This message is from: Rovena Kessinger <ro_k...@yahoo.com>
Hi Cindy! I've been following you and Oden with interest since you are using CT too and Oden is way ahead of Bam-Bam. Luckily, I can touch him all over with my hands and with stuff, he doesn't mind that. I have been using umbrella, tarp, plastic bags, metal pans, etc. to desensitize Odi the mule, who is very wary and suspicious of anything new, and then I do it with Bam-Bam too, and he doesn't care. He watches Odi, who has to work up to doing it slowly, and then when it's his turn he runs over and starts touching things and stomping on things, so he can get CT too. Actually he broke out of his halter which I must not have tied well when he was tied up yesterday to come touch the umbrella, lol. And I can touch his legs and his hooves fine. However, when I try to pick up his foot, he either doesn't move it, or he jerks it away and slams it back down. I am just CT for any tiny bit of progress at this point. It's hard to catch that time that it's up before it's slammed back down again. Surely he's had his hooves worked on at some point, but it's like he has no idea what I am trying to do. Maybe he thinks I want him to move his foot over. He does do this thing when I'm not CT fast enough for him where he picks up his front foot and waves it around. I'm always worried he's going to paw/kick forward, since he has done that before, but that was under different circumstances. I wonder if I should CT that to start, since his foot is way in the air then. That's an idea, I guess. I haven't noticed if it's always the same foot or not, like if he is left or right-hooved. (Or horses left or right-hooved?) Thanks! That gives me an idea. Nice to see you here. :) --- On Wed, 11/28/12, Cindy B Giovanetti <cin...@ipi.org> wrote: From: Cindy B Giovanetti <cin...@ipi.org> Subject: Re: Introduction To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 2:30 PM This message is from: Cindy B Giovanetti <cin...@ipi.org> Ro, since I know you're doing clicker training, the way to approach this is to break it into the smallest possible steps. If it were me, I would probably get a carrot stick (so I could stand back until I was sure whether he was going to kick out). Take the time to make sure he's comfortable with your stroking him with the stick. Then, see if you can rub his flank with the stick. If so, click and treat for that. Then, gradually, start running the stick down his leg. Click and treat for that. Continue that until you are sure he won't kick at the stick. Then repeat the exercise with your hand, clicking for him staying calm as you touch his flank, his leg, his ankle, and then, finally, his hoof. You'll need to repeat this on each hoof. Finally, you'll try to pick a hoof up. At first, click and treat even if he just shifts his weight off the hoof you want. In the end, you won't click until you can hold the hoof quietly in your hand. I am working on this with Oden right now, although Oden doesn't have issues with having his hooves touched. I'll try to get a video of it. I actually tried -- with you in mind -- just a few minutes ago; but I was working by myself, and there was no way to hold the camera, the hoof, the clicker, and everything else. LOL! I had to give up! But I'll try again when I can get my photographer (my 15YO son) to come out with me. Cindy Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw FH_L Shirts: http://tinyurl.com/8yky94l Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw FH_L Shirts: http://tinyurl.com/8yky94l
