Awesome clicker day!

Today I did two short sessions with Daisy & Martha indivdually. Of course Martha was having meltdown the entire time I was working with Daisy.  CLICK ME! CLICK MEEEE!

LOL, so Daisy did well, the last time I tried target training with her she was more interested in trying to get as close as possible to the treat bag, hoping it would dispense. She def has some manners to be worked on, she's not bad, but she will mug you a bit, both of them will try to steal treats if given the opportunity.

Daisy had much more understanding of the target today, she was easily touching it, sometimes touching it again, even though she got clicked.  I started to teach her to back, do a head down and step up. some of these things she already knows. As far as a donkey is concerned she's very light and responds to pressure well. I started adding commands to each of these tasks, in hopes that someday she'll respond on command only.  she's backed up on command only before, but it was never solid, same thing with her whoa. Both of which I did not teach her, man I got lucky!!

I was a bit worried she'd get confused with having to touch the target sometimes and other times performing a move, I think in time it'll all make sense. Overall she did fantastic, and we're on our way to being a good example at the little equine festival in October.

Martha did very well, the last time ( which was also the first time!) I did target training with her she reallyt 'got it' and would consistently bump the target when I held it out. Today we worked on following the target, which I hope someday to put a 'walk on' command to. She followed the target really well. I asked for some bends, which she did well too. Then I was trying to teach her to back up in order to touch the target, she had a hard time with this, i think because she couldn't see it.

So i improvised a bit and lightly tapped her on the chest with the target. she took a step back!! OMG C/T JACKPOT!! I was so proud! I've tried some 'moving away from pressure stuff with her before, and it just didn't make sense to her. I tried again, and after about 45 seconds of tapping she stepped back again! C/T!!
I'm talking LIGHT tapping, just barely tapping her! I was so amazed she was moving off of such light pressure, i really hope this transfers to other parts of her body. I did the same thing 3 more times, and each time I was thinking to myself 'ok, end on a good note, don't ask too much!'

After the fifth time I called it quits. On both donks I've introduced an 'all done' cue and I hold up my hands to show that,. I want them to know that we're done and they didn't give a wrong answer.

Oh ya I did a couple manners thing with Daisy too, almost forgot. At the end of the session I just stood there, she mugged me a bit, trying to figure out how to get a click, as soon as she backed up, moved away or looked away she got a C/T. Hopefully teaching her that being in my space doesn't necessarily get her goodies!

Pics from this weekend

Had a great weekend with the girls, did lots of clicker training, and Daisy had a short ride. She did great!

Martha is still being awesome about letting me touch her front feet!!







I love this pic, no halter, no restraint, showing that Martha really *wants* to be there, and there's no coercion, no forcing. If she didn't want to be there she could easily just walk away.

woo hooo!!!!!!

So i've been wanting to clicker train with Martha to see if that helped,well it did! Went out there today - and it seems like our 'training' space is the stall - cuz I can lock Daisy out - I started as I usually do with trying to touch Martha's legs, but now there was a click! She caught on really fast that click meant 'yes, good!' and that there was a small treat on the way.

so it started with being able to touch down to her canon bone - which I could do before most of the time, kinda. then she started lifting her leg before i got to her pastern, so i thought 'ok, that's good, click, then she was letting me hold her leg at the knee!

well by the end of it I could actually pick up her right front hoof!! wow! and put it into 'position' as if I were going to clean it. She did great! she actually let me hold it a few seconds! So i found out her left side is her 'bad' side. She just doesn't really care for me to be over there. so on that side I didn't get a foot, but I got her to lift her leg a couple times and it at the knee, but not nearly as long as the right side. I ended the session on picking up her right hoof again. then told her 'all done!' and that was it!

I'm so proud of her & myself! She's also learning that she's not allowed to nip at me during this time and if she does then she doesn't get a click. i love that it seems like there isn't much resistance. if i feel like she's had enough i give her a break, then step away, if she comes up to me I take that as 'yes i want to learn more!!'

I think for a really short session - maybe ten minutes, we did awesome!

( also this was in the stall un-haltered & untied, so if she wanted to move away she could)

Of course Daisy got her feet cleaned, she does excellent when she knows theres a treat at the end. she 'can' do it without the treat, but she's so amazingly easy going when she knows she gets rewarded - no jerking he leg up, no kicking out, nothing, just patient - and I've been cleaning her feet while she's loose so even better. when i didn't treat her I'd have to tie her for the rears. She stands nice & patient now LOL.