Today, I started Dancer (my mini-Shetland cross) with something she knows: targeting and not mugging (though she occasionally tries to test me for this). She also does this funny thing where she reaches her nose to *almost* touch the target and then swings back to me (w/o touching the target) to see if I'll give her a treat for the "try." It's deliberate and you can see quite clearly she knows she is supposed to actually touch the target! Always testing...
Today, we worked on Targeting which has gotten way too easy for her, but I like to start with something that the horse can do successfully before continuing to something new or more challenging. I quickly stepped it up by asking for bends. This is placing the target to the side of her shoulder or ribcage and she has to bend/flex her neck to reach around, w/o moving her feet, and touch the target. I do one side a few times and then the other. After both sides, I place the target at her chest so she has to flex at the poll to touch. Athletically, this stretches the horses' neck and increases the amount of flexion at the poll.
Seeing how quick she figured it out, I moved on to asking her to back. This was a bit harder as she doesn't like to "give ground" and moving backwards for a horse is a sign of submission to the handler who is asking for it. Look at horses in a herd - they only back up and away from the dominant horse. To less dominant horses they turn their butt and walk away. However, I really want her to learn to back on a hand gesture as she is too aggressive when it comes to feeding time and likes to barge at you.
I started first with asking her to come towards me by following the target. She did this but not as enthusiastically as I would have liked. Then with my body language, my voice "back", (first time I helped her with a tap on her chest - I couldn't resist), I asked her to back up. She started trying almost immediately (like I wrote, a very motivated pony!).
After she seemed to know what I wanted, my body language became my fist below her nose, coming towards her chest (but not touching) and then stepping firmly towards her with one foot in front of the other, along with the word "back." Being small (39" tall) you need to get lower to her level of eyesight and communication.
I wouldn't say she "has it down" but we are quickly moving to her figuring it out. At her rate of learning I pretty much expect by the next weekend she will have this down pat. I'll have to be on my toes to keep up with her at this rate.
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