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INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT …

Since the beginning of my time with horses, starting back in the
1960’s, I’ve worked with hundreds, maybe thousands, of horses
in the realm of teaching them to be calm and willing to go pretty
much anywhere with the handler or rider. A large part of my time as
a 4-H Equine Leader was helping kids ‘play’ with their horses
and to successfully compete in Trail Classes. These trail classes
always had various obstacles including bridges, teeter-totters,
water obstacles, tarps, drags, gates and more.

Practice areas were filled with home-made obstacles that included
the regular trail class objects as well as many extras: tunnels,
pits, steps, jumps and more. It was not unusual at our stable to
see a dozen kids running around the paddock with a dozen horses
following behind; a parade of kids and horses going over jumps,
climbing up on bridges, trotting over huge tarps, backing through
chutes or turning 360* in a square marked on the ground with poles,
playing ‘soccer’ with a huge beachball … One after another. What
fun to watch and what absolute joy for the kids and the horses!
Apparently such antics are now known as “Equine Agility”. GREAT way
to connect and partner up with your horse!

As a Trail Judge I always looked for the horse and handler combo
that worked calmly and practiced exemplary partnership with one
always looking out for the other.

The latest craze that has popped up in the horse world is
“Equine Agility” classes. Really, nothing more than elaborate Trail
classes but with more ‘un-natural’ obstacles.

I found a couple of clips on YouTube and thought I’d post
them here. Spring is just around the corner and what better
way to partner up with your horse!! Trust, Leadership, Partnership
are all firmly put into place when one ‘plays’ with his horse in
this manner. It’s fun! Couple it with Clicker Training and the
possibilities are endless.

Beginning Level —  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnJKe7vuaCo

Advanced Level — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqVLY8YfbEo

PS — if you’d like a copy of my “Spooky Horse” DVD —

(trailer linked here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efcjt96jMMs )
that shows a day’s workshop on teaching horses through, over and
around obstacles, just shoot me an email. I’ll invoice you and upon
notice of payment your DVD will be in the mail to you!

Enjoy!

Got the WINTER BLUES? PART3

PHOTO:  Frosty standing up on
platform with his two front hooves and about to target the orange
pool noodle.

Last newsletter we talked about
how to get started with Clicker Training.

We learned how to ‘charge’ the clicker
— so the horse associates the marker with the reward. This time,
let’s go to TARGETING!

There are 2 videos of Cloud Dancer to
which I’ve posted the links:

1st to watch is:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu2-dKOOQjQ

2nd to watch is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr6HIvGgnQ0 (in
2 pts; 2nd link below)

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6H0mZpJRlY

You’ll see that I use targeting in
these videos with various objects, depending on with what I’m
working  at the time.  Cloud Dancer was a very, VERY
active, pushy little pony. When he got off the trailer here he,
literally, dragged a VERY large man across my yard, not listening
at all. The videos above are his 2nd and 3rd short training
sessions. In the 1st session we had ‘charged’ up the clicker and
did a minimal amount of targeting.

So now, what is ‘targeting’?
Basically, allowing the horse or pony to simply ‘touch’ an
object with his nose, marking the exact instant the nose touches
the object and then rewarding.  Anything can be used as a
target stick. I attach those kid’s plastic balls (like the ones
that fill the ball house at McDonalds) to a 2 foot dowel.
But, you can start off with anything you’d like as long as
its easy to see. Brightly colored objects work the best to begin
with. According to Temple Grandin, yellow is the color that horses
see the most clearly. So, a bright yellow object that is easy to
see but small. Or, even an orange soccer cone that you get in paks
of 3 or 4 from Walmart. Those are easy to handle, light and easily
seen by the horse.

Hold the object out where the horse
can see it (3 ft. away from eyes and slightly to the side so you’re
not holding it in the ‘blind spot’.) and allow the horse’s natural
curiosity seek out the object. CLICK the INSTANT the horse touches
the object with his nose. You can ‘help’ him touch it by touching
HIM on the nose with it once he’s fairly close to the object.
Again, click the instant his nose comes in contact with the object
and reward.

Targeting is an exemplary tool to use
to help despook horses! It can be used for just about anything.
Once the horse has the idea to ‘target’ then you can go ahead and
ask him to touch that folded up scary tarp! Click and reward. Or,
that crinkly piece of paper that’s making him nervous. C/T. How
about a stroller? A bicycle? Water … crossing water!  Allow
the horse to sniff the edge of the stream, Click, reward and
repeat.

You’ll be amazed at just how quickly
your horse begins to catch on and become en-couraged!

If you’d like to learn more about
Clicker Training shoot me an email!  caballus@charter.net. It’s
a method of teaching horses that is not only fun for the horse but
for YOU, too!  It’s also a great way to strengthen your bond
with your horse.