Trick Training

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Absolutely 100% agree, with bells on.


Pat

 

[accio! chickens]

Obviously I didn't explain very well. I offer up a treat. I get the contact I need. I give her a good girl. We do it a couple times and start to phase out that treat so she is doing it only for the good girl and the contact alone. She is now letting me touch her to her back without any treats, but just a good girl. We have had much success with getting contact this way in the past. It's kind of like dog training where you offer a treat at first for good behaviour and slowly get to the point where it's a good pat or a good boy for that good behaviour. She does not expect food anymore for the things I ask of her like rubbing her neck and her back and chest, poll and forehead. She isn't pushy and I constantly demand respect from her. I fully trust my trainer and her experiences. This method has worked for years for us. I really shouldn't have called this trust issues, honestly, I should have called it comfort. Because that is what it is.

I'm sorry if you feel that how I am gaining that contact and getting her to relax is dangerous, but when I am in the field with my mare she is no longer tense but is relaxed and comfortable. Again, sorry for the use of the word trust. I obviously wasn't clear about this at all.

As Pat stated, it's more about desensitization than trust. She is sensitive to anyone touching her hind quarters and we're attempting to make sure she is no longer sensitive about this. I work for a long time on the small points, we'll move from the neck to the back and when I am out there just filling up waters or doing night check I'll stroke her and we'll get further and the minute she looks like she is uncomfortable we back up, and when she looks relaxed again I say okay, thats it, good girl and she is allowed to go back to eating hay or doing whatever it was she was doing.

 

[farmerlor]

I agree. First thing to make sure we've got down is leading with my space/your space, good response to cues, stop/go, touch all over, groom all over, pick up feet and TRUST. I've got drafts-boy, the last thing I want is any errors in communication with my horse.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
I probably took this out of context, but when your horse is tall and is constantly lifting his head, it makes it MUCH more difficult to get that bridle on than if you could have the horse trained to drop his head to allow you to put the bridle/halter on.

 

[accio! chickens]

Quote:
I probably took this out of context, but when your horse is tall and is constantly lifting his head, it makes it MUCH more difficult to get that bridle on than if you could have the horse trained to drop his head to allow you to put the bridle/halter on.

Thats always been my opinion on it. All our horses were trained to lower their heads when asked. Its primarily a huge benefit when trying to halter or bridle a horse. A horse that lifts and evades can become a dangerous horse and a disrespectful horse and that is not what you want at all.

 

[accio! chickens]

Quote:
She knows my space/your space and it is reinforced always.

 

[greathorse]

accio! chickens :

Obviously I didn't explain very well. I offer up a treat. I get the contact I need. I give her a good girl. We do it a couple times and start to phase out that treat so she is doing it only for the good girl and the contact alone. She is now letting me touch her to her back without any treats, but just a good girl. We have had much success with getting contact this way in the past. It's kind of like dog training where you offer a treat at first for good behaviour and slowly get to the point where it's a good pat or a good boy for that good behaviour. She does not expect food anymore for the things I ask of her like rubbing her neck and her back and chest, poll and forehead. She isn't pushy and I constantly demand respect from her. I fully trust my trainer and her experiences. This method has worked for years for us. I really shouldn't have called this trust issues, honestly, I should have called it comfort. Because that is what it is.

I'm sorry if you feel that how I am gaining that contact and getting her to relax is dangerous, but when I am in the field with my mare she is no longer tense but is relaxed and comfortable. Again, sorry for the use of the word trust. I obviously wasn't clear about this at all.

As Pat stated, it's more about desensitization than trust. She is sensitive to anyone touching her hind quarters and we're attempting to make sure she is no longer sensitive about this. I work for a long time on the small points, we'll move from the neck to the back and when I am out there just filling up waters or doing night check I'll stroke her and we'll get further and the minute she looks like she is uncomfortable we back up, and when she looks relaxed again I say okay, thats it, good girl and she is allowed to go back to eating hay or doing whatever it was she was doing.

you also said this horse bolts when you get around its hindqtrs. The very fact that you even gave consideration to trick training this animal before getting a lot further down the road tells me you have some real learning to do on your own before we get to anything remotely associated with trick training.

You need the respect of that horse from fron to back. If that horse is bolting when you are around its back end you are in very serious danger. You have a round pen? Or any kind of pen at all that you can begin some serious desensitization work?

I wouldnt be this rough about this except that it sounds like you are getting yourself set up to get hurt.​

 

[accio! chickens]

I agree completely Pat. Clear and concise cues. I do not hesitate and try my best not to give confusing cues and body language. You are completley right, we are BOTH learning how to cope, how to relax, and how to work together. She is teaching ME what is right and what is wrong, and how I can be clearer with the things I ask of her. It's a learning process and will always be a learning process with any horse. And I have too seen the consequences of a horse and owner/rider who do not communicate and a rider who does not give clear and concise cues and body language to their horse.

 

[accio! chickens]

Quote:
you also said this horse bolts when you get around its hindqtrs. The very fact that you even gave consideration to trick training this animal before getting a lot further down the road tells me you have some real learning to do on your own before we get to anything remotely associated with trick training.

You need the respect of that horse from fron to back. If that horse is bolting when you are around its back end you are in very serious danger. You have a round pen? Or any kind of pen at all that you can begin some serious desensitization work?

I wouldnt be this rough about this except that it sounds like you are getting yourself set up to get hurt.

I'm sorry, it was once that she bolted. Not so much because there was someone messing about with her hind quarters but because the farrier tapped her by accident with his hoof pick. I agree with densensitization. I don't have a roundpen, or small pen (I'm working on getting one, but unfortunately it won't be in the budget until the early spring). I understand your concern, but I believe I have the situation under control and frequently consult with my trainer and other horse experts. She mostly side steps, after a while she'll calm down but I am working to get rid of the side stepping all together. I truly appreciate your concern and advice. But again, the trick training was for after this process. I wanted reading material in advance.

 

[Cara]

accio! chickens :

Obviously I didn't explain very well. I offer up a treat. I get the contact I need. I give her a good girl. We do it a couple times and start to phase out that treat so she is doing it only for the good girl and the contact alone. She is now letting me touch her to her back without any treats, but just a good girl. We have had much success with getting contact this way in the past. It's kind of like dog training where you offer a treat at first for good behaviour and slowly get to the point where it's a good pat or a good boy for that good behaviour. She does not expect food anymore for the things I ask of her like rubbing her neck and her back and chest, poll and forehead. She isn't pushy and I constantly demand respect from her. I fully trust my trainer and her experiences. This method has worked for years for us. I really shouldn't have called this trust issues, honestly, I should have called it comfort. Because that is what it is.

I'm sorry if you feel that how I am gaining that contact and getting her to relax is dangerous, but when I am in the field with my mare she is no longer tense but is relaxed and comfortable. Again, sorry for the use of the word trust. I obviously wasn't clear about this at all.

As Pat stated, it's more about desensitization than trust. She is sensitive to anyone touching her hind quarters and we're attempting to make sure she is no longer sensitive about this. I work for a long time on the small points, we'll move from the neck to the back and when I am out there just filling up waters or doing night check I'll stroke her and we'll get further and the minute she looks like she is uncomfortable we back up, and when she looks relaxed again I say okay, thats it, good girl and she is allowed to go back to eating hay or doing whatever it was she was doing.

Training a horse and training a dog are two very different things. One is a flighty prey animal, the other is a predator. A horse's reward is the release of pressure, not a cookie or a pat on the head. By backing away when you think she is uncomfortable, you are rewarding the flight reaction. In her mind acting nervously = getting to do her own thing. That's how you go from a fearful horse to a downright dangerous, spoilt horse. Please seek a good, experienced trainer to help, for both your sakes.​