Of course being a Mother on Mothers Day yesterday & being one of this Mother's favorite things to do is be with Camryn...
Danette & I told our husbands the girls wanted to go for a walk yesterday. So, off we went thru the woods walking with our girlie girls :). Camryn did less grass diving she was much more focused on me. She did grow a tad worried when she spotted Marty squatting beside his burn pile. Once he waved I could feel relief washing over her.
Once at the arena we took turns working at liberty, then attached their lines and played about with our homework assignments. Both girls (Camryn & Dakota) are really catching on well. It's nice having someone along as at times it's easy to mix up things a bit. Training feels very much like line dancing to me, sometimes I forget my steps :) Afterwards we took the girls outside the arena to a grassy area to hand graze a bit before heading home.
Today we gave them a day off from homework. Camryn & I worked on something new (to us together). My truck is to small to pull my trailer, so I'll be using my sons larger truck. As Christopher will be in Texas for two weeks, I've got his truck. After Camryn enjoyed her lunch she & I grabbed my clicker, loaded up with treats & headed to the trailer. I kept expectations very minimal, if all she was comfortable with was sniffing the ramp I was cool with that. One neighbor decided to begin target shooting at this time, Camryn is used to this so we continued on. First we simply walked to the trailer (c/t), backed from it (c/t) repeating this several times. Camryn knows the touch command so I then began asking her to touch the ramp (c/t), more repetitions of this. Next, I asked for front feet on the ramp (c/t) once she felt comfortable with that & had begun peering in the trailer I asked for front feet in the trailer (c/t), again several repetitions. Camryn was getting very curious about what was further in. All this while neighbor to the side is shooting, add neighbor across the road deciding he needed some target shooting as well!!! I finally asked Camryn to follow me in the trailer ( stepped on foot out the escape), imagine her delight at finding a jackpot of treats in the manger!!! I'm sure she thought that was magical LOL After her find, I asked her to back out slowly & lesson over. I did find she was a bit edgy as we worked, she hasn't trailered since moving here, plus she's used to a step up stock, I've got an enclosed ramp. Still all in all, I ended feeling we'd one good.
Over the next two weeks I'll be practicing towing the trailer empty to and from work. There is a great place at work for me to practice my backing. So, if you see me comin, get outta the way LOL
That sounds like good trailer loading work - she did very well in a single day.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried clicker training with the horses. Pippin is such a food hog that I know he'd do anything to get a treat.... including running me over! But, since he is that way, I also think he'd probably learn to do things very quickly.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the trailering. Did I tell you my friend's 'trick' when you are backing? Put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. When you want the trailer to go right, with your hand on the bottom, you just move it in the direction you want to go, ie to the right.