Animal Welfare & Veterinary Nursing staff from Solihull College & University Centre recently spent a day building up their training at a local donkey sanctuary.
The team spent the day in Sutton Park learning and developing a variety of key skills. They built positive relationships with the donkeys by learning about the importance of the ‘hold and release’ lead rope method. Staff practiced body scoring on different donkeys to determine if they are a healthy weight – it’s misleading to believe a donkey with a big belly is overweight!
Hooves were also on the agenda as staff were shown how to hoof-pic and learn about correct handling of the donkey when doing so.
Animal Welfare Centre Manager and Level 3 lecturer, Jo Burnard, commented: “It was a great team bonding day and was good for us all to spend time with the donkeys. We all got to spend time one-on-one with the animals, walking and bonding with them in the paddock. It’s important to realise patience and respect go a long way when it comes to handling donkeys.”
The College currently looks after Archie the donkey at Blossomfield Campus, who is a very popular member of the animal family. The Animal Welfare Centre is also home to a variety of species including meerkats, chameleons, tortoises, goats and many more.
