Follow Me

Shootim warming up on the line.

Shootim

Today at the barn I tried some of Susan's secret tricks.  Some worked (sometimes) and some didn't (unless they did.)  First up was 'follow me.'  I walk in front of the horse, stop, back up and the horse follows.  As I hold the lead rope, he gets a tug if he doesn't come with.  Besides watching my back, the end of the lead rope waving behind me keeps him from walking into me.  

The plan is that the horse learns to respect the trainer's personal space and work off of the trainer's body.  That worked most of the time.  I tried it trotting and Shootim must have got a little excited.  When I stopped, he did stop, but then gave the back of my arm a little nip.  He then got backed up the length of the arena.  We'll be having none of that.

After that it was on to working standing next to Shootim.  Things went pretty well, until I tried the stop and face him to square up.  Shootim just stopped.  He didn't seem to want to move to square up.  Funny, he did for Susan.  Maybe I'm standing wrong, not self-aware enough to find just the right angle.

And then something happened that made me glad for the trouble Kirsten had with him last night.  Some noises got him distracted and I could tell that his attention was on the wane.  I went back to the follow me game, then stopped.  It was then that I noticed that in the time it took me to turn towards him that he had already squared up.  No wonder he didn't want to move.  Having then gotten some success from him, I brought Shootim back in for his feeding.

I'd like more active control over Shootim squaring up his feet.  I think next time I'll start with 'follow me,' then walking next to him, I'll get him used to stopping and immediately backing up.  That should lighten him up for moving his feet for squaring.

Then back to his off side!