While on vacation earlier this summer, I found a project that inspired me and I knew Jillie would enjoy: Horse Agility Training may provide tools for relationship building and some challenging and fun activities. I took Vanessa Bee’s book, The Horse Agility Handbook: A Step-By-Step Introduction to the Sport, (ISBN-10: 1570764883 -- ISBN-13: 978-1570764882) on vacation and read it. Her ideas are clearly presented and offer great advice about how to insure you build the kind of relationship with your horse that is necessary when you “take that lead line off and your horse is free.”
Agility Leading is the first step and it requires a set of consistent signals based in body language to communicate directional and speed changes without bringing the rope into play. Easier said than done, at least for me. I was on unfamiliar territory and, even though she was patient with me, all I heard from Jalila was: Which hand points the way? What? Why are you over there? What-Is-UP-With-You?
My first efforts left me completely demoralized. The loose line idea is so foreign to me! Vanessa Bee says: Leave your wands and your clickers by the hitching post. You will be far too busy communicating with your horse to be bothered with them.
BUT since I am not competition bound and Jalila and I have a history with clicker training, I decided to find something she could target that would also help me focus and be more consistent while establishing a set of signals. Wands and ropes serve other purposes for us. I needed something entirely new for this new activity. I looked at a lot of expensive options and finally settled on a 69-cent purple fly swatter! It turned out to be the perfect solution. See for yourself in this short video.
We’re a long way from going off lead, but we are getting the basics down and learning a lot about each other in the process.
Agility Leading is the first step and it requires a set of consistent signals based in body language to communicate directional and speed changes without bringing the rope into play. Easier said than done, at least for me. I was on unfamiliar territory and, even though she was patient with me, all I heard from Jalila was: Which hand points the way? What? Why are you over there? What-Is-UP-With-You?
My first efforts left me completely demoralized. The loose line idea is so foreign to me! Vanessa Bee says: Leave your wands and your clickers by the hitching post. You will be far too busy communicating with your horse to be bothered with them.
BUT since I am not competition bound and Jalila and I have a history with clicker training, I decided to find something she could target that would also help me focus and be more consistent while establishing a set of signals. Wands and ropes serve other purposes for us. I needed something entirely new for this new activity. I looked at a lot of expensive options and finally settled on a 69-cent purple fly swatter! It turned out to be the perfect solution. See for yourself in this short video.
We’re a long way from going off lead, but we are getting the basics down and learning a lot about each other in the process.
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