Jackie & the Flysheet
Proof that positive reinforcement teaches your horse communication!
Jackie is only 7 and has been with me for 10 months. This morning she clearly used her knowledge of “target training” to tell me that she wanted to wear her flysheet instead of fly spray… here’s how it went:
Yesterday I found Vaquero’s flysheet (that he hated wearing), and since Jackie is all black and the big horseflies are out with a vengeance, I thought I’d see if she’d be happier wearing a protective barrier. Fast forward to this morning: as I was putting her fly mask and halter on, I then reached for the fly spray and began applying. She moved away, saw her flysheet hanging on the side wall, and stepped over closer to it—then very confidently marked it with her muzzle—clear as a bell… wow! It took me by surprise. She stood perfectly still while I dressed her in her new flysheet (I guess she likes wearing it!!) 🩷
This tells me a few things:
(besides how smart she is 😉 which we already knew!!!)
She truly understands the targeting cue—and now she can use it to tell me things too. By me responding with putting the sheet on her, it reinforced to her that I was listening to her request. This also reinforced to me that she’s capable of a lot of things—and how wonderful and lucky I am to work/play with her!!
When she came to MRF she was unsure and always holding her breath, a quick thinker and mover (so as not to get in trouble)—hence I have been working on a LOT of ground exercises: slowing her brain and body down, focus on breathing, movement around the reverse round pen, liberty work/free lunging, and targeting (to name a few things we’ve done)—which has made her more relaxed overall, positively influencing a more confident horse and helping our communication under saddle.
Now I can clearly say our communication is on a whole new plane… this is only the tip of the iceberg—it’s very exciting!
If positive reinforcement training is something you’d like to try (and deepen your communication with your horse) please contact me for private lessons and clinic availability..
