[Previous entry: "What Next!"] [Next entry: "Relief!"]

07/19/2002: "VERY Low Impact Training"

As I’ve said before, I had long looked back on the things I would change if I had DJ’s early training to do over again, having learned SO much over the intervening twenty years. And, now that I DO have it to do over again with Indy, one of the things I was going to change was that I was going to take things a lot more slowly. HOWEVER, I hadn’t envisioned taking things quite THIS slowly…

We are still in the grip of the longest stretch of the most miserable, oppressive weather we’ve had since I’ve been living in Indiana - some ten years. You wouldn’t know it by the way Mr. Mop Top Indy tears around the pasture, but believe me, I’M not tearing around anywhere. Couple the heat with the fact that I’m battling one of those miserable summer colds that just seem to hang on forever, and you have one very slow motion trainer!

Things are hardly at a standstill though. It’s amazing the things you can do just during grooming sessions. Indy has it down pat that when I “cluck” to him, that means, “Heads up - I’m going to ask you for something.” He has it down so well in fact, that when I have grooming tools in my hands and cluck, he immediately positions himself where I always ask him to stand while grooming :o) Cool, huh? I’ve also taught him the turn on the forehand from the ground. Cluck, touch on the side and say, “Turn,” and he does it perfectly - with a beautiful crossover with the inside hind. And of course, we ALWAYS practice the “calm down” cue.

The biggie we’re concentrating on now is getting him over his fear of being sprayed. When we started, he was so terrified that he retreated as far as he could when he saw me pick up the bottle of fly spray. Following John Lyons’ principal of “never start with your goal,” we are making steady progress. First, I just let him watch me spray Ami and then put the spray away. Then, I got an applicator mitt - which I really needed anyway because I would NEVER spray either Indy or Ami in the face. I didn’t use the mitt on Indy at first. I just let him watch as I sprayed Ami’s body, and then used the mitt on her face. I showed the mitt to Indy but didn’t try to wipe him with it. Soon, I was able to stroke Indy’s back with the mitt.

We are now at the point that I can stand near him, spray onto the mitt - NOT him - and wipe fly spray on all parts of his body except his face. Day before yesterday I really concentrated on just getting him to relax and drop his head while I had the mitt on one hand. I didn’t want to try to wipe his face. I just wanted him to relax while the mitt was on my hand. Well, he relaxed all right. In fact, he dozed off with his head in the hollow of my shoulder. He seemed to have a very nice nap… When he finally woke up, he actually touched the mitt with his muzzle.

The real beauty of all this is that I consider doing all this every bit as much fun as riding. I love working with Indy and seeing him learn and grow. Sometimes I really feel sorry for the horse owners who feel riding is the ONLY thing and that training issues are things that just “get in the way” of that one objective. They are missing SO much…