Dapples and Termites

For the first time since I've had him, Balthazar has dapples. Not huge, not gaudy but definitely there. Have had him on Pat Coleby's Natural Horse Care diet for about three weeks. I put the blame squarely in Coleby's court. Whatever magic ingredient he was missing in the expensive Equilibrium he's getting from the basic ingredients of Coleby's recipe.

And yes, we have termites. Our 100+ year old Queenslander has had her defenses breached. Richard had gone beneath the house to check the floorboards of our bedroom. We're going to get it sanded and polished. While there he discovered they'd built a bridge from the stump OVER the metal stump cap and onto the wood. They have eaten through five VJ boards. That we know of. Now that we know what to look for it's obvious. Painted boards with ripples and waves. When you touch them they give under pressure. A lot. Pest man comes today.

Got very discouraged with myself and Balthazar on Friday. I seemed to be back to my old tricks as did he. In the rut I didn't want to be in again. Resolved I would just work on one thing, that the problem is I wanted him to do this and this at the same time which only confuses him.

In clicker training the behaviour is offered and rewarded. The trainer sets it up so that the behaviour occurs without coercion, ie pressure. Think of the dolphins. And Dimitri. Couldn't force Dimitri to retrieve, I had to reward small increments of movement which added, finally, to him picking up the object and dropping it in my hand. With Balthazar on the end of a line, there is already pressure. He can't choose to do the behaviour because he is constrained to a circle with me at the center.

For instance, asking for a trot. The other day we had wonderful departs, quick and decisive. On Friday we dribbled into a trot or only walked faster. I resorted to slapping the end of the line on the ground. That got the sought for response but as soon as I did it I regretted it. I used pressure and fear to get what I wanted. Which is what I don't want. He got stressed. His sheath was squeaking and again he was holding, not chewing the carrots. Time to quit and regroup.

Also, we still have the problem of him spiralling in on the circle. I have to use pressure, alot of pressure to get him away. That was what I was going to work on, that one thing, getting him to sidestep away from me with pressure but reducing that pressure until it was only a small movement from me that would get him out. But I had little success.

What was worse was that he walked away from me when I went to halter him. Sure sign he's not enjoying the sessions. And he should. The whole point is that he should.

So what will I do differently today? The KISS method. Keep to what works and what he does well. Stop at any sign of stress. High rate of reinforcement. If he wants to change direction on the circle let him and reward that as a test for that seems to get him 'up' and motivated. We can always stop that later if it gets to be a problem (she says confidently). That will have the added advantage of getting him working off his hindquarter which will build muscle and topline.