Well, the first day was quite the adventure, and Im finding nearly every day since is about the same.
This was Tango on the second day morning,
she's a bit more settled in, not as flighty, but ever so watchful. This horse is so tuned to body language that even how a person breathes is measured up by her so I have to act super relaxed about everything. On day 2 I worked on picking up the rope. She still thought that's a cue to run, so nothing to do but stand there and let her see it's not, and eventually she did. However, the burros got bored and rather disgusted with her always trying to be by them that they went inside the barn for some peace. (They are forming a clique it seems!) She did not like this at all and attempted to run and join them. Here is where my work comes in cuz she did get away from me that time, and I should have closed the gate off so she couldnt follow them in there. But all I could do at this point was go catch her inside the barn and prove that it was a place to work too, not an escape route. After several more circles at being caught indoors she was figuring out the rope is not going away nor am I and she yielded. Again, I took it down a notch and let her digest it while I just sat on a bucket talking to her. She still needed 10ft of space before she settled.
later in the afternoon I came back, fed the burros in the barn and closed the gate; and made a haypile out in the corral. (Nobody had a clue what grain is, though the burros were discovering oats on the hay, nobody was eating it)
Once again I caught her rope and she did look for getting in the barn, but with the gate shut she couldnt, and with a few snorts began to focus on me. That afternoon we worked on the concept of pressure and release, and the beginnings of leading. Just moving one foot. I was suprised at how fast she caught on, and reveled in praise, that once she figured it out she was taking 2 or 3 steps in whatever direction. This is how she got her name, because she was crossing over like a dancer would do a "grapevine" move, or dressage horses do. We practiced leading to the hay, have some to reward, and leading away with lots of praise and a mouthfull that I carried with me. When she was acting like she'd done it all her life I let the rope down at the hay and let her eat, but stayed in the pen hanging out. I spent about n hour with her at both sessions, including the "wind-down" and she was becoming more curious and soft eyed than that spooky look
Day 3 was a repeat of Day's 2 routine, and she was starting to give up the drama about picking up her rope. The burros had also laid down the law that she couldnt be in thier clique and she was keeping a safe distance now. This also opened a window that she would have to depend on me for any companionship because they were not gonna let her have any, at least to the point of a 10ft radius lol. Leading on this day was top notch, she did everything perfectly, and the space was shrinking to about 6ft away.
Day 4 I did not shut the gate because we were going to learn leading to/from/inside/outside and while initially she was antsy about leading inside the barn, once she got it it stayed with her. She did have a fuss about it though, so most of the time was done inside to get her over it and help her confidence. Hay has been a great reward as well as heaps of praise and no pressure when she gets it. I really want her to want to try instead of just doing stuff cuz she's scared. When she was leading nicely I ended the session and just hung out with her. She began to do alot of sighing and sleepy eyes
Day 5 was more work on Day 4's lesson and she trooped right along, I love the brains on her. And the burros finally discovered what grain was and the shaking of the bucket was an angel's song lol. Tango still no luck, though in the afternoon she did eat it off her haypile. Finally! That will help in my plans lol! I added a new feature in today's routine and that was feeding her tufts of hay, but only after I touched her face and neck with it, to get her used to my hands being there or touching her.
Day 6, she leads like a dream and doesnt do any drama at the picking up of the rope, doesnt move off but stands and waits if I climb into the pen. She loves the touch with hay idea, so that's how she got fed today. She also stayed within arms distance and enjoyed her grain-though is still suspicious of the bucket, silly girl. She also started to follow along when I wasnt holding the rope so I think that's very cool. These are all good signs!
Day 7 she had the day off cuz we were doing feildwork and it was so dusty and windy out there thanks to the combines and such stirring up dry weather harvest. I only had time for a short visit but my kids spent time with the burros and Daffy is becoming quite the cuddler, Bugs is only interested in carrots :/ .....
So her first week and she's learned alot and I'm tickled about it all
This was Tango on the second day morning,
she's a bit more settled in, not as flighty, but ever so watchful. This horse is so tuned to body language that even how a person breathes is measured up by her so I have to act super relaxed about everything. On day 2 I worked on picking up the rope. She still thought that's a cue to run, so nothing to do but stand there and let her see it's not, and eventually she did. However, the burros got bored and rather disgusted with her always trying to be by them that they went inside the barn for some peace. (They are forming a clique it seems!) She did not like this at all and attempted to run and join them. Here is where my work comes in cuz she did get away from me that time, and I should have closed the gate off so she couldnt follow them in there. But all I could do at this point was go catch her inside the barn and prove that it was a place to work too, not an escape route. After several more circles at being caught indoors she was figuring out the rope is not going away nor am I and she yielded. Again, I took it down a notch and let her digest it while I just sat on a bucket talking to her. She still needed 10ft of space before she settled.
later in the afternoon I came back, fed the burros in the barn and closed the gate; and made a haypile out in the corral. (Nobody had a clue what grain is, though the burros were discovering oats on the hay, nobody was eating it)
Once again I caught her rope and she did look for getting in the barn, but with the gate shut she couldnt, and with a few snorts began to focus on me. That afternoon we worked on the concept of pressure and release, and the beginnings of leading. Just moving one foot. I was suprised at how fast she caught on, and reveled in praise, that once she figured it out she was taking 2 or 3 steps in whatever direction. This is how she got her name, because she was crossing over like a dancer would do a "grapevine" move, or dressage horses do. We practiced leading to the hay, have some to reward, and leading away with lots of praise and a mouthfull that I carried with me. When she was acting like she'd done it all her life I let the rope down at the hay and let her eat, but stayed in the pen hanging out. I spent about n hour with her at both sessions, including the "wind-down" and she was becoming more curious and soft eyed than that spooky look
Day 3 was a repeat of Day's 2 routine, and she was starting to give up the drama about picking up her rope. The burros had also laid down the law that she couldnt be in thier clique and she was keeping a safe distance now. This also opened a window that she would have to depend on me for any companionship because they were not gonna let her have any, at least to the point of a 10ft radius lol. Leading on this day was top notch, she did everything perfectly, and the space was shrinking to about 6ft away.
Day 4 I did not shut the gate because we were going to learn leading to/from/inside/outside and while initially she was antsy about leading inside the barn, once she got it it stayed with her. She did have a fuss about it though, so most of the time was done inside to get her over it and help her confidence. Hay has been a great reward as well as heaps of praise and no pressure when she gets it. I really want her to want to try instead of just doing stuff cuz she's scared. When she was leading nicely I ended the session and just hung out with her. She began to do alot of sighing and sleepy eyes
Day 5 was more work on Day 4's lesson and she trooped right along, I love the brains on her. And the burros finally discovered what grain was and the shaking of the bucket was an angel's song lol. Tango still no luck, though in the afternoon she did eat it off her haypile. Finally! That will help in my plans lol! I added a new feature in today's routine and that was feeding her tufts of hay, but only after I touched her face and neck with it, to get her used to my hands being there or touching her.
Day 6, she leads like a dream and doesnt do any drama at the picking up of the rope, doesnt move off but stands and waits if I climb into the pen. She loves the touch with hay idea, so that's how she got fed today. She also stayed within arms distance and enjoyed her grain-though is still suspicious of the bucket, silly girl. She also started to follow along when I wasnt holding the rope so I think that's very cool. These are all good signs!
Day 7 she had the day off cuz we were doing feildwork and it was so dusty and windy out there thanks to the combines and such stirring up dry weather harvest. I only had time for a short visit but my kids spent time with the burros and Daffy is becoming quite the cuddler, Bugs is only interested in carrots :/ .....
So her first week and she's learned alot and I'm tickled about it all
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