Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Accepting the Halter
Kimi was introduced to the halter today. In her usual curious fashion, she sniffed the halter before I put it on her. I could feel her tense as I slid it up over her nose, but once it was secure and high she relaxed. Using a feed dish filled with chaff to reward her efforts, I tugged on the rope. We hook the lead rope to the side of the halter, which helps with the lesson. With a tug on the side of her head, Kimi needs to readjust her balance and consequently does just what we are hoping: takes a step. I was able to lead her through a gate and around back to the pen. At times, she pulled back on the rope, but the chaff was too enticing. The hardest part of this day's lesson was removing the halter. As I reestablished contact with her neck, she reared up on her back legs. I backed away to allow her to calm down, then made a second attempt to unbuckle the halter. This time she complied. I held her after the halter dropped and stroked her head. Releasing her when I am ready is quite important in establishing who is in control. But the best surprise of all was when she allowed me to stroke her neck in the barn as she was with the others eating hay.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Kimi's First Halter Lesson
Spring is the time we halter train our crias. We use Marty McGee Bennett's instructions to accustom Kimi and Sooleana to accepting our touch with the least amount of stress.
John and I were working in the pen over the weekend when we had the opportunity to enclose Kimi. She had already allowed us to stroke her head, neck and top of the nose while she was eating chaff in the barn, but when I encircled her neck with the soft rope, she panicked. She raised her front feet and pulled back wild-eyed.
Keeping contact with the rope, I stepped back as far as I could to give her time to calm down. Within minutes, I was able to approach her and rub her head and neck with small circular strokes-raccoon strokes according to Marty. As her ears came forward and she relaxed, I held her jaw and tapped her smooth upper dental pad between her front lips. Just as Marty predicted, she found it very pleasant.
I then backed up to see how she would react to her attachment. She walked over to John and put her nose in his chest as if asking for help. She did not seem upset, just anxious to join her mother and the herd.
Quite pleased with her reaction to this new experience, we ended Kimi's first lesson with being haltered.
John and I were working in the pen over the weekend when we had the opportunity to enclose Kimi. She had already allowed us to stroke her head, neck and top of the nose while she was eating chaff in the barn, but when I encircled her neck with the soft rope, she panicked. She raised her front feet and pulled back wild-eyed.
Keeping contact with the rope, I stepped back as far as I could to give her time to calm down. Within minutes, I was able to approach her and rub her head and neck with small circular strokes-raccoon strokes according to Marty. As her ears came forward and she relaxed, I held her jaw and tapped her smooth upper dental pad between her front lips. Just as Marty predicted, she found it very pleasant.
I then backed up to see how she would react to her attachment. She walked over to John and put her nose in his chest as if asking for help. She did not seem upset, just anxious to join her mother and the herd.
Quite pleased with her reaction to this new experience, we ended Kimi's first lesson with being haltered.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
