More Ground Work, No Riding For Real This Time
I got Rusty worked again today. Not the first time since the last post with the little kicking issue, I brought him in the next day. It was hot I played with the hose and turned the sprinkler on, he targeted the ball on the edges of the sprinkler a little. Never did become ok with the water. It wasn’t a bad lesson but not a good one either. Since then it’s been in the hundreds.
Today another storm was blowing in, one went through earlier cooling things down enough that I through my boots on over my capris again and went out to play. He didn’t come running, he really didn’t enjoy the sprinkler.
There was absolutely no way I was riding today, wind blowing pretty good, thunder rumbling and saw one good lightning strike. I wanted to try for an easy lesson anyway, he was mad at me about the last one I wanted him to like me again. Worked on the mat a little, spooked from thunder a couple times and the door blowing shut. No better time for ground work than when he is so completely on edge like this. We mostly stood still, reassuring and calming hopefully.
Walking back to their pen I asked for a few bows. I’m still getting the hang of this and every time I think I have it my need to catch on to the nuances becomes all the more clear. In all types of training it’s always those nuances that get you 😉
I tend to want to be controlling and micro manage. I was asking too hard for the bow, tapping his foot with mine. He was willing to give what I was asking, extend his foot forward and drop his head, but we weren’t making any progress and he seemed a bit, grouch? Exasperated? Slightly annoyed with my nagging? Whatever it was once I simply gave the cue and waited he offered it without my prodding.
I turned him loose with a couple of rain drops plopping down on us and waited. I’m trying to catch him when he stops to roll after a work out. I click him and reward. Hoping to capture it and put it on a cue. Who doesn’t want a horse trained to lay down? Of course they say you shouldn’t teach any trick you can’t fix, or deal with or something. Who ever cares what “they” say anyway. I can see some potential problems with this particular trick though.
On a side note, once you learn something really great who can ever resist using it on everything. I’m clicker training our dog, Daisy. She comes running, looking for a treat every time I go out to work Rusty, she’s crazy about horse cookies silly girl,so I decided to make her work for it. We started with simple things she already knows, sit and down, my daughter wanted to add roll over. She’s getting pretty good at it and without her usual nervousness around food, it’s great.
Pictures from last time.
