My good friend has his gelded started for driving and was doing excellent in the harness for ground driving. However, he was extreemely nervous of having anything behind him with the harness on. Even someone walking behind him he was too nervous. He had asked me to go over to help "hold" the horse straight while he was ground drove. Montana, "Monty" was a sweet little chestnut pinto miniature standing about 31" just turning 3 who happens to be my stud's grandson. My friend had put hours of work into ground driving him and was getting heart broken and starting to think he may never get him in cart.
I did not have time immediately to get over and assist. So, I explained a bit about the clicker training, gave him a clicker to take home and explained how to train Monty to associate the click with food. Basically the horse should learns that the click meant he is doing the right thing and a treat is coming. So a week later I ventured over to help out.
Since Montana was going great in harness and his only problem currently was that he was too scared of something behind him (cart included). I asked what he was like just being led and even being led he was scared. He was even scared just outside with something behind him. So we proceeded to Montana's stall where there were less distractions. He sniffed the ball and was a bit of skittish at it. I got in the stall with Monty and wait a few times till he would look away and click and treat, then he started to get interested in what I was doing. My friend had the stall ball and was rubbing it on the side of the stall to make a noise. As soon as Monty did the slightest at looking at me or being relaxed he got a click and treate. Then we had him turned sidewise while the noise was going on. Then with his back to the noise and click and treat. At the end he was much calmer. Now for the first part that we wanted to complete.
Once outside I led Monty and Harvey had the ball on a rope and was pulling it along the driveway. Monty was tense and was watching it very closely. As soon as he gave any interest to me click and treat. We walked the whole lenght of the driveway. Eventually we got to the point where the ball was almost behind him to the side. The focus was if he was the least bit relaxed or paid attention to me click treat. It seemed to work very well. A few times he decided to take off and spooked forward and went around me or turned around to see it. We just ignored that behavior and then as soon as he walked or looked at me he got a click, treat.
We went down the driveway again and he was much better so then I showed Harvey & his wife how to click and treat and he led Monty while I pulled the ball and made noise behind him. Monty did excellent!!! So, the session was finished for the time being.
I told them the next steps are to do this at least 1 or 2 more times until Monty is good and quiet. then the plan is to start with pulling the tire ahead of him then slowly further beside him until behind him and then do that until he is good and quiet again.
Monty stood much quieter and they were both impressed at the progress he had made in such short time.
