I had a brainwave today, only one mind! I was near to the camera so I spoke my thoughts directly to the camera so I didn't forget them. I'm now thinking this could be a great 'cheat' for blogging as it saves lots of typing, lol.
Following the theme of planning I need to find a viable way forward with Chapiro. I've been having fun playing and delving more into clicker training and learning behaviour but I do need to focus somewhere with all this as I really just want to ride and work with a balanced, relaxed horse who is as happy as can be expected to have a human balancing on his back.
I want to take him out on the tracks or lane at least once a week to improve his confidence. I want to keep going with the liberty work with free shaping being a big part of that, however I will intersperse that with some attached in-hand work to help with his straightness and gymnastic work. He loves pole work and a little free jumping will help him build up his rear end strength and flexibility, perhaps once a week for that and of course ridden work of basic circles, rein changes and transitions.
Oh dear, I forgot there were only 7 days in a week!!!
I'll flesh this plan out more as I go on but here's a fairly dull, if self explanatory, video of today.
Showing posts with label free shaping clicker training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free shaping clicker training. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Plan
I think I need one. So I will take each of the boys and endeavour to create a path that we might tread together.
I will start with Moralejo.
I feel that I have a good relationship with Moo but he's still a little shy and not able to express himself well. This manifests itself as a 'sharpness' and a tendency to spill over all the time. He is embarassed by silence and stillness, trying always to fill it with his excess energy. We've learned to channel that energy but I really want him to find a place where he can be comfortable with us doing nothing.
I've been playing with some free shaping clicker work and he's responded well when we're on the yard but in the school he tends to panic or lose interest. So part of every week's routine will be a free shaping session in the school when Moo can decide what we do. Free shaping is hard for a control freak like me so I feel one day a week is a good goal to begin with.
During the summer months I'd like to get out once a week for a hack with Lydia and after work in the school I want to be able to wander down the track and around the fields on a long rein to cool off. This is directly linked to his confidence/shyness because if he panics it goes pear shaped, so I want to be able to have a plan (other than always having the pony with us and then he's fine) that gets us through the sticky moments.
I love the liberty work but due to his lack of confidence he sometimes needs to be attached in a physical sense so, aside from the free shaping session, if I work from the ground it will start attached only moving on to liberty if the rest of the session has been good. The ultimate aim would be to do all the groundwork at liberty but I'm not sure we have enough years left for that.
It's slowly dawning on me that my 'dressage' in the school has become less important. The fundamental gymnastic training will always be important but the way I want to achieve it is changing. My next task will be to identify where I'm going with the gymnastic work but I'll leave that for now as I'm running out of time.
I'll leave this for now, It's a basic outline and I'll be back to put some meat on the bones shortly.
I will start with Moralejo.
I feel that I have a good relationship with Moo but he's still a little shy and not able to express himself well. This manifests itself as a 'sharpness' and a tendency to spill over all the time. He is embarassed by silence and stillness, trying always to fill it with his excess energy. We've learned to channel that energy but I really want him to find a place where he can be comfortable with us doing nothing.
I've been playing with some free shaping clicker work and he's responded well when we're on the yard but in the school he tends to panic or lose interest. So part of every week's routine will be a free shaping session in the school when Moo can decide what we do. Free shaping is hard for a control freak like me so I feel one day a week is a good goal to begin with.
During the summer months I'd like to get out once a week for a hack with Lydia and after work in the school I want to be able to wander down the track and around the fields on a long rein to cool off. This is directly linked to his confidence/shyness because if he panics it goes pear shaped, so I want to be able to have a plan (other than always having the pony with us and then he's fine) that gets us through the sticky moments.
I love the liberty work but due to his lack of confidence he sometimes needs to be attached in a physical sense so, aside from the free shaping session, if I work from the ground it will start attached only moving on to liberty if the rest of the session has been good. The ultimate aim would be to do all the groundwork at liberty but I'm not sure we have enough years left for that.
It's slowly dawning on me that my 'dressage' in the school has become less important. The fundamental gymnastic training will always be important but the way I want to achieve it is changing. My next task will be to identify where I'm going with the gymnastic work but I'll leave that for now as I'm running out of time.
I'll leave this for now, It's a basic outline and I'll be back to put some meat on the bones shortly.
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