Fun, Interesting, & Disappointment.
- aliyahmorgans
- Jul 31, 2014
- 2 min read
Thistle update: You have to love Thistle. One thing we like about training with Operant Conditioning (Also known as Clicker Training) is that it encourages the subject to think. Last Sunday Robin observed Thistle pondering on how to untie herself. Thistle gets this look of study and concentration on her face. I wish we could describe it better. Anyway by Tuesday she had it figured out. She untied herself and went to find Cadence, who was busy setting up an obstacle course for that day’s training. Since the first time getting free Thistle has taken to regularly untying herself and moseying to the nearest patch of grass, since Cadence only seems to tie her up again. Tomorrow we will surprise Thistle by adding panic snaps to her lead rope; that will frustrate her for a while at least.
Archer Update: Archer has been doing great. She caught on that the word “Chip” means she did something right (We use the word “chip” instead of an actual clicker). She is no longer hinting about biting and her ears come forward in interest more often than they did before. Being a dominant mare Archer hates to be told what to do but likes the idea of contributing to training activities. She definitely has an “All Business” side to her. We expect to quickly begin seeing some positive attitudes in Archer now that she understands the communication. However, it will be a long time before anyone forgets that Archer has the potential to bite. Additionally, Keeley has been using Operant Conditioning and working with Archer on “Haw” and “Gee” in preparation for cart training. If we recall right Archer has had some harness training in the past but we are still starting as if from scratch just to be sure the foundation is laid. The weather, however, set us back by dumping rain for two days. The water in the alley between the horses was up to our knees and there is deep slippery clay mud everywhere. Archer for the most part was clean up until the rain stopped but now wears a trendy thick coat of mud. She seems quite content.
Aliy Update: Tomorrow was supposed to be the day Aliy moved from her breeder’s home up to our home. But this morning we learned that the state is recommending horses not be transported to new locations. I guess there have been some horses test positive for Vesicular Stomatitis (VS) in our county. Several horse operations in the area are choosing to self-quarantine in an effort to protect their herds from contracting VS. Check the link below for more information about VS.
For the time being Aliy will be staying at home with her breeder and we aren’t making any plans to move her for now.
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