Target or Mat Training, Attitude is the Most Important!

Video answer. The real take-away from this question is the importance of a horse’s attitude during the training process. A good demeanor gets you a relaxed, focused and responsive horse. Positive reinforcement goes a long way towards building a good attitude and work ethic in your horse. Training is not only easier but your horse becomes as interested as you are in making progress. This carries over to every interaction that we have with our horses. What could be better than that? A sour attitude about training also spills over to our every interaction. As trainers we can and should focus on this as much as we do on training a specific task.

Is Your Horse Unruly on the Longe Line?

This video was made a couple weeks ago. Then I addressed a question via Facebook and reposted it on my blog. So these two posts go nicely together to cover similar yet a little different longeing scenarios. It seems to me that the motivation is different for the two horses. This horse of Evelyn’s is choosing to do her own style of longeing, er, water skiing while Carrie’s horse (from the other post) seems to have a fear based reaction. The other post is entitled: Horse Who is Nervous / Afraid of Longeing and Whips. Have a look AND listen. Questions? Comments?

Mounting: Look No Hands!!

There is nothing more annoying than a horse who walks off, or worse, acts up, while you are mounting. Bugs, being a bit of a fuss budget was not the worst, but he wasn’t the most accomodating horse to mount. He would turn to face me, refuse to give to the pressure of the reins and wouldn’t move up or would just be fidgety. I could always get on him but it wasn’t always pretty. Athletic? Yes. Pretty? Not so much!

Sometimes these issues need sessions devoted to improving the situation ASAP. But in his case, I simply addressed it a little bit every time I mounted. I started by clicking when he would follow me to the mounting block. I’d click once more when he would happen to be lined up nicely, and again when he would be still. I would really draw attention to reinforcing him once I was in the saddle. Pretty quickly they start to figure out that the sooner you are in the saddle the quicker they can get reinforced. I would proportionately feed more once I was in the saddle. Horses figure out pretty quickly how to accommodate and expedite the process. Next thing you know, they are bounding right up to the mounting block with hopes of you getting on!

Super Simple Flexion Exercise

This is so simple but very effective. It is actually a byproduct of offering reinforcement under saddle. Being a positive reinforcement based trainer, I feed from the saddle. Often horses demonstrate a favorite side. It may not be so much their favorite as the more limber side. They will turn to take the treat from the easier, more flexible side. I immediately start to balance out the two sides by feeding (usually) from the side we are bending towards. For example, if I am going to the right with a right bend that is the side I will feed from following the click or bridge signal. I often find that one side is noticeably more rigid than the other. This usually coincides with the them being more resistant to bending in that direction as well. After a couple weeks I will notice a huge difference in both the turning to take the treat as well as the softness in the bridle when asking to bend. They are actually stretching and improving their own range of motion. Super simple, super effective!!

Ask Shawna Question re: Continuing After the Click

Hi Everyone,

This question was posted on my Facebook page by Lydia. In this video I am addressing how to teach your horse to continue on with a good attitude following the click. I focus on teaching this under saddle but the same techniques work from the ground. Simply ask for a behavior that has a well established reinforcement history. In other words, a behavior that your horse readily offers and seems to enjoy doing. Anyway, Lydia, I hope that this helps you to move to the next level. Thank you for the question and the opportunity to help you progress! Enjoy getting your horse On Target.

Flying Lead Change-One and Done!

Well, as you can tell from the title we have started a new and exciting phase of training! Flying lead chages are a pretty big mile marker. It seems like Bugs is ready to put on his “big boy pants”!! When we were at the show we were great but he didn’t know changes yet. I want to state loud and clear that I never want to over face a horse. I know that consistant success is built on a solid foundation. No two horses are the same. Recognizing when your horse is ready to move forward comes from a close relationship, one that is part instruction and part listening, a conversation if you will.

That being said, Marcy (my hunter/jumper trainer) and I feel that Bugs is ready. He routinely makes good decisions and doesn’t get flustered when he doesn’t understand a new lesson. He focuses and tries to solve the puzzle. The positive reinforcement really helps him to be involved and to perservere.

We had a flat lesson with Jan and her green horse, Annie. Marcy has been helping me to adjust my position and my seat is getting more solid with every lesson, well, nearly every lesson. Bugs was good, listening and soft. He had a bit of extra energy but he mostly keeps that to himself at this point. As Jan and I finished up, Marcy put a pole on the ground (across the diagnal) for Bugs and myself to work on a flying change. We discussed the next part of the lesson, the shifts in balance and positioning necessary to allow him and to support him through the change in his lead. My goal was to shift the balance as we crossed the pole. This can be a challenging proposition. You are channeling a lot of energy and horses can get excited, sometimes too excited. A flying change, when new, is a bold manuever and you need that energy, but it helps to know that you can bring your horse back to a soft, listening mindset.

Bugs seems to pick up the left lead easier than the right so we start off on the right lead. This way we can try to set him up for success when we are asking to change his lead. So, off we go! As we come across the diagnol I have got my ears pealed and a big smile on my face. It seems to me that Bugs likes to figure things out and finds comfort in being compliant. This moved him out of his comfort zone. He was not sure what was going on. He was trying to do something, but just wasn’t right. I think he feared that his actions might be taken as disobedience. The first couple of times he was a little wound up, maybe even a little worried. I just stayed very relaxed and focused on getting him back after the attempt. Then we started again, giving him time to settle into a nice calm, controlled canter. The next couple times he still didn’t get it but he seemed a little more settled. I knew that we were on the right path. His mind was more settled and processing as opposed to reactionary. On about the 5th time he got it right! I clicked, reinforced with a few handfuls of treats and lots of praise (he responds well to verbal praise too).

It is tempting to want to do it again right away but I recognize that the better thing to do is to let him rest in his success. I am very poud of Bugs and his good decisions. He really seems to enjoy the challenges that come with training. I am excited for this next week. We have trailer loading, backing up and flying lead changes to look forward to!!

Developing Feel

Feeling is as important to the rider as hearing is to a musician. Only time spent in the saddle will develop feel. Feel cannot be taught, only further developed and polished. Feel may be the most important quality in riding well. Your ability to feel will improve when you are totally relaxed. –Hans Senn–

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!

Controlling a horse…

You may control a horse with gimmicks; those however, will not change him mentally. It is not a good idea to distance yourself from the horse by domination.
–Hans Senn–

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