Today We Worked on Whoa

Today We Worked on Whoa

Trifecta is doing great.  We have been going on little walks around the stables and all around the yard.  I have been breaking it up into a couple sessions a day--mostly by getting out to the barn early to walk him before Cole's ride--which has worked out great since Thunder, my cat, has been taking his morning nap early.  Then, when I get back with Cole, we go on another walk.  Small sessions with young horses work really well because they have a short attention span.

He has been leading very well for such a little guy.  He usually walks right next to me, and he willingly will do corners and small circles in both directions.  Just as with all my horses, I am teaching him to turn to the right by pointing that way with my left hand.  He is catching on to that quite quickly.

He hasn't properly spooked, either.  He did flinch when we tested him with a horn, but so did I.  We have spent time at the end of the driveway watching traffic, and none of it bothers him--not even the UPS truck.  It won't be long before I will feel comfortable leading him on the short stretch of road to the bridle path.

Today was his fifth day, so I decided to actually start some training.  It was time to work on "whoa."  We had done a little of it the day before, but it always ended up with me pulling him to a stop.  

Here was my plan.  I would say the word and a moment later stop walking.  If he didn't stop, he would get to the end of the rope and it would pull his nose.  The word would be his signal that something is going to happen--a warning.  My goal was to keep him from getting to the end of the rope.

The first few times, he did get to the end of the rope and it pulled his nose.  After that, the pull got very lighter and lighter and in just a few minutes, he was stopping when my feet stopped.  When he did, I rubbed his neck and praised him.  He really likes that.  That was all he needed.  After that, Trifecta consistently stopped the moment my feet stopped.  What an awesome little horse!  

Later, when I showed Ellen, he reverted to waiting until he felt the halter, but after doing it once, he was back to stopping when I did.

This will be something we will practice a lot--since it is so important.  I am sure that in time, he will stop as soon as he hears the word.