I am doing a lot of groundwork at the moment with Ziggy because he says his saddle is not comfortable, so we are waiting for the saddler to come next week.
My RI has been helping me teach him "sideways". He finds sideways very difficult because his default button is "forwards." Also he is very on the forehand, and finds it hard to take his weight back enough to move his front feet across. Over 2 lessons and practice in between we have got him able to yield his shoulders and take a step sideways neatly from a rein aid applied from the ground, and we've got him to yield his quarters neatly - no more than 2 steps, rather than all the way around! - as well.
I haven't used treats with Ziggy for a few months because I wanted to see how he went without them. He is obedient when he thinks you mean it, but every lesson I need to re-establish with him that you mean it. My RI doesn't have to because he knows she always means it!
This lesson we were working on getting what an American would call a side pass - moving first front legs, then back legs directly sideways. He was trying hard for my RI and they were getting there. There was a lot of chewing, yawning and general thoughtfulness going on. When it was my turn to have a go my friend Carol, who was watching, offered me a couple of Polos from her back pocket in case he got it right.
Ziggy smelled the Polos and his ears shot up. When I assumed the handler position and asked for the shoulders to move first, he arched his neck and performed 3 neat side pass steps front and back, boom boom boom, then made his whickery "I'm a clever boy, where's my treat" noise.
I treated him, and the 3 of us laughed and marvelled for a little bit at what real motivation can do.
So there is the positive side of using treats. My RI doesn't usually use them, but she recognises how helpful they can be with Ziggy and counsels me to keep them for really big examples of good performance. And afterwards we saw the downside - Ziggy was so eager to earn another Polo that he tried to anticipate what I wanted and ended up pirouetting in all directions rather than waiting to be asked. Clicker trainers like subjects to "offer" behaviours, and he was certainly doing his best to do that, but it wasn't what my RI wanted or what I was asking for!
It was lovely to see him walking sideways like a dressage horse. When he does it, he has to lift his back and carry himself, and he looks gorgeous!
My RI has been helping me teach him "sideways". He finds sideways very difficult because his default button is "forwards." Also he is very on the forehand, and finds it hard to take his weight back enough to move his front feet across. Over 2 lessons and practice in between we have got him able to yield his shoulders and take a step sideways neatly from a rein aid applied from the ground, and we've got him to yield his quarters neatly - no more than 2 steps, rather than all the way around! - as well.
I haven't used treats with Ziggy for a few months because I wanted to see how he went without them. He is obedient when he thinks you mean it, but every lesson I need to re-establish with him that you mean it. My RI doesn't have to because he knows she always means it!
This lesson we were working on getting what an American would call a side pass - moving first front legs, then back legs directly sideways. He was trying hard for my RI and they were getting there. There was a lot of chewing, yawning and general thoughtfulness going on. When it was my turn to have a go my friend Carol, who was watching, offered me a couple of Polos from her back pocket in case he got it right.
Ziggy smelled the Polos and his ears shot up. When I assumed the handler position and asked for the shoulders to move first, he arched his neck and performed 3 neat side pass steps front and back, boom boom boom, then made his whickery "I'm a clever boy, where's my treat" noise.
I treated him, and the 3 of us laughed and marvelled for a little bit at what real motivation can do.
So there is the positive side of using treats. My RI doesn't usually use them, but she recognises how helpful they can be with Ziggy and counsels me to keep them for really big examples of good performance. And afterwards we saw the downside - Ziggy was so eager to earn another Polo that he tried to anticipate what I wanted and ended up pirouetting in all directions rather than waiting to be asked. Clicker trainers like subjects to "offer" behaviours, and he was certainly doing his best to do that, but it wasn't what my RI wanted or what I was asking for!
It was lovely to see him walking sideways like a dressage horse. When he does it, he has to lift his back and carry himself, and he looks gorgeous!