I took a mini-mester once over Christmas break. It was from 8a - 1p for maybe 13 days.... got an entire class done. It was kinda awesome, lol!
I have from time to time (mostly back when I first got 'em) actually made the mini's 'work' for a living. I'd saddle 'em up and lunge em and maybe even have them carry a bag of feed for me. More of a lead line thing than actually driving them. However, I have at one time or another done ground driving with them just because... They don't actually have anything to pull during ground driving but it sure helps get them to listen to you and learn to give to pressure and pay attention to what 'mama' wants lol! Nowadays I rarely have time to do much with them. But, if I can get my goat numbers down I'd like to pick it back up.
Years ago I had a mini donkey. He was a jack when I got him, but that didn't last long. This was back in the day when I was a stay at home mom. I worked that bugger almost every day. I'd rake out the barn and the pens and pile all the crap (literally) on a tarp which was attached to a nylon harness type contraption and I'd haul it out to the pasture where I had a giant compost pile. Donkey was smart - after a couple times I didn't even have to tell him where to go. He'd walk out there on his own when I told him to 'giddup' and wait for me to get there and unload - then he'd drag that tarp back for another load. Darn shame he was so stinkin' mean when he wasn't workin', lol.
