Different approaches

Well, Someone else on blogger gave me the idea to work with Licorice's innate talents (eating and being lazy) when training. Deer Run Stables gave me the idea to use buckets with treats as a training aid, and so far, it seems to be helping at least. Licorice likes to walk down the driveway as slowly as possible. Putting a bucket with a carrot at the end of thr driveway seems to be goading her along- now we're only stopping for no reason once or twice instead of ever 3 steps. Hooray for progress!

The other day, while doing this exercise, my stupid goats escaped. As we were already at the end of the driveway, I decided to test out Licorices herding talents. It wasn't a very successful attempt (actually, I ended up leading Lic while I chased the goats through a neighbor's yard... *rolls eyes*) but she was game to try... I just don't think she had any idea whatsoever what I wanted. But she didn't balk or argue with me. My trainer has told me that with ehr type of personality, if she senses there is a purpose to what I ask, she'll be happier to comply. It's the endless drilling that pisses her off. So she must have sensed my sense of purpose, I guess.

Yesterday I went on a trail ride (well, in my town a trail ride is basically a ride down the street) and hid a couple buckets along the way. I also carried carrots with me to treat good behavior. We ended up on state land, and another thing I noticed is that while Licorice does this sort of stop and start thing on the road, she didn't balk once on state land. I don't know if that's because cars and activity still makes her nervous, or if she just enjoyed the vast oppenness of the state land. Either way, she was good as gold.

I have a lesson today, we're going to do a lunge-line lesson to try to get Lic more comfortable with cantering in a circle with a person on her back, and for that matter, to get me more comfortable. I'm actually kind of excited.