Reviewing Resistance Free Training

I got a package from Winning Ways today containing Richard Shrake's Resistance Free Training. I recognized immediately that my methods and Shrakes have a lot in common. One of the biggest differences in his fundamental approach is that he uses petting some endorphin-releasing spots as the reward where I use food. Knowing what I know now, I would say to NOT use food for simple domestic horses that have never been taught that humans are never to be trusted. Food overcomes a lot of mistrust fast. My spooky rehabs did not like to be touched to start out with, so touch could not be used as a reinforcer.

I would encourage anyone to study Shrakes methods. He is very aware of teaching the reader better horsemanship skills and his choice of drills and practices is brilliant. If someone follows his guidelines, they will become better set up to be a good rider. For example, he says follow the horse on the longe and step in time with its back legs. He never says it, but if you do this, you will have be leaps ahead in your riding ability.

I can't say much for the production and editing of his materials. His writing style is wandering and there are lots of typos, especially in his Manual. The flimsy mailing package had burst apart in the US mail and it was only by the grace of the post office that it arrived here intact. The dvd wouldn't play the last five minutes of the program. But these issues have nothing to do with the quality of the content, which is first class. And hey, he is a nice guy.

My plan is to work through his book with my critters. I think that his methods, since they are based on positive reinforcement, would be appropriate for mules as well. I tried using the circular motion rub on Rita's withers, but she told me she would rather just stick with the sweet feed for now.

Speaking of Rita -- today's lesson was I dangled the halter by its neck strap and she had to put her head under it and move through to where my hand and the halter were at her poll. We (she & I) experimented with getting her to nose her way into the nose part, but it was not easy with a one handed animal trainer and our failure was not because the little mare didn't try. She will nose into it as a result of learning to find the loop in a rope, but I need to wait until I have a different treat that I can keep in my pocket, instead of grain in a can. To her credit, I can set a #10 can of sweetfeed on the bench in front of her and she knows the only way to get it is to please me. Cans are nice because they are just a bit too small for the equine nose. You carefully hold the can while they explore it a couple of times and they will realize there is no direct access and will not bother it (at least while you are paying attention to them).

It's really cold... supposed to get to zero tonight. I feed them extra when it gets like this. Everyone but Rita has a good windblock. I would turn her out with the others but someone would get hurt. At about 10pm, I will take them all a round of hot bran mash. They will know they are loved. Last year we had an emergency plan for temperatures below -20° of bringing everyone inside. I have a large room with a concrete floor. We practiced going indoors until everyone could handle it. BUT this is not something I have even contemplated with either Cisco or Rita. If they can't stand tied outdoors, I don't think they should be allowed in the house. If I were blessed with a huge pile of money coming my way as a windfall, I would buy panels and stall matting, so that coming in would be an easy option. Well, the universe can send me a check when ever it gets ready.

Yrs,
Patricia

Each in its own time

I have to admit that I actually know how I sabotage my equine training. I am way too erratic and proceed far too often without a plan. Being without a plan when you have one or two animals is one thing. Being without a plan when you have more than six in training is just suicidal. Horses like familiar patterns of activity. Everyday I surprise my critters with some spur of the moment training agenda. This is regrettable. In fact, everyday I think about committing my plan to paper, and some days I actually do it. It takes a lot of time to have it all thought out. Every one of my animals has a weak spot and generally that is what I focus on, barring some group wide training experiment in process. I am going to spend some time getting organized to be a better planner next week when I have to be running the restaurant at Navajo City.

I rarely halter or tie the animals, but I know that I need to force myself to halter them everyday and tie them for at least a minute or two. Well, they actually catch me all day long... any equine that is roaming the yard is likely to follow me around and if I go into the paddock it is only moments before I have an entourage. Normally I clean their hooves at liberty, but when they are all crowded around, it is really quite dangerous to be lifting hind legs, etc. You have to get them one at a time, or at most two. Okay, you can probably do three donkeys if you take turns doing all the right fronts, left fronts, right hinds, and left hinds so no one ever feels too neglected for more than a moment. But now I am trying to force myself to find the halters, put them all on, then work my way though the lineup, grooming and cleaning hooves, then removing halters to signify that they have been processed. Nine halters is a tall order. I hate the buckle on Solomans halter.... I wonder if it can be fixed by bending the catch?

I couldn't get Rita to let me halter her, but we broke it down to smaller chunks. I first just wanted her to touch her halter, then I wanted to touch the halter to her neck, then rub the halter on her neck, then lay the halter on her crest, then dangle the halter over her neck. We got that far without too much stress and quit on that for the day.

Later I went in and wanted to just pet her withers. She wanted no part of that plan. She is funny in that she is hyper dominant and she shies and bolts, but she shows no signs of submission normally. I have tried getting her to join up with round penning, but I never got any signs of submission until today. Today, she was not changing direction when I asked but rather just looking at me like I had a lot of nerve. So I stepped right in front of her, square to her face, my shoulders high and I stomped on the ground. She yeilded the space immediately but didn't freak out in a panic. We had to do that twice before she decided not to mess with me and just follow orders, then she joined up and came in with a humble attitude. Petting withers was okay, and infact it must have felt pretty nice judging by the soft look in her eyes. I am trying to interact with her at least four times a day and she is really starting to come around. Hopefully I will be able to get some antibiotic on that nasty cut on her leg.

The surcingle was too small for anyone so I found another cinch and buckled it onto JD. I hooked the driving lines to his halter and ran them though the surcingle rings and asked him to "walk on". I have seen this animal bolt away too many times, so I am totally shocked to watch him just walk around the lot like a big old draft horse. Actually I couldn't be totally shocked, but I just forget about all the afternoons we spent getting to this state. He was super good and responded to my request for gee and haw quite well. Someday I will feel brave enough to ride him out of the lot. It would help to have someone to ride with. Actually I would like to have someone who rides vaquera doma ride him because he is super light and totally responsive.

Cisco is doing well with his longeing and whoa at the longe-trot. His problem is sideways bolting in a panic, so this is teaching him to face up in response to a pull on his lead rope and the command whoa. He is rather proud of himself. You can see it in the way he comes in for his reward and then prances off in the new direction since we alternate directions after every stop. He has a noble attitude. He is going to be the most awesome horse to ride if he ever gets beyond auto-panic. Hey, if JD overcame auto-panic, Cisco should have no problem. JD was actually abused by humans, where as Cisco has had only the kindest methods of training since his capture from wildness. Except probably he was traumatized by the BLM cowboys since he kind of freaks out about anyone wearing a black cowboy hat. Well, they had to geld him after all. Sorry, Cisco, well get into the funny hat box later in the winter.

Paisley has reached a very exciting plateau in her ground work. She will now dance with you. She will follow your hand around the corral and keep in synch with you whether you are walking fast or running. She will slam on the breaks and rocket backwards if you stop and back swiftly. Paul Dufresne challenged me to get the horses to dance and ride them from the ground without contact. Paisley is well on her way to doing it. I was pretty proud of her when I realized that dancing was what we were doing out in the big paddock running around having fun with each other.

Paisley and Chester wanted a horse treat when I was working with Cracker Joe. They looked so pitiful so I went to the fence and asked them to stretch out. I thought they wouldn't do it for me across the fence and then I could just ignore them as the penalty for non-performance, but sure enough, there they were competing with each other to see who could stretch the farthest. I had to give them rewards. Chester doesn't really get a fair shake, since he is not my mule, I always have reasons not to mess around with him. This, naturally, breaks his poor little mulish heart. He loves to be the trainee and he will do anything for you. He got to get his feet cleaned and I brushed out his short mule coat so he was happy.

The donkeys are mastering the response to "back!" Soloman will take five steps, Tobiah only two. I don't expect Zekey to perform at his age, he just gets the treat anyway. The donkeys all do well with giving me their feet for cleaning. It took months for them to realize that they had to perform for their treats, but now they are open to the concept and we could probably move on to new areas.

It was one of those days when everyone is doing good. The light snow falling was actually heavenly because it provided a sense of intimacy with each animal having its turn.

My advertisement for an assistant is coming out in the Caretakers Gazette. I am hoping that someone who wants to work with equines will land here as a volunteer for at least a couple of months. It's not a traditional horse kind of job, but I dare say that whoever goes along for the ride, will come away knowing something very useful in the rehabilitation of troubled equines. If you know anyone that might be interested have them contact me 1-505-568-9131 leave a message if I am out.

Yrs,
Patricia