The Law of (Positive) Double Effect!

Now that Velcro is less of an issue, I decided that the next step in rug desensitisation would be to tackle belly straps. Now I have been given some great advice on this, and I really wanted to try it out. However, now I’m being really honest here, as I get fatter, and less agile, certain aspects of this desensitisation process have worried me slightly, and this is one bit that I have been concerned about.

However, one thing that I hadn’t factored into this training equation, is the fact that there appears to be a law of positive double effect. By this I mean that by taking everything slowly and tiny step by tiny step, not only has Faith’s trust and confidence grown in me, but my trust and confidence and trust has also grown in her as well. Even though I have been around horses all my life, I have in recent years had a huge crisis of confidence, not just in my riding abilities, but in everything I do as a horse person. Clicker training has enabled me to build up my confidence in myself as a trainer piece by piece again, and made me unafraid to take a step back sometimes, and take things as slowly as is necessary for both me and the horse.

So anyway, I started the process with Faith totally loose on the yard as usual, and using a long leadrope folded in half, just draped it over her back, and ran it down the length of her back to get her used to the rather tickly sensation. Then I draped it over her back just behind her withers, and let it hang further and further and further down her far side, and swished it about a bit so that she felt it against her leg and knee. Then gradually I lengthened the rope so it was no longer doubled, and let the soft end touch the floor, and again wiggled it so that it touched her pastern and hoof.

Then I leaned down with the rope still draped over her back, and patted and rubbed her tummy. After this I leaned down again and gently took hold of the leadrope and brought it towards me underneath her so that she could feel it under her ribcage. I then pulled it back and forth gently, so that she could feel the sensation of it rubbing under her ribcage. I did the same on the other side, obviously doing all this in tiny, tiny steps, and keeping the reinforcement rate really high.

Well that little mare didn’t even react, and in fact stood through all this in the middle of the yard, calmly resting a back leg, with a soft relaxed expression on her face. Then it was back to her stable for a jackpot and a hug. Fabulous!

So my next move is to continue with this, but gradually work back along her belly a little bit, and even cross the rope back along her belly in both directions to simulate the directions of the cross surcingles. But today was an excellent start, and I am really, really delighted with our progress.