The first video I have is of Gambler in his new bell boots. I've decided that they fit him, since he can walk and trot in them without slipping or tripping and so far they aren't rubbing him anywhere. Gambler on the other hand, is still kinda convinced that they are going to eat him. He wasn't doing a full-blown Spanish walk like the other day (when we didn't have a camera), but he still picks his feet up extra high.
The second video is a game that I've heard called by many different names. Basically it is just practicing leading etiquette. I hold the lead rope in the hand farthest away from Gambler and hold the stick and string in the hand closest to him. Then using my body, voice, and the stick and string I ask Gambler to walk, trot, stop, back up, and turn when I do. Today was the first time I ever asked him to trot so he takes a while to pick it up and I reward him immediately after. Later I will expect him to respond faster and trot for longer periods of time.
The third video is about troubleshooting. No horse and rider team is perfect. Gambler and I have just as many issues as anyone else. Gambler has this one corner where he gets stuck and doesn't want to move forward in the circle. He just backs up when I cue him to go forward. In the video you can see him stop and back up when I ask him to go forward. I shorten the line and continue to add pressure until he moves in the direction I am asking him to go. NOTICE: I do not once hit my horse with the stick and string, you can hear it hitting the ground. Once he moves forward I change my body position so that I am walking beside him in a smaller circle. This gives me more driving force so that he can't stop and back up again. After he has walked several circles without getting stuck in that corner, I bring him in and reward him. You can see him lower his head for an ear scratch in the end, showing that he is submissive and calm.
So the best parts that I mentioned earlier did not make it into the videos. After practicing the game seen in my second video I took the lead off of Gambler and played another game. This game is usually called catching me. I started off playing the leading game without a rope until Gambler decided to walk away. I let him walk away and drove him away from me. I didn't ask him to go faster than a walk or trot, just to move away from me. The rules of the game are as follows: if Gambler is facing away from me he has to keep moving, but if he faces me he can stop or come to me for an ear rub and a rousing "Good boy!" He came to me and left me and came to me again, but by the third time he was starting to get it. I thought that was a good place to stop. That game required me to move around a lot and it was a very hot, sweaty day.
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