Not to much to update here to be honest. I've been a bit quiet after Puhinui HT.
First off Pencil has had a pretty nasty virus, and I concluded I should NOT have run him at Puhinui, I knew it, but had entered on the basis of cost sharing with a friend and didn't want to let her down.
So he had close to 6 weeks to recover from that, I had the vet up nearing the end of April to consider using a drug that opens the lungs up to help prevent him coughing so I could continue working him, and maybe finish off the last two HT's of the season. I had entered. But low and behold - banned substance, and the withholding period was to long, so I scrapped that idea and just had him to the Chiro, pulled his shoes, did a few light hacks up the road, and have now turned him out.
I went in for surgery (Rotator cuff) on the 1st May, and I'm still in a sling now. I'm counting down the days to start riding. Being that it will be the worst of winter hitting as soon as I can ride, I decided (and I can't help myself) to still work Pencil in any manner I can. Hand walking was going to be easy with one hand, brought a halter I can get on with one hand and off I toddled. Until day 4 a bird flew out at him, he spun around into e, pushing me down a small drain where i suffered a dignity loss, a rope burn on my good arm, and radiating searing pain in my shoulder. **** me that hurt. So I left that for a week now, I'm not risking that again.
So I've fallen back to clicker training Pencil loves it. He will go to a target up to 5m away and return. I've had to read up a bit on where to go next with it, as I'm not confident in myself in this. The new book I read also had me go back a few steps and change a few things around. The ultimate thing I took from the book though is my lack of praising him - and likely his lack of understanding of what is praise. This has been addressed with the clicker easily. When he hits the jackpot, the tone, pitch and words I have been keeping the same, so he now (i Think) understands praise (YAY).
Fast forward to being 4 weeks post surgery and I'm starting to get antsy. So I put a "round pen" of tape and standard up in the paddock to free lunge. What makes me think that he "gets praise" is that I have been using a de gouge (through a halter type bridle not the bit), to have him travel more rounded. He has been doing so, but only travels the way i would like near the end of the session... so couple my new "tool" for praise, and free lunging I start using this as soon as he travels remotely how I would like, forward wither lifted, he lowered (not worrying about bend for now) and BINGO, within a 5 odd minute period he is travelling this way more and more often. Each time he goes there he gets praise, if he sustained it for a while, break and rest, recover. As the jackpot. Ended the session very happy indeed. Going to go repeat the lesson today. The goal is to have him move this way with no equipment on him (so easy).
I've charged the camera to do some show and tell in next few days. This has taken a long time one handed. Apologies for typo's
