Today I spent some time with Pony Boy, PB for short. I had removed his oversized halter last week and I know he isn't really "halter trained" because he views it as an aversion and doesn't want it near him. This became apparent when I carried the halter and a separate lead rope with me while visiting with him and grooming him. I decided today I would start clicker training him. No food just scritchies as the reward. Since he is shedding he is very itchy! Which is a good thing training wise.
When I first went out into the pasture I visited and groomed the minis and left him alone. He was down for a nap and I did go over and scratch him on the withers and shortly after that he got up. I had the halter over my shoulder and the lead looped over my arm. Just the presence of the lead was enough to make him leery and need to leave. I never stopped him but I did shadow him and keep an even pace with him. Several more times I was able to scratch on him but at one point he needed to leave and cantered up to the top to be with the mini's. That was ok, I just walked up there and waited for him to notice me. I then realized he really struggled with that lead and halter I was carrying. I dropped it on the ground and proceeded to shadow him. He had to leave a couple of more times but finally I was able to get up next to him and work with him. I had him target my hand and would tongue click when he touched it and then scratch on him with the metal curry. By the end of the session he was targeting the lead rope, and allowing my hand to guide the bridge of nose, teaching him to yield to pressure. That was enough for the morning. I left him alone and went to do chores. The second session I gathered up the halter and had him target it. He was very clicker savvy by this second session. Knowing that his action (touching the halter) would earn him a click and some much needed scritchies. I clipped the throatlatch strap off to the side so I could have the nose part of the halter in an easy position for him to put his nose in. I am going to teach him to halter himself! So far in his short little life he has been forced to do everything. Up until now. I know even the act of my following him in the pasture was a form of force just by the pressure of my presence. But I wanted him to see me as a good thing, a pressure he could yield to and receive benefits as a result.
I will need to halter him soon as I will need him to stay a bit closer to me to get him use to more things and as much as I need the exercise, following him all over the gently sloping pasture will take up more training time than I am ready to give to him!
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