Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2009 18:36:34 GMT 1
Ok, this is a hard, hard job, but someone has to do it...
Do I really have to go and play with 2 lightly handled foals? Oh no, please don't make me...
Apologies to Razzle but I didn't take any photos of him. He's about 5 months old, appy x, and a very bright, friendly lad. Almost unhandled a week ago, Carolyn and Hermione have done a great job getting him used to being touched, headcollar on, and the basics of leading in place. He even backs up a little. The areas we concentrated on with Razzle were making sure he knows how to release himself from pressure so that soon he'll be ready to learn to tie up, leg handling and a bit of moving him around loose. He got to the point that he was happy to have both fronts touched with the stick and one front picked up lightly, and one hind touched with the stick. I know that's maybe only a half job but I felt that we would be pushing his concentration too far to ask for more in the first proper training session, and I made sure that I left Hermione and Carolyn with the knowledge and tools (literally, I left my stick behind!!!) to continue.
The reason for wanting to move Razzle around is that he has started to test what happens if he turns his bum on you. It is, therefore, really important that he finds out that this is not only ineffective, it also results in him being moved until he stands looking at you nicely. There is nothing in this half threat at the moment but it is just so much easier for all for him to learn his lesson now, rather than allowing him to learn that he can fully threaten effectively.
Dazzle is a different character. She's the same age, exactly to the day, but appears more timid. Carolyn and Hermione had been struggling a bit with how to bring her out of her corner. We found a very simple answer, a little advance and retreat, followed by a large dollop of curiosity.
We soon had her coming out of her corner, then leading rather nicely and even leading calmly while walking next to then over the trailing long line (don't worry, we were ultra safe). In the coming months, this sort of thing will build her confidence in the outside world and she will make an absolutely cracking horse.
Do I really have to go and play with 2 lightly handled foals? Oh no, please don't make me...
Apologies to Razzle but I didn't take any photos of him. He's about 5 months old, appy x, and a very bright, friendly lad. Almost unhandled a week ago, Carolyn and Hermione have done a great job getting him used to being touched, headcollar on, and the basics of leading in place. He even backs up a little. The areas we concentrated on with Razzle were making sure he knows how to release himself from pressure so that soon he'll be ready to learn to tie up, leg handling and a bit of moving him around loose. He got to the point that he was happy to have both fronts touched with the stick and one front picked up lightly, and one hind touched with the stick. I know that's maybe only a half job but I felt that we would be pushing his concentration too far to ask for more in the first proper training session, and I made sure that I left Hermione and Carolyn with the knowledge and tools (literally, I left my stick behind!!!) to continue.
The reason for wanting to move Razzle around is that he has started to test what happens if he turns his bum on you. It is, therefore, really important that he finds out that this is not only ineffective, it also results in him being moved until he stands looking at you nicely. There is nothing in this half threat at the moment but it is just so much easier for all for him to learn his lesson now, rather than allowing him to learn that he can fully threaten effectively.
Dazzle is a different character. She's the same age, exactly to the day, but appears more timid. Carolyn and Hermione had been struggling a bit with how to bring her out of her corner. We found a very simple answer, a little advance and retreat, followed by a large dollop of curiosity.
We soon had her coming out of her corner, then leading rather nicely and even leading calmly while walking next to then over the trailing long line (don't worry, we were ultra safe). In the coming months, this sort of thing will build her confidence in the outside world and she will make an absolutely cracking horse.