A Small Hairy Tank thread

[Fjord]

Angel has been here nearly 3 weeks and is settling in nicely, so I thought I'd start a thread so I can record our progress. I've started clicker training with her but did have to wrap the clicker in duct tape as she was scared of it. She loves food, so that's definitely the way to her heart.

She's in with Bobbi now (Bobbi is boss) and seems very happy. We're taking things very slowly, she's picking her feet up better now (not long enough for me to pick them out, but holding them up for longer). She's also ventured out of the field and eaten dinner on the yard, and tonight we had a small wander along the grass verge outside the field. Grazing all the time, there's a definite theme going with her!

It’s baby steps, but she's been over faced in the past and reacted badly. I'm determined not to let that happen again, I need her to trust that I'm not going let anything bad happen. I've got some videos to watch and a lot of learning to do!

 

[Rumtytum]

Bless her, she’s landed on her little hooves with you, looking forward to the updates!

 

[Cookiemonsterintraining]

She is gorgeous - I especially love her mane

Bless her, being scared of the clicker too!

 

[cauda equina]

When I do clicker training I just click my tongue, they understand perfectly well

 

[smolmaus]

She is so pretty

When I do clicker training I just click my tongue, they understand perfectly well

Same, not a chance I'd keep track of an actual clicker for longer than 10 mins!

 

[Fjord]

When I do clicker training I just click my tongue, they understand perfectly well

I tried that but for some reason I find it harder to get the timing right. Plus I keep making different noises.

 

[smolmaus]

I tried that but for some reason I find it harder to get the timing right. Plus I keep making different noises.

Oh I practised the noise at home, freaked the cats out. Now I instinctually click at them when they do what they're told (occasionally) as well as every other horse on the yard. Its baked into my brain forever now.

 

[Jambarissa]

Oh, how lovely. Looks a sweetheart.

Clickers are really loud! I use my voice too but since the top trainers don't I imagine there are good reasons to use a clicker.

You could try a clicky ballpoint pen if she's dead sensitive

 

[Gloi]

I clicker trained my old horse to fetch something I threw, but nothing useful

 

[Peglo]

I’m looking forward to keeping up to date with your adventures I really like her and also think she’s landed on her hooves with you.

 

[Fjord]

Tonight she lifted all 4 feet really nicely. Hopefully I'll be able to actually pick them out soon. Good job she's barefoot! When she has a buck you see the mud fly out.

She has also ventured into the yard and will now eat her dinner up by the stables (with Bobbi tied up nearby). She then takes me for a little explore to sniff things on the yard and have a little snort at the scary stuff. Lots of treats to encourage and reassure her, and I let her choose when she's had enough. The other day she stood with me on the yard while I chatted to the farmer, so I was very pleased with her.

She also wants me to tell everyone that she is absolutely definitely not responsible for the destruction of the non electrified fencing and has no idea how it keeps breaking. Maybe it was Bobbi?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I love this, sounds like you’re giving her a fabulous go at a lovely life. I also enjoy reading about all the small steps. Sometimes I feel like I’m mad as I have everything split out into small steps and get very pleased with the subtleties and no one else seems to ‘get it’.

 

[Horseysheepy]

Nothing wrong with breaking things Into small steps. It's how I like to do things too. You can celebrate each little achievement as you go and I think the horses quite like it too!
I'm lucky to have three youngsters ranging from yearling to 3 yrs, I keep them at home with nobody to judge me other than a load of nosey sheep, utter bliss!

 

[satinbaze]

In dog training many of us use a clicker “word” as well as an actual clicker. The word needs to be one you only use for training, I use “WOW” you load the word in the same way you would the clicker but you don’t use the clicker and word at the same time as this dilutes the click. I hope you understand this.

 

[Fjord]

Today we had our first proper in hand hack. Last week we walked out a short distance with Mr F leading Bobbi, just to have a graze a bit further up the lane, and the next day I left Bobbi in the field and walked Angel a few yards out on her own. Today we did the short loop round the lanes and the bridleway, which is about a mile.

She was fab. She marched out happily in front, lookig at everything but not scared, just interested and curious. I let her stop to look at things and she got treats when she was walking nicely. She walks so fast, it's the opposite to Bobbi, so led most of the way round (until we saw people in the distance, when it became prudent to hide behind Bobbi for a bit).

We discovered she's a poo sniffer. She sniffs the poo in the wheelbarrow when we're poo picking but also loves a good snuffle on the fresh stuff on the bridleway.

She was as good as gold, I was delighted with how she seemed to enjoy it.

 

[Fjord]

Excuse the dirt in her mane, she is filthy. I'm holding off bathing her until she's settled enough to tie up happily on the yard, until then she can be a bog monster.

 

[Cloball]

You've had more success than I have hand walking my fell at least mines black to hide the mud.

 

[Fjord]

Angel is trundling along slowly. She's happy to go for an in hand walk with Bobbi but hasn't gone far on her own. Tonight I introduced the mounting block, she wasn't impressed when she first saw it but it's amazing how quickly it became non scary when I get the treats out.

 

[Cloball]

Sounds familiar careful with the mounting block though, slight miscommunication and D tried to climb it for me

 

[Fjord]

Sounds familiar careful with the mounting block though, slight miscommunication and D tried to climb it for me

Did he succeed?

 

[Cloball]

Thankfully no, it was not built to take the weight of a fell.