5th November 2008

Clicker training again.... and again..... and again...!

Got the herd up, caught Charlot and tied him up in the school with a few Shetlands for company.

With me on the front end with the clicker and a pocketful of pony nuts and Jo with the four potential missiles (ie legs), I clicked and fed merrily away for good results while Jo picked up all four feet and did a tiny bit more.

This time, she ran her hand down each leg about 6 inches at a time, said "click", I would click and feed Charlot 2 pony nuts, then she would keep going downwards, 6" at a time, with the appropriate click and feed 2 nuts if he stood still. Then, when Jo had got the whole hoof up in the air, I clicked repetitively and fed Charlot a whole handful of nuts. Jo handled the foot for as long as he would let her and then she put it down for him, not letting him grab it away, kick out or plant it down again. We were in control. It was a quiet, efficient working environment and Charlot behaved allowing us to pick up each foot in this way.

Success, big kiss and another handful of nuts, I led him outside, took off the head-collar, kissed a few more hairy noses and went back to working with the Muppets! (little dun 37" geldings who we have had since foals!).

Mission achieved.