The Games We Play

Per request, I took some videos of playtime with Gambler today. They aren't the most professional videos, due to the fading light and my non-stop commentary (What? I like to talk to my horse!). However, they should prove helpful to anyone who is interested in playing similar games with their horse.

The Parelli 7 Games are the basis for all of the games I play, so if you are really serious about playing with you horse I definitely recommend researching their methods. That being said, I have modified the games quite a bit to fit my horse's personality. The games that I play with Gambler are specifically intended for a high-energy, playful horse. I bring in exciting new things like saddle blankets, tarps, poles, and bandanna's, so that he doesn't get bored. There are a lot of horses that would react fearfully to these new things and need a slower, gentler approach, but this is what works with my horse.

The first video demonstrates the basic cues I use to move Gambler from one place to the next. When I introduce the stick and sting you will notice that I completely relax and lower my energy. This tells him "Yes, the string is smacking the ground, but I'm not telling you to move just yet." Then I use the 12' rope to bring him to me and drive him away. I make him wait for a moment at the end of the rope, before sending him off in a circle.

The second video introduces a saddle pad. I used a dirty saddle pad that I was already going to clean, so that I didn't mess up a nice one. In the video I ask Gambler to approach the saddle pad and reward him by releasing pressure when he sniffs it and paws it. I ask him to move on sooner than I normally would with a new object, because I didn't want him to damage it by pawing.

The third video introduces two new objects, the bandanna on the stick and the tarp. Gambler and I have played with both of these objects before, but he still finds them fun and interesting. I follow the same steps with the tarp as I did with the saddle pad. I ask for him to approach it and reward him for touching it. Once he seems comfortable with the tarp, I ask him to walk over it from different angles.

I hope that these videos are helpful to the people who asked for them. I will definitely upload some more (with better lighting) soon, possibly tomorrow.