Today I let Kai loose in the arena and we played with our draw. Kai was playfully prancing next to me. I put a rope around his back legs and asked him to follow a feel backwards. Kai lifted each of his legs and then softly backed up.
I then asked him to stop halfway over a barrel. I asked him a second too late and he jumped all the way over. He stopped and asked a question. I smiled and asked him again. Kai did a very nice jump halfway over and he asked another question as if to say: is this better? I gave him a cookie for being so light and willing.
I then put a small yellow ball with a cone on each side to keep it still. I asked Kai to sniff it and he offered to jump over it. I praised him and asked him to jump it again to encourage his idea. I then asked him for the first time to stop halfway over the ball.
Then it was time for my lesson with Kaila.
I wanted to work on jumping a single barrel without the help of a wall.
At first I asked Kai to jump the barrel on the wall and then Kaila put a small gap between the barrel and the wall that was big enough for Kai to fit through.
I sent Kai towards the barrel but he was thinking about the gap so I backed him up. He tried to go through the gap some more but then began to think about the barrel. Soon he was touching the barrel with his nose. I asked Kai to go towards the barrel to the left and when I asked him to back up because he was thinking about the gap he busted through the pressure and put his front feet in the gap. I corrected Kai very hard for busting through the pressure and then I asked him to go back to the barrel. Kai then jumped very nicely to the right. I let him have a break and then asked him to jump to the left again. He jumped super lightly, softly and respectfully and we quit on that.
Kai had a big release by the barrel and he yawned and yawned.
I then asked Kaila to help me with sideways game. Kai gets bored and he disconnects and tries to escape.
He also tends to get emotional and press his nose on the wall.
Kaila had us do a trotting circle and then trot to the wall and go sideways keeping the momentum going. At first Kai pulled away from me and I tagged his bum hard (twice) and then invited him in and got back to it right away.
Soon I got better and Kai became more relaxed because he knew what to expect. Kai then offered the softest and most relaxed sideways trot with me on his right (his harder side) that he has ever offered. Of course I gave him a cookie and a huge break.
After that we worked with Misty again a little. Misty came up to Kai and sniffed his bum while Kai patiently stood and waited for her. Then Kaila walked Misty next to Kai and asked Misty to do figure eights right behind him.
This is very good for Kai to learn to tolerate pissed off mares when I ask him to. Misty once prepared to kick Kai and I smacked her butt with the stick as hard as I could at the same time Kaila began to correct her. It makes it safer for both of us if he stays calm even if another horse invades his space while I am working with him. It is also good that I am proving to him that I can protect him and that I will not let him be in trouble.
Kai had a big yawn afterwards as he finds Misty very tiring. I gave him some cookies for being such a good boy today.
Note: I turned Kai out with the new horse (Flyer) to get acquainted in a separate paddock so that it is easier for Kai when Flyer gets turned out with the rest of the herd. I let Kai and Flyer visit over the fence a bunch of times before this.
I then asked him to stop halfway over a barrel. I asked him a second too late and he jumped all the way over. He stopped and asked a question. I smiled and asked him again. Kai did a very nice jump halfway over and he asked another question as if to say: is this better? I gave him a cookie for being so light and willing.
I then put a small yellow ball with a cone on each side to keep it still. I asked Kai to sniff it and he offered to jump over it. I praised him and asked him to jump it again to encourage his idea. I then asked him for the first time to stop halfway over the ball.
Then it was time for my lesson with Kaila.
I wanted to work on jumping a single barrel without the help of a wall.
At first I asked Kai to jump the barrel on the wall and then Kaila put a small gap between the barrel and the wall that was big enough for Kai to fit through.
I sent Kai towards the barrel but he was thinking about the gap so I backed him up. He tried to go through the gap some more but then began to think about the barrel. Soon he was touching the barrel with his nose. I asked Kai to go towards the barrel to the left and when I asked him to back up because he was thinking about the gap he busted through the pressure and put his front feet in the gap. I corrected Kai very hard for busting through the pressure and then I asked him to go back to the barrel. Kai then jumped very nicely to the right. I let him have a break and then asked him to jump to the left again. He jumped super lightly, softly and respectfully and we quit on that.
Kai had a big release by the barrel and he yawned and yawned.
I then asked Kaila to help me with sideways game. Kai gets bored and he disconnects and tries to escape.
He also tends to get emotional and press his nose on the wall.
Kaila had us do a trotting circle and then trot to the wall and go sideways keeping the momentum going. At first Kai pulled away from me and I tagged his bum hard (twice) and then invited him in and got back to it right away.
Soon I got better and Kai became more relaxed because he knew what to expect. Kai then offered the softest and most relaxed sideways trot with me on his right (his harder side) that he has ever offered. Of course I gave him a cookie and a huge break.
After that we worked with Misty again a little. Misty came up to Kai and sniffed his bum while Kai patiently stood and waited for her. Then Kaila walked Misty next to Kai and asked Misty to do figure eights right behind him.
This is very good for Kai to learn to tolerate pissed off mares when I ask him to. Misty once prepared to kick Kai and I smacked her butt with the stick as hard as I could at the same time Kaila began to correct her. It makes it safer for both of us if he stays calm even if another horse invades his space while I am working with him. It is also good that I am proving to him that I can protect him and that I will not let him be in trouble.
Kai had a big yawn afterwards as he finds Misty very tiring. I gave him some cookies for being such a good boy today.
Note: I turned Kai out with the new horse (Flyer) to get acquainted in a separate paddock so that it is easier for Kai when Flyer gets turned out with the rest of the herd. I let Kai and Flyer visit over the fence a bunch of times before this.