Trailer Loading in 20 Minutes (4th Session)

Well, I was a bit under the weather last week and didn’t get to the barn. But I am better now and got right back to the trailer loading with Bugs. Let’s recap. Bugs was not good loading for the show, or for the return trip. He was basically, for lack of a better term, “bullied” into the trailer, by others, utilizing traditional training techniques. Once he was in the trailer I did give him some reinforcement (treats). When we got home I started from scratch to rebuild his trust and confidence in regard to the trailer.
 
The subsequent sessions are documented in the previous “Trailer Issues” blog category as well as under “Bugs Blog”. We had the first session that was 10 minutes long. The 2nd and 3rd sessions are just over 3 minutes long. The 4th video that I am adding in this post is closer to 4 minutes long. He is now starting to load and unload nicely. That totals approximately 20 minutes of trailer time to change his mindset. The lesson that I have learned over the years is this: often times I make the most progress in tiny increments. This is where positive reinforcement is different. There is something in these sessions for the horse. Something that they value and desire. When you make the sessions short and sweet you walk away with your horse wanting more. It becomes a privilege and they seem to look forward to the next session. Focus and effort increase exponentially.
 
I recognized that Bugs was willingly loading in the last session but would scoot out with his head up. In the video you don’t see this because I filmed it from his helmet cam. I filmed this next (4th) session from my helmet cam so you can see more of what I am seeing. I bring in the hand held target to help him focus, which can serve to break up his habit of scooting fearfully out of the trailer. This helps me to regulate his pace and motion. You can see this clearly in the video.
 
I have also posted separately, since I don’t know how to add more than one video to a post, a very quick video of Bugs touching the stationary target in his stall. This is relatively new for him but it helps him to recognize the stationary target and to know what to do with it when he sees it in the trailer. It quickly becomes a familiar task with a well established reinforcement history. By the way, it is quite simple to train.
 
The next step in our process is to get him desensitized to people at the back of the trailer and for me to back away from him while at the front of the trailer. Ultimately, he will load himself and it will be a one person operation. As always, I would love and appreciate your comments and questions!

Bugs Free Jumping a Line (at Liberty)

This is Bugs first line free jumping at liberty). It is taught through positive reinforcement. Bugs is a green horse who is just learning to jump-both with and without a rider. Jan who is working with me is new to the process as well.

Photos of Bugs

Here are some photos of Bugs that were taken last week.

Bugs: A Rescue Gone Right

March, 15, 2011

It has been about a year now since I first fell off of Bugs.  That, of course, was the first time I met Bugs and decided I have the tools to rebuild his trust (see “Bugs:  A Horse with Big Shoes to fill” for more about his beginnings).  What an amazing journey it has been so far!  It struck me how much one learns through the process of bringing a green horse along.  I learn something everyday, Doesn’t that sound cliche?  But it is true!  It reminds me how much I take for granted dealing with an experienced horse. There are so many firsts.   Watching him mature and learn to deal with new obstacles.  This, to me, is the most joyous part of the training process
 
I realized that this journey is one that should be documented. I plan to keep a journal of our progress, along with my thoughts and observations so that I never forget our shared exprience.  This will also provide an opportunity that others can learn more about using positive reinforcemen,t together with some traditional training,  to accomplish these goals..   I want to share our triumphs as well as our challenges.  I would love for you to come along!  It would be great to hear comments, questions and suggestions as we grow together.
 
Here is a short recap with a little bit of new information.  Bugs  grew up in a pasture without much in the way of human interaction.  At the ripe old age of 4, Bug’s owner pulled him from the pasture and gave him to his adult grandson as a roping horse prospect.  Bugs didn’t take too well to his training and being ridden.  He continued to buck until his rider’s fell off.  Mind you his owner was not new to breaking horses but Bugs wasn’t responding well to training.  The owner thought that Bugs needed to have a different career.  He decided he should try him out as a bucking horse.  The irony is that he wouldn’t buck out of the bucking chute!  Bugs ended up with a pretty good scar on his face from an injury sustained in the bucking chute.  This career wasn’t panning out either.  The decision was made to take him to the auction.  He was reedy, had a scar on his face and just seemed like he was not going to trust anyone enough to make any friends.  I don’t think the auction would have ended well for Bugs.  But, thank God, my friend Marcy intervened and gave him another chance.  He was kind of a back burner project.  The low key and consistent routine  really seemed to help him settle.
 
It was just last December that we really began to get started together undersaddle. I am going to start the journal from that point and post on some of the major highlights to bring us up to date.  I will journal about progress undersaddle and from the ground.   Again, I would love to hear from you, questions, comments, thoughts, suggestions or share your own experiences.  I hope that sharing this journey together helps to open a dialogue with each other and our horses!

Crossing, Or Wading Through, Water

February 1, 2011,

I must say that I love all of our new adventures.  I love that I get to see Bugs grow and become more confident, to be a part of that process.  Even when it is at my expense.

A group of us decided that we were going to go on a group trail ride as opposed to riding in the ring today.  We have had some rain this winter so there will be water to cross.  I have taken Mint on this trail but I haven’t taken Bugs.  I like facing new things with horses.  I don’t avoid the things that horses are afraid of, but am drawn to them like a moth to a flame.  Using positive reinforcement gives me a great tool for building their boldness around strange and “scary” situations.

I haven’t gone on the trail too often with Bugs yet.  He is learning so much in the ring and around the farm that I tend to ride Mint when I go for a trail ride.

The trail ride starts out pretty normal.  I have a clicker attached to my riding stick and a waist pack with treats for reinforcement. Bugs is alert,  as he always is.  He seems to be settling in as we go.  The group environment definitely seems to add to his comfort. Horses are vicarious learners. This means that horses, especially in a new situation, will tend to learn from the other horses around them.  Having an experienced group of horses certainly helps Bugs to relax.  I click and reinforce as he moves along nice and soft.  I can physically see him relaxing with each reinforcement.

About a half -hour in we come to our first water crossing.  It was about 12 feet wide and about 10 inches deep with a little current running through it.  The other horses were unfazed. I was hoping Bugs would just fall in line and follow the others.  Yeah right!  He was not going to go forward any longer, he instead decided hat reverse was the superior direction in which to head.  I tried to keep him moving ahead but he was just getting more worried and was trying to spin away.  I kept him facing the water as he tried to retreat.    Marcy suggested that we pony him across with her horse.  Knowing that there is a balance between traditional training and positive reinforcement training, I was thinking: “okay it might be a simple fix and I can still reinforce his decision to follow along”.  Marcy takes ahold of Bugs’ reins and kind of pulled his head close to Brody’s hindquarters and proceeded.   Bugs wasn’t falling for this maneuver.  He resisted and pulled back.  Jenn decided to lead him across and hops off and gets ahold of his reins.  His suspicious nature was at full alert.  He wouldn’t move forward.  I realize that it is up to me. What I know that has worked for Bugs has been to allow him the freedom to make a choice.

So I get off and wade into the water in my paddock boots and half chaps.  I could feel the water spilling over the top of my boots and invading the inner sanctum of my comfortable footwear.  I was now committed to the process of getting Bugs across the water.  I had the reins in my hand but they were loose.  I resisted the urge to just tug on the reins and keep pulling until he relented.  I gave him a gentle tug, to serve as a signal as opposed to an aversive.  Then I presented him with an open hand target.  He knows and recognizes that this is a signal to come touch my hand.  He poked his head forward without moving his feet.  I click and reinforce his effort but will expect more on the next attempt.  On the next attempt I see him bend his knee.  This tells me he is thinking of moving a foot.  I click and reinforce.  Next he takes a step forward.  Click and reinforce.  Next thing you know, we are walking through the water.  When I get to the other side I think: “do I just get on and be thankful that we got to the other side? Or do I take him back through and make sure it wasn’t a one time thing?”  The down side is, if he balks then I have started something that I need to finish.  Hmmm, I decide the better choice is to ask him to go back and forth through the water a few times and hope he doesn’t resist.  He was great!  Phew! I reinforced Bugs as he would commit to entering the water and I stopped in the middle to reinforce in the midst of it all.  See Bugs, water is good.

About an hour and a half later we came to another water crossing.  Bugs and I were in the front and waited for the others before we crossed.  I could see Bugs taking in the view ahead.  His head raised for a moment.  Uh Oh!! But then he lowered it.  When the others were nearer we proceeded forward.  He was relaxed and confident!  I love that we made progress.  That second water challenge was a real test and Bugs passed with flying colors!

A Revelation!

December, 17, 2010

Bugs’ behavior gave me a great deal to think about.  He is not generally a spooky horse so what was up with all of his antics the past couple days?  I realized that Bugs is also extremely into the positive reinforcement (clicker) training.  He always expresses his excitement when he sees or hears me.  It isn’t the soft, low knicker that Mint emits but an excited higher pitched whinny/knicker.  He keeps an eye on me constantly and if someone gets in his way he promptly repositions to keep eye contact.  If I am in the clubhouse he will just stare at the last door that I entered through.  He is kind of like a dog.  He also seems to look forward to our time in the saddle.  This is when we spend the most time together.  A thought came to me and it made a lot of sense.  I started to think maybe Bugs wasn’t so much spooked but actually  excited.    Granted too excited, kind of like a kid who is going to Disneyland.  Running around and bouncing off of the walls.  All the pieces seemed to fit together.

Still, this left me with a predicament, how to channel his excessive energy into something constructive and manageable.  My new thought is to put him to work the second we get into the arena.  Again, I don’t see this as something that I want to rely on for the rest of his days but a way to set him up for success (I think of this in everything I do with the horses) at this juncture in his development.  My plan is to ask him to bend around my leg with his head lowered.  This is something that we have been working on but he hasn’t embraced 100 percent yet.  Bugs is a good student so I feel somewhat confident about my new plan.

Things went quite nicely.  I started asking him to lower his head as soon as we went into the ring.  I rode in a small circle, at the walk, in the center of the arena.  As soon as I felt his head start to come up I would remind him to stay bent with his head lowered.  When he would make the correct decision I would click and reinforce him from the saddle. We worked the circle bigger and bigger until we were encompassing the whole ring.  We schooled both directions and all gaits.  We both got softer and softer as we went and he was sensible even on a loose rein.  It worked like a charm!  It was then that I realized how much he wants to please me.

This was a big breakthrough for us.  I learned a lot about bugs and actually grew more confident in my riding skills.  Keep in mind I hadn’t ridden in about 8 years.  I had still worked with horses as a behaviorist but this doesn’t mean riding.  So, I am green (again) and Bugs is green.  We are learning together.

Addressing Bugs Spookiness

December 16, 2010

After yesterday’s episode I decided to use a tactic that has worked with lots of horses before Bugs.  My plan was to go into the ring on a loose rein, then click and reward his calm demeanor.  This has commonly worked to reinforce horses for being relaxed and the result is a head that drops lower and lower.  I love having a plan!

I am also teaching Bugs to hold still for mounting.  Actually, I am not just teaching him to hold still but to walk out of the cross ties without me touching the reins.  He is learning to line up next to the mounting block and hold still while I get in the saddle.  He is coming along, yet still has a tendency to turn and face me once I am at the mounting block.  This, of course, doesn’t work well for mounting so I realign him and he is usually better on the second try.  His other issue is to get distracted on the way to the mounting block then stop to smell and investigate things.  This little goal is just something I like my horses to do and despite his occasional lapses, Bugs is now coming along nicely.

Okay, so mounting and walking to the ring were pretty normal.  We get to the ring and I promptly give him a loose rein, only to realize that he is not really responding like most horses.  Instead of being relaxed he is getting increasingly wound up as I notice that his head and ears are scanning for trouble.  I realize this a little too late,  as he gets too revved up again.  This time I get off of Bugs and Marcy (my Hunter/Jumper trainer and good friend) advises a lunge and some ear plugs, so off he goes.

As you might guess, I am feeling the need to express my thoughts on these two tools.  Let’s start with lunging.  I am not a big proponent of lunging for quietness as a matter of course.  I think it is a good tool for teaching green horses, to work on verbal cues, to teach new riders, as well as prepping for being ridden for the first time.  I also think it is a good tool for eliminating all that excess energy when turnout is limited.  I’m just not that comfortable with excessive lunging. It’s just my take on it and of course, this is just one gal’s opinion. Anyway, in this situation I see that Bugs does indeed seem to have too much energy. I need to help get him to a better mind-set so I can set him up for success, so as to get him to do something worth reinforcing.  At this point, my goal is anything with four feet on the ground!  I see lunging as a tool that I want to not use on a daily basis. For now though, it may help me work towards my end-goal of having a horse that not only knows how, but also chooses to harness that energy into something constructive. ThoughI keep chanting to myself  ”enjoy the journey, enjoy the journey, enjoy the journey,” it is sometimes not quite as enjoyable as I might hope.

Now, let’s talk earplugs… It is not an uncommon practice to use earplugs to muffle the auditory stimuli that may cause a horse to startle.  It is simply a practice I am not accustomed to.  Marcy is really good at keeping her Adult Amateur women out of harm’s way.  This is one of the tools that she has had success with.  I try to be a good student, so I do say “okay” when Marcy gives me advice and instruction.  Of course, from the instant we put them in I’m thinking of how I’m going to wean Bugs off of these new pacifiers.  Again, I view them as an initial tool to set him up for success, but just for now.  Frankly, I wasn’t sure they would be that effective anyway.  Further down the road I will re-address the earplugs.

So finally, after the adjustments Bugs is much, much better!!  We are still very new together and Bugs doesn’t have a strong foundation yet.  I was very thankful for the tools of traditional training which allowed me to get my horse good enough to reward with positive reinforcement.

Bugs: A Horse with Big Shoes to Fill!

December, 14, 2010

Bugs is like a big kid.  Bugs has been with me since early last spring.  He is a 7 year old, 16.3 Chestnut appendix quarter horse.  Both his dam and sire were appendix so he has his fair share of thoroughbred in him.  I love this about him, since I have a real affinity for thoroughbreds.  Mint is a thoroughbred you know.   And you know I love my Mint!  Mint has been my shining example of  positive reinforcement.  He has a huge repertoire of behaviors both from the ground and undersaddle.  He embodies On Target Training with his huge heart and  great disposition.  He is a pleasure for anyone to be around and I hear it from people all the time.  He is light and responsive in the saddle, making me feel like a highly effective rider even on my worst day.  This is what I wanted, another Mint!  Of course, this is not how Mint started out.
 
Let’s start with Bugs beginnings… He was in a pasture with very little interaction until he was 4 years old.  That is a long time. There is a window when young horses are very trainable and then there is a time when they are more set in their ways.  Bugs kinda missed that window.  At 4 he was taken from the pasture and it was decided he was going to be a roping horse.  Talk about a square peg in a round hole.  Needless to say this didn’t go so well for Bugs.  I don’t know all of the details but he came away with a scar on his face and a suspicious disposition.
 
My friend Marcy had been around Bugs and saw that he wasn’t going down a good path.  He was off to the horse auction.  She stepped in and took him to her barn, which is a hunter/jumper barn.  This is not something that Marcy had done before.  She was not sure how this would end or where he was going to go, she just felt it in her heart to give him a chance. For the next couple of years he was in a low pressure program and taught the basics.  It was clear to her that he really wanted to please but he still needed a gentle touch.  She had invested too much to just let anyone have him and felt somewhat protective of her charge.
 
This is when I enter the picture.  Due to personal reasons Mint had been turned out for 7 years and I had barely ridden.  Mint was newly out of retirement but he is getting older and I thought it was time to have a new addition, not only for riding but for the positive reinforcement training.  I asked her about buying a horse.  Marcy saw a potentially good fit with me and Bugs.  I dusted off my chaps and showed up at Marcy’s barn to try Bugs.  I wasn’t on him for a minute when he spooked and wheeled.  Poof, I’m on the ground.  Me being newly back in the saddle, my seat wasn’t real solid.  He ended up by the rail, as I went to go get him he was visibly trembling with fear, afraid of the repercussions.
 
At that instant, I knew he was meant for me.  It broke my heart to see him so worried.  I knew I had the tools to help him.  Now, this is not how one should choose their horses. Bugs had been doing great with Jenn, who rides for Marcy.  He felt safe with Jenn and his routine.  This, clearly, did not carry over to me.
 
Marcy, being the voice of reason, wouldn’t let me make a decision until I spent more time with Bugs.  He came to the barn where I was boarding.  He showed me how suspicious he seemed to feel in the new situation.  He broke through two leather halters in two days by pulling back in the cross ties.  I never became disheartened and he began to trust me and even more, to look forward to time with me.  When I would pull up in my truck both of my horses would start whinnying.  I got some riding in but not on a consistent basis.  I knew we were moving to a new barn in October, a really nice barn I might add.  Marcy is the trainer at the new barn and we were getting into a riding/training program together and utilizing the positive reinforcement.  We are both doing great and making great strides.  Bugs is growing up!!
 
Patty, who owns the barn was hosting an elaborate Christmas party the other day at the barn.  This meant trucks and workmen were everywhere.  They were decorating, hanging plastic to tent the barn areas, putting in a dance floor, bar, hanging lights and bringing in a mechanical bull.  This was seemed to be sheer terror for some horses(and rider’s).  But Bugs was totally sensible and calm.  He made me feel really proud.  I think Bugs is a great edition to On Target Training.  We have a lot to learn together but he, like Mint, is showing that love of learning and growing a big heart.  There is a part of me that wanted him to be all done, just like Mint is now, and then I realized what a great journey it is and wondered why it is I always want to hurry.  Bugs will never be just like Mint, but that is fine with me, he is going to be just like Bugs and that is shaping up to be great news.  He is a Blessing and I am ever thankful that he is in my life.  Bugs has a shining future and I look forward to the journey that lies ahead of us.

Getting my clicker/horse training blog going!!

Hey Everyone,

I am technically challenged and yet I am choosing to tackle all kinds of new technology. I love how connected I feel to so many people with all of the options available these days. However it is tricky to balance out my time at the barn and working horses with my time at the computer. But here I go… First I want to give you a run down of the horses I am working and the issues I am addressing with each of them. I, personally, have two horses who are constantly being trained.

There is Mint, who is a 19-year-old thoroughbred. He seems as young as ever. He was at John and Beezie Maddens when I started really doing the On Target Training in a professional sense back in 1994. He has been there from the beginning. He was turned out for 7 years while I went through some of life’s tougher times. As I came out on the other side of life I brought Mint back and he is as good as ever. With him I am focusing on fun behaviors. He is past his performance prime but a great example of positive reinforcement training. I must say he was the worst horse I ever worked way back when. He was such a quitter. You don’t see that anymore but I keep that tendency in my mind as I work on new behaviors with him. I always encourage his efforts and try.

My other horse is Bugs. He is a 6-year-old appendix quarter horse. He has a lot of Thoroughbred in him and is at least 16.3 hands. He spent the first 4 years of his life turned out. When it was time to find him a job it didn’t go so well at first. He was too big for the typical quarter horses activities and bucked pretty good. He seemed to be a square peg who didn’t really fit with his owners. My friend Marcy took him to her barn and focused on getting him started under saddle. He was rather suspicious, willful and sensitive all at the same time. I came along and it has been a great fit. He presents some challenges but I feel well equipped to help him grow. Positive reinforcement has made a big difference in his attitude and he continues to make good progress. He has a lot to learn and I will continue to keep you updated through video and blog as we move forward.

There is also Haley. She is my dog, she is a Rottweiler and about a year and a half. She is pretty much a clown. She is also a bit of a chicken and totally sweet. She goes with me everywhere.

As for me… You probably already know about my history from my website but here it is in a nut shell… I worked at Sea World in San Diego for 10 years. I trained whales, dolphins, sea lions, walruses and otters. I trained them and did the shows with them. All of the training is based in positive reinforcement training. I recognized that these techniques were not being used with horses. I saw such a gap in the training equation. Horses had had great success without the use of positive reinforcement and I knew that incorporating what I had learned at Sea World would really improve things. I focused on learning how it was done through traditional training and then in 1994 John and Beezie Madden invited me (and my ex husband, Vinton) to move to their farm and work with them and their horses. That is where it started. The term clicker training came to horses from the dog training world and seems to have stuck.

I will use my blog for the sole purpose of being able to educate and share progress through on going training. I work other horses besides my own with various training issues. I will tell you about them next time. I also will share progress and I often film these with helmet cam so you can learn as we go. I also have a tele-training seminar/webinar each month. I get a lot of great questions and I will address some of these questions in the blog and some in the webinars. I really see this being a great resource for learning more about positive reinforcement/clicker training. I hope that you find this engaging and helpful. I will love to hear some questions and feedback from you. I feel like we are starting an exciting journey together and I am glad that you are here. Now let’s go get On Target!!