This is how we started out:
Tug came to me and I gave him a carrot and then I was able to coax him into walking with me to the barn to get his halter. We attempted the "X" task for the first time, and it needs work lol. Then we did some driving from zone 3 before I tried for two trotting laps on the circle. After a few tries I got it. Then I made a mess of stick to me, but one time while we were trotting, I got him to trot sideways! He went forward a little, but still! First time!
Then we went to Liberty. I haven't done this in a few sessions, and normally we play with the halter on. This time I took the halter off and put it beside some blocks that are in the middle of the roundpen that I use for a pedestal. The next think I know, Tug is on it! So I let him rest for a minute and then we started to play stick to me. We were trotting around the roundpen and doing random tasks. When I tried to get him to back through some cones, he went and stood on the pedestal! This went on for a little while, and I lost count after 4 times on the pedestal because I was laughing so hard! There was one time that I pointed to it and he went and stood on it! I brought my energy up and he got a little exuberant on the circling game. I got a change of direction at the trot and walk too! Can you tell he loves Liberty? Anyways, when I brought him in, instead of letting him rest, I asked him to get on the pedestal. He was in such a hurry that he missed it a few times, but once he got up there, I let him rest while I went and sat on a barrel that's at the side of the roundpen. He just stood on his pedestal, there's no telling how long he would stay there. I was able to back him off of it by wiggling my finger, and he got back on it when I lifted my stick a little. (I was sitting about 15-20 feet away from him) Then I asked him to get off and move around the pedestal (I'm still sitting) and he came over to me. We just sat there for a while, listening to the radio. Then he let me pick up his back foot that he used to have issues with, and he didn't resist at all! He followed me to the gate and I asked him to disengage his HQ before he walked off, and we walked to the barn to put his halter up together.
So in the beginning, was he getting on the pedestal because he was confused, or was he just playing?
Hmmmm...I"m not sure if he was playing or confused. Tucker will sometimes go get on the pedestal at liberty when he does not want to do something else I asked. It's as if to say "How about this instead?" It's pretty funny. He also offers to go to the pedestal a lot on his own. I think it is because it's a nice place of rest for him. Keep playing with it and you'll figure it out. Confused or Play it sure sounds like a fun session!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNatalie
I think you're right, Brooke! Your horse knows HOW excited you are when he is on the pedestal he therefore tunes into you... This is great, as long as you understand that you have to become particular without becoming critical. "Thank you for offering to go on the pedestal, now please do what I asked you to...", otherwise your horse soon will make your idea his idea,.... and that's not the idea :-) because he'll be taking over... :-)
ReplyDeletePetra Christensen
Parelli 2Star Junior Instructor
Parelli Central