There are just so many things to do with a new and young horse but riding often gets in the way.
Circumstances intervened and Coops was off work for 6 months of the 14 months we owned him.
Ok, so its time to start playing with this Clicker Training lark.
As recommended by Vicki GG I bought the Alexandra Kurland book,
A clicker was donated by a kindly NR member..........
I did a blue peter job on the target......
We progressed from a map case to a proper bum bag......
and at the more advanced stage I won the cones on ebay..........
As recommended I started with target practice with the bottle. Firstly, in the stable, then outside and then in the school.
He is still a baby and likes the chance to not only touch the target but to mouth it............
This was the first time he met the cones.........
He knows when we are going to play as he hears me slicing the carrots at the back of the stable - lemmmeee see mom!
Is this the carrot?
Getting better........
Still doing well..........
So Why????
Well, it is great fun and a great relationship builder with your horse.
I have ordered the second book which is how to apply the ground work to your riding so that will be the next phase.
Coops was so easy to teach I used him as my guinnea pig before I practised on May - she is doing well too.
I am hoping to get her to load onto a trailer sometime this year.
Any negatives..........?
Well, he did become a bit of a mugger for a while and saw me as one, big, two legged carrot dispenser. The near fore wiggled every time I came near him!
As long as you ignore it, the behaviour soon stops.
Other than that I can't quite put into words how much fun it is to experiment with clicker training.
As Alexandra says - even if you only go as far as teaching your horse tricks you soon learn how to build upon an
ask for your horse and can learn to reward him - whether a pat or a click.
Coops has no real 'issues' that I am trying to sort - unlike May but it is fun and we enjoy it.
xx
Dee and Coops.
