Friday, September 7, 2007
Dakota starts her training...
Or is that Shari starts her training to train Dakota.
It's important I get this right. With Dakota being a yearling, she needs to learn respect and grow out of her "pocket pet" attitude.
Now, I'll be the first to admit losing 80 or so pounds would be good for me. You should see me huff and puff my way around the farm.
Actually, I'm getting better. At least I don't completely run out of air before I get the daily chores done.
But, working a horse in our round pen, is a lot more work. The ground is very soft sand, and is quite uneven as the horses sink halfway up their hooves. That leaves big divots to navigate... that and the road apples they drop.
Dakota's first lesson yesterday was to accept the "stick and string". She'd been trained to voice and whistle. However, I prefer to point, "cluck", and then hit the ground with the stick and string. That's the method taught by Clinton Anderson of Downunder Horsemanship.
She did very well, letting me rub her all over with the stick and string. Also, the stick and string extend my reach, effectively moving her out of my face... can you spell "pushy filly"?
Her response to "get going" in that direction was satisfactory, even if I couldn't keep up with her. She had been used to a smaller round pen, so she kept tightening her circles around me. That's not acceptable, even though I was glad not to have to jog around a larger circle.
When it came to changing directions, coming to me... let's just say "operator error". I've got some serious work to do. I'm supposed to step in front of her "drive line", get her eye, move the stick to my outside (towards the pen rail) hand, point with me free hand (the direction I want her to go) and cluck.
I keep visualizing it... but the body has yet to clearly internalize the entire process.
Time out to watch more video... this time on "gaining respect".
Labels: Horses
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