This is putting the ‘head down’ task to the purpose of bridling whilst sitting down. Bella has been learning to put her nose into the noseband with a bit of head down but her head has to be much lower when I sit down to do it SO this is the next stage of training for this with the goal to be a refined, good version…it is a work in progress 😉
Here is an update on Sollys Head Down exercise with Treat Training. The first part of this was done 2 weeks ago and we’ve been practising his head down for a treat with me in front of him. He got this pretty quickly and I’ve been working on doing more each time before he gets a treat, bringing a gap of relaxation each time before asking for more. This helps him find relaxation with the ‘click’ I do more than the treat so that I can extend the time more and more before giving him the treat, the treat now is used as a BIG ‘WELL DONE’ and not a first time learning ‘YOU’VE GOT IT’ treat that we started with.
I also gave it a break so that he didn’t get over enthusiastic about the ‘treat’ and forget the actual training we were doing. This helps us rebalance the issue that can occur of over ‘posturing’ for a treat or mugging.
This week I’ve just been asking for more than just lowering his head and relaxing for a treat when I’m in front of him, I’ve been standing further away and asking him to walk towards me, lowering his head to my hand for a treat. Each time I’ve done this I’ve been further away than the last time and it’s gone really well, he gets that it’s about coming to me, relaxing with his head down. Here is a short video to show you how it’s working now.
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We have been building up the time and distance for this task and are at the stage where Solly comes to me when I give him my raised hand signal and he gets a treat only when I am leaving the field. Huge progress in a short time and task now in his repertoire. Here are pics I took of him working the task from a huge distance to me…what a super clever boy he is.
I’ve been using ‘Treat Training’ for Solly for a few years now and it’s really helped our relationship. Before TT he was obedient and becoming well behaved but I didn’t have his heart, he did things but not with willingness or acceptance and I never just want ‘tolerance’ as I feel it’s not a true Connection. So, I learned my own version of Treat Training to help him ‘get’ what I was asking quicker and he really cheers up and is more willing once he knows quickly that he’s doing the right thing with training. He also used to be a horse that could bite and I never thought I’d be using treats to help train him BUT in fact it’s helped to teach him to NOT bite which is a huge bonus too.
Here we are today working on Relaxation from in front of his head: