2-year-old colt

[hobbyhorse23]

Love you, Mimi!

Always follow up with a cookie. Once you get the horse to his level and are happy with the height he's at when he hooks, put the hand out with NO GOODIE in it, make your noise, let him reach for your hand, then get into your pocket and get the cookie and give it to him. This pause between behavior and reward can be gradually increased. This will keeop your horse from flapping his lips at your hand in the show ring when you ask for the neck. He knows the goodie is coming, but it isn't in your hand right then.

This is where clicker training works really well as Amy showed me.

The click marks the moment the behavior was what we wanted (as he touched my hand with a hooked neck) but he's content to wait while I get out the goodie as he knows it's coming. I use just a few pellets of senior feed for each reward when doing halter work so he chews only briefly; Kody gets cranky with being "shorted" like that but Turbo just works harder to get the next small payout.

He knows if he gives me something outstanding he'll get a real cookie.

Leia

 

[ClickMini]

Thank you so much for your descriptions, everyone. It gives me a lot to work with. I have found halter to be frustratingly difficult, to the point where I just wasn't interested in doing it. However, it is something I do want to master, and MoMinis descriptions are kind and gentle enough for me to use. I would really love to do some video sharing between us here so we can get some feedback! I will do some as well, as I am able.

 

[jegray21]

I got to watch a lot halter this weekend and am so impressed by the horses the do this well! We took a shot at it this weekend too. Mickey gave me the feet and the ears. We still have lots more work this is so much help! Thank you so much for writing this out! I am loving halter now..though I don't think Mickey has the greatest conformation but we have fun!

Here is what we got in our class

 

[Mominis]

I would love to do video sharing, Eli is just on step 3 now. He's really mastered 1 and 2. Shake is in reschooling mode, as I plan our first show of the year to be a work session in harness, without actually entering a driving class. I'm going to show him in the senior geldings in hand (err...halter). He is reschooling as his step 3 has gotten a bit sloppy over the winter. I just don't have a clue how to do anything technological, like the videoing. I will look into it further though and Leia's given me some great hints on it. It sounds like a fun exchange of information!