Training Horses - 30 Day Fast Track Day 4

 Training Horses - 

30 Day Fast Track Day 4

Today is about haltering a horse with consent. I really like the idea of asking for your horse's consent in everything that you do. This fits with how I want to build my relationship with Lilly. I do not want her doing something because I told her to. I want her doing it because she wants to. So this haltering exercise really gives her the chance to consent. 

Steps to teach your horse to self - halter with confidence: 

1. Show the halter 
2. wait for till Lilly gets curious and touches it.
• reward
3. Rub Lilly's body with the halter. 
• Start with the neck/withers area and progress towards the ears and the hind quarters. 
• Reward whenever your horse wants to check it out and looks at it.
4. Teach Lilly to touch the halter like a target. 
1. Hold it low in front of her
2. draw her curiosity
3. reward with voice and scratches when she touches
5. Slip her nose into the halter - just a second and take it off again
• Reward
• repeat multiple times
6. Teach him to lower the head
• reward
• repeat multiple times
7. Be confident leaving the head low
• reward
• repeat multiple times
8. Put rope over Lilly's back
• reward
• repeat multiple times

When Lilly is confident about all those steps but them all together and use voice and scratches reward after each step. Position self next to Lilly's shoulder

1. Show Lilly the halter (reward)
2. rub her with the halter (reward)
3. ask her to touch the halter (reward)
4. ask her to lower her head (reward)
5. ask her to leave her head down (reward)
6. put the rope on her back (reward)
7. Grab ear piece halter over the Lilly's neck making a big circle with your arms (reward)
8. Ask Lilly to put her nose in halter
• wait (horses run out of patience in 2 min humans 30 seconds)
• reward a LOT

Haltering Lilly is very easy. She doesn't give me any problems.