative healthcare and general management program for the 3 resident female donkeys housed at the University of Florida. This project was also intended to provide valuable hands-on leadership and team-building experience to undergraduate students in the areas of donkey behavior and management. Twelve students enrolled in the course and divided into 3 groups of 4 students with each group assigned a donkey with the goal of developing both a positive-reinforcement-based behavior modification and preventative health care program. Students organized themselves into groups based on reported level of experience and comfort with handling untrained donkeys. The use of weekly meetings and a shared online platform (CANVAS) allowed for collaborative discussions between different groups and an organized method of data sharing. Students were encouraged to identify and incorporate relevant peer reviewed and extension resources and to communicate with local equine professionals to aid in developing a program for their respective donkey. Initial and 6-week follow-up surveys were administered using Google forms. At the beginningof the semester, when asked to rank their level of comfort when working with unhandled donkeys, students (n = 12) indicated an average comfort level of 4.2 out of 5, with 5 representing ‘very comfortable’. At the 6-week follow-up survey, which occurred after 12 to 15 contact hours with their assigned donkey, students (n = 12) reported increased comfort handling their donkeys with an average response of 8.9 out of 10 (P = 0.054), and increased knowledge about donkey management with an average response of 8.7 out of 10. Students (n = 12) also reported an average response of 5 out of 10 when asked to rank their behavior modification plan's progress at the 6-week mark. At this time, 2 teams reported the ability to groom and begin introducing haltering their assigned donkey. The initial behavior observations, recorded using a student developed ethogram, are assisting student groups with identifying key behavioral challenges and health care concerns which students will further investigate and address through this new experiential learning opportunity.