I went out with my halter, not planning to catch any specific horse -- but thought I'd work with the horse that showed up. Jake approached me first and seemed most curious, so I started with him. I started with the "friendly game" (using Parelli terms here... Parelli uses the term "games" rather than tasks... makes it more "fun" than a "job".... it's all about psychology!). The Friendly game is rubbing him with the end of the stick, throwing the savvy string over him all over his back, neck, legs, etc until he's relaxed and licking his lips -- basically unconcerned with the rope or stick on any part of his body. Jake was definitely unconcerned, so we didn't spend too much time on this.
Moved on to the porcupine game (teaching him to move away from pressure). First with the stick in his chest to back up. I got him to back up consistently with phase 2 and occasionally with phase 1. I only had to use phase 4 once. (4 phases = phase 1: press the hair, phase 2: press the skin, phase 3: press the muscle, and phase 4: press the bone). Then we tried yielding the forehand with the stick behind the side of his jaw. He tried to shake that off a few times before figuring out to move his front feet sideways. It was kind of tough to keep the pressure up while he's tossing his head up and down and around, but eventually he figured that wasn't going to work. So then he tried backing up. Still didn't work. Finally he moved his front feet to the side and, voila! no more pressure. Licking lips... good! Try again and got a yield at phase 2. Same with the other side.
Moving on to a yield of the hindquarters with Porcupine game, I used phase 4 the first time and he sat there for quite some time leaning on me. He's a BIG boy, so not sure how long I was going to be able to hold the pressure! But he figured it out and moved away from me. After than it took very little time to get a yield with phase 1. On both sides. He's more reluctant for me to be on his right side. He consistently tries to block me when I move to that side.
Next was driving game - using rhythmic pressure to get a yield. Started with phase 3 on the neck/head to get a forehand yield to the right, but worked at it until we got consistent phase 2. He had trouble figuring out not to move backwards at first. Yield to the left was easier.
Yielding the hind end using the driving game took no time at all to get to phase 1 after the first phase 4! I really got his attention with that first whack! Both sides, but he kept blocking me at first from moving to his right: I'd get a block as well as a yield of his hind end!
He wasn't all that great with the yoyo game ("driving game" to back him, and "porcupine game" forward). Photo shows him at the end of the line after a good phase 2. We didn't get any response at phase 1 today. Will have to see if it improves next time. It took several phase 4's before he started to figure it out. I would say that phase 3 is consistent, and phase 2 is almost there. (For you laymen, the phases in the yoyo game are: phase 1= just wiggling your finger at him, phase 2= moving only your wrist back & forth (holding the line), phase 3= shaking the line moving your arm only from your elbow and phase 4= shaking the line moving your entire arm from your shoulder). The bring back was consistently phase 2.
He was backing up crooked most of the time (keeping me on his left side), so I tried a hind end yield while he was at the end of the line. He didn't pay attention until I used phase 4, then took off like a rocket around and around and around me and it wasn't until I got the line shortened to about half that he turned and faced me. So we know he's paying attention when I'm up close, so will have to work on the same response further away from me.
That's as far as we got today with Jake. Will have to see if Gypsy is interested next time!
The whole time I was working with Jake today, I was constantly trying to get IndyAnna out of the way. Might have to try her next.
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