And Back To Good Again
Or at least ok, not great but not horribly rotten. That’s some luke warm praise if I’ve ever heard any.
I was going to work him the day before but had a helper/follower that made riding impossible. However, she was great help and working together we got his feet trimmed. She sat in the back of the pickup and worked on targeting with him while I trimmed. It kept him happy and unconcerned so he could enjoy the trim. Worked perfect.
I found a place to prop my camera and got video of our ride. But it’s about ten minutes of us walking and standing and him reaching wildly, desperately for food. Pretty boring stuff. At least if he does decide to buck me off some day I’ll get that on film, that would be a little more interesting. So I got some screen shots from the video, still boring but quicker 😉
Strangely enough in most of them he’s looking for food.
The most exciting part for me was that I was able to capture him offering something and reward him for it. He was even able to figure out what I rewarded him for and offered it again and again. I have been working halfheartedly on a simple bow, reaching a front hoof forward and dropping his head. He figured out that that was what I was clicking him for and I started adding a cue. Don’t know if we can repeat it but the wind is blowing hard enough out there that I don’t think I want to try riding, guess we’ll keep working on bowing.
Also continuing mat training. Even got a mat! Instead of out cardboard lid. He’s kind of getting it, all things in time. Speaking of time it’s occurred to me that although he has nine rides? ten?, somewhere in there, he has less than two hours of riding time. If we ride for ten or fifteen minutes every time, say ten minutes a ride for ten rides that’s just over an hour and a half. I don’t think he’s doing too bad at all. Now I really ought to get off the computer and go play with him while I can!
Here he is with his new mat