My primary goal for this first day is to teach Matilda about the clicker. This is a two fold goal because first, she has to learn that the click means reward and second, she has to learn that the click is not random, it is linked to her behavior. Now God has blessed me in life by providing me with a multitude of highly food motivated animals, so I don't foresee any problems with the first part. I am not so sure how the second part will go.
Matilda is the horse version of a close talker. She loves to be near to her people and steps on feet, punches you with her sizable nose, nips and shoves, so I came into the day with two options to start with: respect my space (stay an arms length away) or target training (touch something with your nose). Both are good launching points and necessary.
Part of my plan is to do 2-3 short sessions on each visit to the barn, at least 3 days a week. I launched into my first session by simply entering her paddock. She spends a few hours alone in the paddock most days and, since the paddocks at My Barn are nice, rocky, soil paddocks, there are few distractions there. I am armed with a clicker and a small pail of carrots. I cut a hole out of the lid of the pail that is big enough for my hand but too small for that nose of hers.
As Matilda approached me I began to wonder if this was a good idea. I have no divider and no control over her, she is not even wearing a harness. In fact the only control I have is this little one and a half inch clicker and she doesn't even know what that is yet! Nevertheless, I have spent some time in the paddock with Matilda and feel like I know what to expect and am reasonably safe.
I started by doing a few simple clicks and treats, holding the bucket under one arm and the clicker all the way out, away from my body and on the other side. Within a few clicks she was nosing my hand with the clicker and ignoring the bucket! She gets it. This is essentially the beginning of target training, touch my hand and click/treat. After a few minutes I left to give us both a break and work on some other things.
When I came back, intending to continue with the target training, Matilda had other ideas. Apparently leaving with some carrots left in the bucket was not a good idea to her. I got mauled. She kept her nose on the bucket, punched my stomach and arm (not hard, no worries) and nipped at my hands... forget target training.
Standing your ground is not an easy thing to do with this girl, but I felt I had no choice at this point. I just waited it out. After checking me out from head to toe for what seemed a VERY long time, she finally pulled her head away. Click/treat. This went on for some time, a period of mauling, followed by the head being pulled back. Click/treat. Finally she stood in front of me and started just swinging her head back and forth, checking me out with both eyes. Click/treat every time she pulled that big old head away.
After a while, I decided I had had enough. I need more than this and we still have time and carrots. Matilda also needs to understand that this is going to involve more than her head. I'll be watching those feet too.
I stopped clicking for the head movement and watched her feet. Poor Matilda, she tried everything to get those carrots. When swinging the head didn't work, she went back to the old stand by, mauling. This time she actually did a nerve wracking full circle around me, taking time to check the back of my knees and under my hat. I stood my ground and eventually she came back in front of me and started swinging the head back and forth. Then it happened. My eyes were glued to her feet and I saw one move the tiniest bit back. Click/treat. That surprised her. We went through the mauling routine again and then she picked up her feet, but she moved FORWARD, much to my horror. I was certainly not going to click for THAT. I also refuse to click for head swinging, now that I've clicked for foot movement. I had to be patient. She was getting impatient, too, and stomped both feet in place. I'll take it. Click/treat.
After that one, I could almost see her thinking about it. And then, another step forward, another body check. She is going to have me on the ground soon, but I just couldn't walk away until I had one more chance to click. She pulled her head away and looked at me for a second and took one small step back with the left foot. Thank you Lord! One final click, the rest of the carrots and I was out of there!
I promise I will try to keep my posts shorter, that first one got away from me a bit. whew.
You are brave in the face of that nose! Or that nose in your face.
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