I can't say enough about Levelor....Ruby is full-on in season right now, and although she is displaying the signs: emptying-out and making the chewing/mouthy motions, she is calm and able to focus for the most part. No more craziness, no more scary behavior at all. It makes me so very happy to get on track with our partnership. She is my best buddy, and it certainly feels that way once again.
I have a new secret training tool for working in the round pen. The idea stuck in the back of my mind for weeks, but I was ignoring it. Finally, I decided to implement it (some impetus came from a story I read about a donkey trainer who used this tool). Ruby had decided that the round pen work was less than thrilling, so she would not respond to my verbal cues to walk-out, trot, or canter, or even just walk - she would stand, put her head down and sift through the sand for any tasties. I would make a spectacle of myself - clapping my hands, jumping up and down like a cheerleader, waving the lunge whip,even flicking her rear ankles with it to irritate her into moving forward. I would wave my jacket, my hat, whatever I had on hand. Nothing would work. Mr G hollered one day, "Hey, who's getting all the exercise out there?" My reply was "Me!" : ) I do not hit on Ruby to make her go. She just saw no use for this boring work, so why should she bother (that's mule logic)?
Well, after a couple of weeks of frustration, I decided to implement the secret tool.....a plastic bag (like a grocery bag). She has shown fear of them, and I haven't been able to de-sensitize her to them. This is why I didn't want to use it in the first place. But then I thought that perhaps if I used it discreetly and subtly/gently, it might work.
I put the bag in my whip hand so that it was not flapping around indiscriminately. When I stepped into the pen with it, she rolled her eye toward it, but then seemed to snap to attention - she became "all business". I asked for a walk, she walked, I asked for a trot, she trotted, I asked for a canter - she cantered beautifully WITHOUT any attitude - no bucking, no head shaking. She was calm, quiet, compliant, and relaxed! She was not fearful of the bag, just aware of it and respectful of it as if it were a regular old whip. If she needed a little boost in stepping into a gait, I would use my free hand, reach over and crinkle/rustle the bag that rested in my whip hand. Pop! She'd step into the requested gait without hesitation. The important thing is that she was relaxed and responsive - not fearful. When I would ask her to step into the circle toward me, for a treat, I'd stash the bag in my jacket pocket.
I am so pleased with the results! Now, the trick is, she may become dull to the bag at some point, so we may have to become creative again and find a new secret tool later on down the road : )
