I played more games with Teddy this arvo and he really showed what a clever horse he is and also that he bores quite easily. I took him through some Parelli games and then played the Touch It game with him. Basically I had a few obstacles out in the paddock and I would lead him over to each one and get him to touch it with his nose but allow him to come to it himself; no force, just consistent until he worked out what I wanted. If he didn't touch it the first time I would walk him around and back to the object and he would finally work out that he needed to touch it with his nose. As soon as he did it he got a reward scratch in his favourite spot and then we move on to the next. I had an upturned bucket, a coffee table, the big blue ball, a tree and a post.
The first time we did the circuit he only needed gentle prompting once or twice. The second time he did it straight away with each, and the third time he was bored and started scratching himself and eating grass. What a clever boy he is! In between we did some porcupine, yields and driving.
I'm amazed at how casual he is about everything. It kinda doesn't make sense that I can shake a stick right in his face and he is ho hum about it, he'll let me bounce big shiny balls off his back without a blink, he'll walk across plastic tarp in the wind without question and then other times when in the saddle he will be anxious. Is it a riding thing? A pain thing? A gonna-round-up-cows thing? Or an gonna-play-polo thing? I wish I could work out what turns the switch.
I'm doing canter lead changes with my lessons and I so much want to do the same with Teddy, but in the saddle I cant as yet. There must be an answer.
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