A Sad Goodbye To An Old Friend

" Donnie "

We had to say goodbye to our sweet boy Donnie last Saturday.  Sometime Friday night or early Saturday morning, Donnie coliced.  When my daughter came in to feed that morning, the front door of the barn was slightly open, and he was not in his stall.  Somehow he'd slipped out under his stall guard. At first she thought maybe he'd just escaped, but then she saw the grooming stall where he'd pawed up some of the rubber pavers and urinated.  Something was very wrong. She went in search of him found him down the hill by the indoor arena in a sheltered area laying flat out on the grass.  He was in bad shape. His face was scraped and he was covered in sweat and mud, thought he mostly lay still and moaned by this point. 

With an ultrasound, the vets located a "surgical lesion" in his small intestine and they decided since it was in his small intestine he had a decent chance of surviving with a simple surgery.  The horse ambulance came and took him to the clinic.  The surgeon found two lipomas, one of which had strangled a large section of his intestine, killing it. We were offered the option of attempting a resection, with the understanding that there would be no guarantees, a long, hard recovery, and a possibility of chronic colic to follow.  Difficult as it was, we chose to let him go.  He was 19-20.

Donnie has been with us since he was about four. Even as a young horse, he was always a gentleman. But more than that, Donnie seemed to genuinely love everyone around him. He was everyone’s best friend--horse, dog, and human alike.  Donnie was the first one to nicker a friendly good morning to you each day.  He watched out for all his horse buddies, worried about them when they were upset, and tried to help whenever one of them was sick or in trouble.  Donnie did develop some issues and couldn’t be ridden, but he had lots of fun playing clicker games, longeing, and tangling burrs in his tail which would take hours of grooming to remove ;-)  He was the sort of horse that was eager to learn and tried hard to please. He was pleasant to work around, with perfect manners and a friendly disposition.  He was always up for a good scratch or an ear rub, and if you weren't paying attention he'd give you a (friendly) nip on the behind! It was impossible not to love Donnie.  His nature made him the sweetest, kindest and gentlest horse we’ve ever known.  Donnie loved affection and if you hugged his neck he would hug you back, wrapping his neck around you and squeezing.  Donegal will be missed by all of us, especially Sami, his best buddy.

Donnie had a good life with us and enjoyed his time with his friends, but it’s still never easy to say goodbye to such a special horse.  We are going to miss him being with us everyday. The barn seems especially empty without him, and quiet without his friendly nicker in the morning.

 A Slideshow of Donnie

"Wild Horses" by Ray La Montagne

 

And The Winner Is...

DONNIE!

"Donnie & Blue"

"Grady"

"Yeah! I win!"

Donnie gets the prize today for being the dirtiest horse of the day.  Grady and Blue were respectively the runner - ups in the “ How Dirty Can You Get Contest” that was apparently running today in the herd.  I actually watched Donnie roll in the mud first thing this morning when he hit turnout.  I was hoping most of the mud would dry and fall off during the day.  As you can see it didn’t.  There’s a lot of grooming coming his way tomorrow morning.  I was just too tired tonight to take care of this.

 I’m happy to report that Sami is doing much better.  His swelling is down and he’s not lame anymore.  He enjoyed some time outside in a small grass paddock with a buddy and seems to be less stressed now that he was able to go out instead of being stuck in his stall all day.  Our horses really aren’t used to being in a stall.  They are basically out from morning until night every day.

Until next time

Quote for Today
  Grooming: the process by which the dirt on the horse is transferred to the groom.

A Dilemma

"Blue"

So, as the New Year begins, I find I’m at a loss as far as goals go.  I used to set goals but have long since decided it’s best to take each day as it comes. Try and work on what I think needs to be done for or with the horses.  I’d like to spend more time with the herd, specifically, Blue, Donnie, and Sami.

This is a goal in itself because it seems there is never enough time in the days and weeks to have to myself and do what I want.  I’m not complaining (well maybe a little bit) but I often wonder [what's the best way to strike that difficult balance between doing the things I want to do, and that make me happy, and taking care of everyone else's needs? I think that's just life's problem, but I haven't figure it out yet, and if you have, I'd be happy to hear about how!]

I’m planning on working Donnie and Sami this weekend on the longe for a bit to start getting them back in shape. Just because Donnie can’t be ridden safely and Sami is too small for me to ride doesn’t mean they should be left to their own devices to keep fit. [Both of them actually seem to enjoy the work and] I doubt I’ll be able to ride Blue since he’s been a tad bit lame for the last week or so.  He’s getting older too and his hocks bother him.  So I have to be mindful of that and be gentle with him.

I go back and forth about getting a younger horse to ride and retiring Blue.  There are two schools of thought running through my head. The first is that I’d really like to spend more time riding while I still can physically manage it.  It’s a shame to waste what time I might have left in the saddle and the property, the riding arenas and the indoor we have for the horses, which, if not being used for the intention it was bought, seems wasteful, too.  The second is whether it's fair to get another horse at my age (65) that I may not be able to ride in a few years.  Although I would love to ride forever, age and physical agility are a question mark.  So I’m wondering, how do some of you older riders feel about this dilemma? What would you do?

Quote for Today

When you’re young and fall off a horse, you may break something.  When you’re my age and you fall off, you splatter. Roy Rogers

Horse Challenge – Days 4-5-6

Donnie

Donnie and I worked on more clicker training with the cone. We went to the outside arena that is near the road. There are a few more distractions with cars, occasional motorcycles and bike riders and, of course, Gunnar the dog. A few more advanced moves were added like putting the cone on fence posts or on the ground. He did really well finding and touching them and seems to be enjoying his work and his treats. Once the treats were gone I decided to walk in a circle that covered half the arena to see if he would follow me.  He did in both directions and stayed at my shoulder stopping when I did and moving on with me.  So I count that as some at liberty work even though he most likely thought I still had treats in my pocket and that was his motivation.  All in all we had a good time together.

Sami

Sami worked on a short session of longeing and did very well considering he hasn’t worked on anything since last Spring.  He seemed a little confused at first but picked up the signals quickly and liked the attention.  He’s a smart little guy who lives for hugs and scratches. So he’s on his way to getting fitter and having a job.  Although he’s a sturdy little Arabian, I doubt I will ever ride him since he’s only 14.1 hands.  Then again, never say never…

Blue

Blue and I had a ride together in the outdoor arena and it went well.  He was a little on the stubborn side about moving faster than molasses rolling uphill but we eventually worked it out.  I had to correct some steering glitches because he does like to cut the corners.  Once we got that sorted out he decided it would be amusing for him to counter bend a bit here and there to see if I was paying attention, I was and we worked that out between us.  It was fun to finally trot a bit with him and then we called it a day and ended on a good note.

Quote for Today

There is nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse. ~John Lubbock ~

Donnie’s Day

"Donnegal"

 

 

 

Donnie’s Day

Donnie and I had a good start on his journey to developing more confidence in himself and his surroundings.  I decided to start slowly after a winter hiatus because that’s what always seems to work best with Donnie. I want him to feel that any time he is with me he has nothing to be apprehensive about and knows he will always have a good experience.  This may sound odd but Donnie is a special case and needs a lot of reassurance from everyone around him.  He’s a very intelligent horse and very sensitive. 

Unfortunately, he’s also a very nervous horse who has a tendency to become stiff and unresponsive when he’s upset. We got him when he was 3 or 4 years old, (nobody was sure of his age), Donnie has been with us for thirteen years and he does trust us but he still has episodes of distress.

After all these years he’s still a little head shy at times.  When I went out to the pasture to bring him in he threw his head up when I tried to halter him.  We have to unbuckle the halter and stand beside him and then put it on. He’s not comfortable when anything comes directly at him from the front.  We’ve often wondered if he has trouble with his eyes but there really aren’t any tests to diagnose nearsightedness or farsightedness in horses as far as I know. 

Donnie and I worked with a little clicker training involving touching his nose to a cone.  I moved it in all directions and he was a star. It only took him one click to figure the response that was needed for a treat.  We didn’t work for long but it was enough to start with.

I’m not ever going to ride Donnie. My goal is to make him feel good about himself and gain confidence by his achievements. I believe all horses like to have a job of some kind and feel useful.  It’s also important for them to feel special and get attention. 

Donnie is a sweet sensitive horse and to show his approval of what we did together he gave me a little shoulder nudge and a Donnie “horse hug.”  He gives the best hugs ever and will even call you over to his stall to get a scratch or rub then give a Donnie hug in return.  I love this horse.

Here’s Donnie’s full story from past blog posts if anyone is interested:

http://greyhorsematters.blogspot.com/2009/01/donnies-story.html

http://greyhorsematters.blogspot.com/2009/01/donnies-story-part-ii.html

http://greyhorsematters.blogspot.com/2009/01/donnies-story-part-iii-conclusion.html

Quote For Today

In the steady gaze of the horse shines a silent eloquence that speaks of love and loyalty, strength and courage. It is the window that reveals to us how willing is his spirit, how generous his heart.

 

Donegal and Trust

" Donnie "

 As everyone knows Donnie has had a hard time trusting people since we got him about 10 years ago.  We’ve gone through much research and heartache finding the right combination on how to give him the confidence he needs.  Over the years he has come to trust us, along with the farrier, vets, dentists, etc.  Also, once his PSSM was diagnosed and his diet changed he’s become much more comfortable with himself.

We’re trying to give Donnie jobs that he can handle easily and in turn feel good about himself.  He excels at clicker training and he’s doing very well with longeing with and without a saddle.  We’re hoping that if he continues to advance in his training one of us will be able to ride him in the Spring.  By one of us, I don’t mean me, I mean my ‘crash test dummy’ daughter.

He’s one very smart horse and he’s also very sweet.  He’s the first one to greet you in the morning with a cheerful nicker and he gives Donnie-hugs every night.  It took a long time, but he trusts us now and looks to us as his dependable caretakers and maybe even his family.  Who knows? 

I wish that more people would take the time with their horses and give them what they need.  Abused or sick horses deserve the care we can offer.  We’re supposed to be the smarter species although sometimes I’m doubtful about that.  The thing I do know for sure is that we gave Donnie the care and took the time with him to gain a little confidence in himself with each passing year and in return he has given us his heart.  There’s no better feeling than having been able to play a part in helping him be happy and healthy.

Until next time

Quote for Today 

Give a horse what he needs and he will give you his heart.

A Little Excitement

The Hay Field  (last month)

Early this morning I got a wake – up call from my daughter yelling to me to get dressed quick (I believe the direct quote was "Hey, put some pants on!  We have a horse emergency!")  Seems a few of the horses were, for some mysterious reason, loose in the hay field behind our house.  She was just getting up to see if they had come up for breakfast and looked out the window to see three majestic horses galloping across the hay field behind the house, tails up and heading for the road.  Not a minute later our neighbor down the road called to tell us her daughter had spotted them running towards their farm. 

My daughter threw on a coat, her boots and a baseball cap and ran out the door, grabbed a bucket of grain and some lead ropes and headed out across the field towards them.  I got in the car and backed to the end of the driveway.  If they spooked I would try to block the road and keep them from continuing on to the much busier road that intersects ours.  Luckily, the horses only crossed the quiet back road to our neighbor's where they were greeted with a tub of feed from her at the end of her driveway.  She stood with them until my daughter arrived, which was very kind, especially considering she was already dressed for church and the three big, crazy dingbats were all swarming around her fighting over the grain.  Our neighbors are the best! 

My daughter, only having two hands for leading, had only grabbed two lead ropes, so she threw them over Nate and Blue and Donnie followed behind.  Donnie is a Nervous Nellie and a follower.  It was still a little on the dark side so cars coming up the road had their lights on which spooked Nate a tad but he was controllable.  What I like about our neighborhood is that all the cars slowed down and some stopped to ask if she needed help with the horses.  If the drivers weren’t savvy as they were passing the horses it could have gotten ugly.  So a disaster was averted because of good neighbors and sensible drivers as my daughter led Moe, Larry and Curly home from their morning adventure.

Another neighbor who helps us out around the farm took his truck around the fence line without being asked and found their escape route.  He knows the horses well and told us that it was definitely Blue who led the pack.  Seems “he who knows how to open gates” (that’s his Native American name) fiddled with the gate up on the hill by the dressage arena until he opened the latch and pushed it open. Then led Nate and Donnie through the twisting trails onto the hay/corn field behind us. While our neighbor was up there he tied the gate shut.  He and his son were out hunting deer this morning so it was not hard to follow the trail through the frost to the gate. 

Of course, this set the rest of the herd galloping up to the barn to tattle on the Three Stooges.  We promptly locked them all in the catch pen.  Mellon got his medicine and I was able to catch Dusty for a ride.  They have been staying out all week because the inside of the barn was being varnished.  I was hoping they would come up this morning so I wouldn’t have to trek out to the back field to catch her.  So I guess one good thing came out of the morning romp.  Then again, I could do without the drama and could use the exercise walking around trying to cajole Dusty to come with me.  Never a dull moment around here.  

Until next time

Quote for Today

How do you catch a loose horse? Make a noise like a carrot.     - British Cavalry joke

Poor Donnie

"Donnie"

A little over a week ago it was noticed that Donnie didn’t have a normal wet spot in his stall for a few days.  Since he wasn’t acting differently and didn’t have a fever, we assumed maybe he was urinating before he came in but determined to watch him anyway for signs to make sure he was alright.  The lessening amount of wet in his stall continued for a few more days and we decided to have the vet come out and take a look to make sure he was okay.  In the meantime, we thought maybe it would be a good idea to check his sheath to see if he needed a cleaning or maybe had a bean. 

The night before the vet was due to come, my daughter thought she’d go ahead and do a sheath cleaning and perhaps live up to her nickname “The Queen of Beans!” (Just kidding ;-)  After donning a glove and upon further examination, she concluded there were no beans and every thing else seemed okay, too.  There was a minor exception:  Donnie seemed to be swollen just inside and when she was cleaning around that particular area Donnie went into “dog-being-scratched-behind-the-ear” mode.  He actually lifted his back leg up practically over his head and was very happy to have an area he couldn’t reach scratched.  At least we know he’s very flexible in the future for longe or riding work.  This poor guy was so happy someone finally figured out what was bothering him, he started trying to "groom" the wall of his stall. 

When the vet came and donned the long glove, Donnie looked slightly worried but was a good boy during the examination.  During the exam he was very technical and mentioned things like "more corrugated," "irritation," "swelling," etc.  We’re standing there basically thinking in laymen’s terms that I won’t go into here for censorship purposes.  He took a culture, which we haven’t gotten the results back from yet.

In the meantime he suggested we treat it as a yeast infection and go to the drug store and pick up jock itch medicine.  Now this stuff comes in a spray, though applying that inside a sheath could be tricky, so the cream option seemed best.  This medicine doesn’t come in a big tube, so many tubes are needed.  My daughter had to try and explain this to a pharmacist:  “Um, you see we have a horse with a yeast infection that requires this medication.”  Then there's the down his nose look.  And you really just want to promise:  “No really, it’s for our horse, not the football team.”  But instead you pay for it and, glancing around hugging the bag close, slink out of the store in shame.

Donnie is feeling much better with his medication.  So much so that whenever my daughter enters the barn he starts nickering and can’t wait for his treatment.  Not quite the reaction to the meds she was hoping for, but as long as he's on the mend, I guess....  Amazing the odd things we’ll do for our horses isn’t it?

Until next time

Quote for Today

You never get the pleasure of owning a horse; you only have the pleasure of being its slave.

Valentine Horse

For Valentine’s Day I thought it might be fun to do a post on one of the horses.  My pick is Donnie.  I love all the horses in the herd, but Donnie holds a special place in my heart. I’ve posted a little about some of Donnie’s struggles with emotional and physical stress over the years, and through all of it he has remained as sweet and loving no matter his fears.

When we first brought Donnie home, he had lots of new situations to get used to: staying in a stall, accepting halters, blankets, grooming, hoof trimming, saddling and riding.  It was clear he’d had some rough handling before he came to us, and it took a while, but we finally earned his trust; today he’s a pro with most of these situations.  But not long after we began working with him under saddle, he had an unexplained meltdown when a dog lunged at him in the indoor of the farm we were at, and hasn’t been able to be girthed and ridden normally since. 

We still haven’t been able to ride him as my daughter did when we first met him.  The truth is, we’ve never really pushed the issue.  Once Donnie’s problems began, riding him again never really became a top priority, though we have continued to work with him in other ways, just to keep a trusting working relationship with him going. 

But after all of these years, with patience and trust, his physical and emotional problems have subsided, and now it’s a matter of getting his memories to take a backseat so maybe he can have the confidence to carry a rider without bucking.  He’s slowly getting used to a girth around his belly and accepting it without a meltdown.  He’s even let my daughter get on and ride a few times without getting worried.  We don’t have any grand plans for him, but we want Donnie to know he can trust us no matter what, and that he’s got nothing to fear.  We’re working on it slowly and he’s coming along.

Donnie tries so hard and never wants to cause any displeasure.  Just last night Dusty didn’t want to come in and was intent on leading an exodus back to the pastures.  Donnie thought about following her, but when I called him he turned and looked at me, he fought a battle with himself whether to follow the herd or to listen to me and come in.  He came in even though it was probably against his instincts.  This is one more reason why I love this horse.  I don’t know of any other horse that tries so hard to please, but he does.

He’s also a people-horse.  He’s the first one to nicker a greeting when we walk into the barn because he’s genuinely happy to see us.  If either of us is having a bad day or doesn’t feel well, Donnie will know and you can tell he cares and wants to make it better.  His eyes and face are very expressive; it’s always easy to know what Donnie is thinking.  He’s a horse that craves human interaction, who will gently take you by the sleeve and pull you over to the front of his stall when he wants some attention.  Every night you can count on Donnie for the best horse hugs, too.  One only needs to stand in front of him and hug his neck and he will hug you back.

Donnie is one of the sweetest, gentlest horses I’ve ever known.  Somehow, through all his trials and tribulations, his disposition has remained kind and caring.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Donnie.  You are truly the horse of my heart.

Until next time

Quote for Today

In the steady gaze of the horse shines a silent eloquence that speaks of love and loyalty, strength and courage. It is the window that reveals to us how willing is his spirit, how generous his heart.

This Weekend’s Routine

"Donnie"

We’ve had a really nice weekend weather-wise, which is unheard of this time of year around here.  It’s been in the 40’s and 50’s and makes you really want to get out and do something with the horses.  I’m hoping this continues so we can work consistently with the horses, eliminating the time it would take to get them in shape when the spring season rolls around.  If we can continue to work with them, spring should see horses fit and sassy and ready to go. That said, we’ll most likely have a blizzard soon because I'm sure I just jinxed myself.

Dusty and I have had two days of walking in the indoor.  Fifteen minutes in each direction.  She seems a little confused by it but she’s not opposed to some treats to ease her mind.  Dusty has a tendency to walk very fast and get ahead of me on the lead.  She doesn’t know where she’s going, but she’s making good time.  We’re working on her walking at my shoulder during our sessions.  Smart girl, she’s catching on quickly.  You may wonder why I’ve never worked on this before and the answer would be:  I did.  When I first got her as a green five year old she marched forward the same way and we would do lots of stops and circling and she finally got the message. I guess over the years this unwanted behavior slowly crept back and I never noticed or it didn’t bother me enough to work on it.  I’m guilty of always being in a hurry and walking fast to get where I’m going too, so maybe she picked up on that. Whatever the reason, we’re back to working on her pace while we therapy walk. Dusty is a horse that has to have a reason or a purpose for any behavior so learning to walk like a lady instead of a longshoreman is the reason I’m giving her for our morning walks together.

Donnie started back into longeing on Saturday and did well with his walk and trot to the left.  When we changed sides and I sent him out to walk he spooked at something and started cantering and didn’t want to come back immediately.  He’s never dangerous, he just gets nervous.  I feel the best thing to do in a situation like this is stop moving my feet and hands and give him soft calm voice cues until he stops.  If I show that I’m not upset and remain calm he will, in turn, have the confidence in me to guide him and not let the monsters in the woods eat him.  My attitude helped him to trust that I knew he would be okay and he stopped after a few laps.  We then took a nice walk around the arena with lots of petting and telling him what a good smart boy he is. Sunday we did a simple revisiting of his basic clicker training to give him confidence in himself and turned him out for the day.  I like to give my horses jobs they can excel in.  Next time we’ll longe again.  Instead of drilling the same thing every day, I feel it’s beneficial to break up learning activities into different routines.

Saturday was also Blue’s turn for a light ride.  It took me forever to groom him; he’s the dirtiest horse in the barn.  He’s got to work on this and he’s a genius at filthy.  His eyes were running and he coughed a bit so we just walked for about twenty minutes and I got off.  Of course, I didn’t realize until I mounted and couldn’t reach the stirrup that I had put the wrong saddle on him.  It was my daughter’s saddle for Nate.  Still unaware of my mistake I said to her “were you riding in my saddle?”  Well, when she could catch her breath from being in hysterics she told me it wasn’t my saddle.  She wasn’t going to tell me if I didn’t notice.  How did this happen?  Easy the saddle was on my rack and I just grabbed it.  Blue was the third horse to work that day and I wasn’t paying attention.  Another senior moment…

Sunday Blue and I did the same clicker refresher course.  When I brought him in from the paddock he was dragging his feet and I could tell he really didn’t have it in him to work.  His allergies are still bothering him and I can’t blame him for not wanting to trot around with me on his back.  We’ll wait until he’s feeling better for a ride.

Until next time

Quote for Today

A stubborn horse walks behind you, an impatient horse walks in front of you, but a noble companion walks beside you.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

 Seems it’s that time of year again.  Out with the old and in with the new.  I’m not much for making the obligatory resolutions about losing weight, exercising more, eating healthful foods etc. because truthfully I never keep them.  This year I thought it might be better to set goals for the horses and myself.  It’s something that might actually work.

"Dusty"

 When Dusty is well and able to be ridden again, we’ll start slowly with groundwork and either some light longeing or long lining until she’s in shape again and able to support a rider.  Then we’ll have a refresher course of all she’s learned.  Hopefully, this will be followed by new exercises and lots of trail rides.

"Blue"

 With Blue I think the main goal is to get him in shape; he’s a little on the chubby side right now and needs to muscle up a bit.  So we’ll be taking short hacks to start the New Year.  Blue needs work that interests him so we’ll do a different exercise each time.  We’ll aim for less structured conditioning rides of walking/trotting in the field (weather permitting) or indoor, interspersed with occasional cavelletti patterns and more advanced dressage moves here and there for variety.  Blue knows quite a lot already but he’s no schoolmaster by a long shot.  His whole career he’s mainly done hunter/jumper and he loves to jump.  We’re not up to that yet or should I say I’m not up to that yet and don’t know if I really want to jump anything substantial anymore.  I’ve given myself permission to not jump if I don’t feel the need.  I’m thinking in reality Blue may be in for dressage training if he’s agreeable to switching disciplines.  We’ll take it slow and see what happens.  I’m a fan of taking one day at a time and working with what my horse gives me that day.  Or to be honest what I feel like doing on any given day.  Doesn’t sound very organized, does it?  But the main goal is to ride and teach him there are many enjoyable exercises he can learn and that working isn’t all bad. 

"Donnie"

The biggest goal I have this year is to have Donnie in consistent work and hopefully he will gain confidence in himself.  We’ll do lots of longeing, long-lining and interacting with him on the ground.  By the end of the year or perhaps sooner I’m hoping Donnie will feel comfortable enough to let us tighten his girth and even get on him.  He’s had major problems with this for years but now that his EPSM has finally been diagnosed and treated we’re hoping he’ll be confident enough to hold a rider again.  Anyone who’s familiar with Donnie’s problems from other posts will know this goal will be a major achievement for Donnie and for us. 

I’ll keep you posted on how everything is progressing with the horses.

I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Healthy New Year with lots of good rides.

Until next time

Quote for Today

To make a perfect horseman, three things are requisite. First, to know how and when to help your horse. Secondly, how and when to correct him. And thirdly, how and when to praise him and to make much of him.
    - Thomas Blundeville

Beginning Clicker Training

" Donnie "

This weekend I started clicker training with Donnie, Blue and Dusty.

Donnie’s Report Card:

Day 1: After a total grooming with Donnie, I started his clicker training.  Since I didn’t have one of those little orange cones, I used a plastic pitcher.  After three tries he touched his nose to the pitcher and got his click and treat.  After that he got it every time no matter where I held the pitcher.  We then had a short but productive longeing session and called it a day.

Day 2:  We had a repeat of Day 1 with the only difference being that Donnie touched the object the first time around and even when I held it behind my back he searched it out.  Donnie is a smart little monkey and was puffed up with pride in doing his exercise correctly.  Of course, he had lots of praise and treats and I feel we are off to a good start.  I gave him the day off today to think things over and because I don’t want to overload his senses with too much at once.

" Blue "

 Blue’s Report Card:

Day 1: Blue got the gist of the clicker training game on the second try.  We also did some grooming and longeing and called it a day.  Blue is another smart guy.

He doesn’t show as much emotion as Donnie, but I’m sure he was proud of himself for figuring out how to get treats for doing practically nothing.

Day 2: Another repeat of Day 1 with the exception of seeking out the object and touching it the first time too.  After we were done with our longeing session, I unclipped the longe line and he beat feet it over to the pitcher lying on the ground by the fence to touch it with his nose, then looked at me like “where’s the treat, lady?”  What could I do but laugh, click and treat.  He may be too smart for me, and I can see he’ll be a good pupil even if in the back of his mind he thinks I’m not too bright.

" Dusty "

Dusty’s Report Card:

Day 1: Dusty also got the whole click treat scenario on the second try.  So this just proves that she is as smart as she thinks she is and has found the easy way to get treats. There’s none of that nasty working for a living involved in simply touching your nose to something and getting a treat.  I’m sure she’s thinking this is the way to go.

Day 2: No training with the clicker today we worked on her mounting block issues which is a post for another day.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well they all took to their first sessions of clicker training.  I’m usually skeptical about things like this, but I’m willing to give new training techniques a try.  My biggest fear with clicker training is that they’ll become even bigger treat-monsters than they already are.

I’ve also got some misgivings about turning them into a bunch of circus acts instead of using traditional training.  If nothing else, though, it will give Donnie a job that he can succeed at and boost his confidence in himself.  I may not continue with Blue and Dusty for very long, since they already have jobs.  But just giving them the basics couldn’t hurt and at least they’ll have that if I decide to continue.  For now I haven’t decided what I’ll do, but I’ll keep my options open and use the clicker as I think I need it.

Until next time

Quote for Today

In training there is always the tendency to proceed too rapidly, go slowly with careful, cautious steps. Make frequent demands; be content with little; be lavish in rewards.
    - General Faverot de Kerbrech