Finally Warmer Weather
Still playing with clicker training. Learning the ropes, like learning to train all over again and still getting the hang of it. But having a blast doing so.
He and I have been working on the spanish walk forever now. Ever since Coyote taught me how while calving one time I’ve enjoyed teaching it to my own horses. We were calving, moving pairs out of the calving lot into pasture and I could not for the life of me get a calf to get up and go with its mom. These mama cows would eat you alive quite happily so I couldn’t get off to get him going. Coyote got tired of messing around and pawed the calf, the calf jumped up, I spent lots of time rewarding Coyote and we worked it into a cue. And I have the worlds smartest horse.
But lacking other brilliant horses and, fortunately, the proper circumstances we will learn it the conventional way. A way that Rusty has been doing very well at, especially with the clicker. But he is having trouble understanding the transfer to asking from one side and from his back. If I ask for, say, the right side then step to the left and ask over his back we can usually get it, that will work up, I’m sure, to him fully understanding.
From his back is a little harder and I’m sure only needs more time but today we had help. Tanna was back again, yay!, after weeks of cold weather and sick kids. We worked together on the rest of the basics then I sat on him and she cued from the ground. He got it. She gave me the stick back and I asked from his back and once again he got it! On one side, but hey, it’s a start. We quit for the day on that high note.
With Rusty that is. She grabbed Coyote and had a little lesson with him. She has the little mare (Arapaho Jerry) that I used to show so I know exactly what her horse knows and how she rides. They’ve been having a little trouble with side passing so she and Coyote worked on that. He put on his usual grouchy face and she did great.
In the end we were discussing the difference between a half pass and a leg yield, I think her head almost exploded. But I had a ton of fun.
fun to watch. I am glad Tanna comes to play with you BUT I thought it was going to be Rusty doing his tricks and I am just a little disappointed 🙁