Helping at the barn and plans for Target Training and Liberty

Headed over to the barn at about 1215 after I did some chores at the house, washed some floors vaccumed di laundry.  As I came around the corner the snow from yesterday stretched over all of the big fields on either side of the road.  I hoped that there was no one at et barn. I had texted Bonnie to see if they were still doing stalls. Krystyn and Bonnie had almost finished Duke's side. 
I finished up Duke's stall and then we went over to do the rest of the other side.  Krystyn was on one side with Bonnie and I wa son the other.  WE did the stalls together and then after I was almost done with Docs Bonnie popped in and said, come on Jules I bought you lunch. I said we were about to finish and she said that it can wait.  I went into the office and sat on a bag of feed.  We talked about everything. I told them about Joe and Bonnie said if anyone wants to use the farm for a wedding they can. I thought it was a beautiful offer and that I would like it for Raychel.  I think we should do that. Ill talk later.

 Duke was in the paddock.  Duke was outside happy, had an apple and was in the deep mud so deep.When I go to the paddock now Doc isn't as much of a jerk as he used to be over the past couple of years. I actually don't hate him as much. I whistle for him and then I ask him to come to the gate.  He speaks back to me. When I talk to him and walk toward him he looks straight at me and walks toward me speaking. Doc realizes that I will not let him out and also that he needs to steop away while I get Duke and open the paddock door. I brought him out  over to the snow field.  There is usually long delicious grass there but its covered with 7" of thick snow.  He uses his top lip that is very much like an elephants trunk and moves the snow in a circular motion where he scoops back with his teeth and gets a big pull of grass. This goes on for a little while about 5min. 

Then we finish up snacking and into the barn, tied him up on the cross ties.  I got the new cat litter bucket filled with water and grabbed the medicated Tail and Mane, warm water in the bucket.  I put he medicated shampoo on Duke's spot on his tail.  Took the bucket up to the tail top, to wet his tail so that I can put the shampoo directly on.  I put the shampoo on my hand, wet my hands and then lathered it up.  I coverd his tail and then looked at his face, he was so patient. I was really proud. I grabbed the apple out of my pocket and petted his neck hugged him and then gave him the apple.  I waited the 15 minutes brushing him out and taking care of his tail while he wears the blue striped blanket.   Hes beautiful such a good boy.  I rinsed his tail wrung out his tail hairs. The 2nd bucket of water was to rinse out his soapy tail.  I wanted to go for a walk on the road but the kids were racing down the road with their rid eon toys 3 at a time and I really didn't like all of the noise and screaming. We decided to go into the arena. 

Dukes been working out with me in the arena in a really nice way.  Krystyn called it liberty training and also target training that will lead to Liberty training.  I explained how I was using cones to go over some exercise bringing Duke around the cones, showing him me go around the cones and working to see if Duke would then go around the cones w/o me.

As we worked out in the arena, I did what I always did when walking around with the lead line to add up to 1 mile.  But as we walked Duke became jumpy, kicking his legs like hes been doing over the past few weeks during night exercise.  He wanted to break away. I was actually keeping him warm because his tail was still damp and I was worried he was getting cold. I had his blanket on as we walked.  He kept kicking up the back legs and doing this thing with his head toward me, being riled up and his energy was very stirred up.  I realized that he was excited to be in the arena with me. He wanted to do that training that we like so much. Running around on my cue as I whistle and call him.  I walk or sometimes run to the edge and Duke will wait for me to get close to the area and then to call him and then he came running, running with his legs kicking up and his head throwing back and forth in the air.  Hes excitement and his attention to what we are doing is front and center.  Hes everything I ever wanted for a horse.  Better than any horse ever.  Hes the greatest.

Krystyn explains to me that the ground work of Target Training and Liberty will work with him.  Krystyn also agreed that if we did lessons in Western she would do them. I mentioned Monday nights. Krystyn is busy on Wednesday. I'm very happy about the lessons on Mondays.  Krystyn seems very happy with her life and Bonnie is very settle with Reggie and Krystyn in the house with her  It will work out great.  Bonnie also suggested that we have a wedding at Greenwood.
Target Training or Clicker training
http://www.equineclickertraining.com/articles/targeting_handout_new.html

5 Principles of Liberty Training

Principle 1: Your Horse Must Want to be with You
Every detail of Liberty training must be positive in order to progress with your horse.This means that your horse must prefer being with you over everything else.You must be more interesting to him than what’s going on outside the fence, you must be more pleasurable than goofing off. Being with you must feel better than being away from you. this can be more challenging than you think.
Principle 2: Your Horse Must Come to you Anytime You Ask
It’s easy to “chase” your horse away from you, and in fact, this is what most folks call Liberty. It’s not quite so easy to cause your horse to come to you… anytime you ask him to. Simply, you, your space and your energy must be inviting to your horse. If there’s anything about you or your energy that is off-putting, your horse may not come to you. Focusing on Principle 1 dramatically helps your horse come to you anytime you ask him to.
Principle 3: Positive Reinforcement Causes the Above 2 Principles to Occur
An immediate and obvious truth will emerge as you and your horse are learning Liberty – if it doesn’t feel good to your horse, he won’t keep doing it. Positive reinforcement, which is the reinforcement of desired responses with a reward or something pleasurable, is key to Liberty training.
This very powerful application of positive reinforcement may be one of the most profound aspects of Equine Liberty Sports. In conventional training, horses are taught that your “silence” or removal of pressure, is an indication that they are doing the right thing. In essence when the handler “goes away” in traditional methods, it is presented to the horse as being desirable. In the Equine Liberty Sports teaching program, your presence, and a connection with you, is presented as being preferred, and silence is used to motivate your horse to reconnect with you.
Principle 4: Less is More.
The fastest way to blow Liberty is to overdo it. Horses are intelligent and can learn new ideas in a matter of minutes. It does take thousands of repetitions to create conditioned responses, but these are two separate training activities. The Equine Liberty Sports teaching elements has both elements, but all lessons should be approached in short bursts, 10-20 minute sessions only. When you play with your horse, try to end your sessions just when it seems that your horse is getting hooked. This insures that the next principle will occur.
Principle 5: Your Horse Must Never get Bored!
When your horse gets bored, he starts to make things more interesting. In Liberty training this can mean he may not come to you, he may not do what you are asking, he may decide to goof off, he may do the opposite of what you are asking… just to shake it up! Boredom to the horse is the “devil’s workshop,” and this truth becomes more apparent, more quickly, when you remove the lines. In Liberty training you must keep it stimulating, you must change it up, you must keep your sessions short and fun!

Sunday I went over at 2:30pm  Scottie was there with friends.  They were strange, she mentioned that they all had just cleaned under the floor mats of Doc's stall.  It seemed that they put the cleanings (poop) in the back of the friends car.  They were backing it up near my car along side the barn to dump in the pile.  I wasn't comfortable with them backing up.The big man was driving the car and Scottie was saying, Its ok they are my friends. I went into the barn and put down my stuff.  I went right out to see Duke, it looked like I had lost my lead line because they used Babe's for Duke . I was calling him over and opening the gate, he was near the gate as I opened up the gate and placed the latch on Duke's halter.  I heard Scottie voice saying that she wanted to see about taking out Dusty at the same time as Duke. I said I had problems with them and wanted to take out Duke without Dusty running over and pushing o the gate. I told her I had problems with him.  I grabbed Duke, and asked her to step back as I got Duke out of the gate.  If she wanted me to help her I would have like her to ask. I was wondering if she was waiting for me to get Duke out so I would help her with Dusty she should have asked instead of running out behind me and kind of cornering me as I was trying to get Duke out. I think like Kristin was saying that because her friends are there shes acting a little bit weird.  Just an observation.  Anyway I walked out toward the front of the barn instead of the back door as she went.  As she walked I could hear her yelling at Doc because he wasn't listening. Sometimes I feel bad for him. Anyway I got Duke into the barn, went into his stall and sprayed his tail over and over.

I had the new hand tooled bridle and it still wasn't big enough. I need a longer strap for under his chin.  He was a nice boy standing in the cross ties while I was working on his bridle and cleaning him up. I was planning on riding in the arena.  Having Scottie in the arena area was making me wait until she was leaving.  She had her friends and the horse. She said things like, Dusty don't bite and she was yelling at him scolding him for something.  I was praying that no one was going to think its a good idea to ride him.  Hes a small horse and they are all overweight.  Anyway. I was sort of keeping my self scarce after I got Duke, he was tacked and ready but I didn't want to go into the arena with them. I wanted to have a peaceful walk and just be me and Duke talking.
I waited patiently with Duke. Kristin came to see Kinsey and they were still there. We killed time talking until they left.  I wish I don't have to wait for them to leave.   Well finally they finished up.

Since Duke was tacked, I had a pocket full of carrots, we were ready to go to the mounting block.  I walked around for a few times with him and then tried to get the back kicks out of Duke before we walked the arena. I asked Kelly if they were brining the horses in the back way, Kelly and Kayla said that they didn't have to do it. I closed the back door to the barn and put up the boards to keep the arena close off.  It worked out good.  Those two are really good kids, they are considerate I think.
 I did the same things that I would do for walking but with Duke on horse back.  He was distracted with Kelly and Kayla's pouring the feed buckets into each of the horses buckets but I tried to keep him on target for what we were doing. He did ok.
Things went pretty good.  It was enough, he listened and then I took off his saddle and he went to get his oats.  Perfect visit 2 hours, tacked hung out and rode a little.  Great day.