James and Sweetie
Owned by Marie
James loves to laugh!
I had a great time training yesterday. There was a part that I thought I would relate because it was so much fun. After working with James for 45 minutes I dismounted and thought I'd take him to a part of the yard we don't normally work in.(the garden) On the way the trailer was open since I had put the rototiller in it for winter storage so I asked him to "get on". The first time he only went in part way stopping to check out the tiller. I clicked anyway.(soft hearted mom) Then I asked him again, this time he went all the way in. I clicked and he backed out. So one more time I asked him to go on and this time he went all the way and waited while I walked around to his head before I clicked then I gave him his treat there. Next I asked him to back off with me at his head. I don't normally do this but after a momentary surprised look he backed very nicely. Enough review of stuff he already knows onto something different.
In the garden I have an old tire I use for planting squash in. I had emptied it of dirt and it was just sitting there...... I had leg protectors on James' front legs so I dived right in for a game of 101 things to do with a tire. First he sniffed it. click, then he walked up close to it click, then he stepped over it, click, and over it again, click. Now I was concerned that he might think stepping over it was all that I wanted so I tried not to click for that again. I got lots of standing still :( So I tried to show him how to step into the middle of the tire. No problem, Mom wants to put my foot there, Ok by me. I did this a few times then waited to see if he would do it on his own. Nope. At this point I had decided I wanted to get him to put his foot inside the tire by himself. I thought I would try shaping and luring combined. I kept the tire between us and started clicking for any front foot near the tire.
This was a scream! He shuffled, he dangled his hoof, he lifted his hoof up high, he placed his hoof way over the tire in what appeared to be the most unlikely contortions of body I have seen, and yes he occasionally touched the tire with his hoof. When he touched the tire I gave him special treat of sweet feed. When he put his hoof inside the tire I gave him some cracked corn. When he was contorted over and about the tire I gave him neck sctratches. Some other things he did, put one hoof on tire so it flipped up hitting the front of his leg. Put his hoof into the tire inner area, not sure how to explain this not the open middle of the tire but into the tire itself, so I had to peel it off his hoof.(he was incredibly calm about the whole thing). Put both feet into the center of the tire. Kicked the tire backwards quite a distance. Just rested his hoof on the tire. Kicked the tire forwards. I was running pretty low on feed, I train until he has eaten all his dinner usually. And I was laughing so much that he was having some difficulty with the appropriate task (my cue for him to laugh is my laughing first). I did manage to end when he put his front left hoof inside the tire. It was such a good time. I can't wait to see what he will do with the tire the next time I bring it near him.
James and his tire.
Sweetie targets her ball while
standing on the plastic bag.
Targeting into the trailer.
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