I include below a You Tube video of Mikey from today. Brushed him off first and he’s almost all the way free of his winter coat now. Dabbed a little fly spray UNDER his eyes.  He correctly “targeted” five cones in succession—it took a while because a couple of times he took a break and would stare out across the fence. I also did my “six shooter”movement with my fingers to ask him to back. He earned clicks and treats for all these things. Then worked on asking him to step sideways with his front legs, then his hinds to small taps of the whip. I try to just use 2 taps. I also played with asking him to lower his head to taps on his crest (eventually I will. just use a slightly cupped hand and “clapping” on the side of his neck in the same rhythm).  He does not like lowering his head (you know about this…unless it is HIS idea!).  I was intrigued to notice that the moment we were done with the clicker stuff and I had taken off his halter, he immediately left me and went more towards the mid area of his paddock. Normally he follows me to his gate to say “goodbye” to me.  This time, he’d had enough!  Not upset about anything in particular but he had a lot to process.  Earlier we had only done 2 cones in succession, I believe.  You will notice he stayed mentally engaged the whole time, though…but today once we were done he was ready to be on his own time, own turf!

Here’s the 17-minute link for You Tube: (the “action” starts about a minute into it): 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oidbbydlcE

 
Duchess: a lot more transitions, cantering and such...in and out (spirals) and the NOOR exercise (suppling the hips and shoulders from the ground)

Thanks again for letting me ride Monaco!!!!!

Here’s a quick recap of what I did with Mikey and Duchess this morning (Sat. morn):

started using other cones that I have in my truck and introduced to him the idea of sequencing…I have some small softer soccer cones that are designed to let the wind through.  He successfully touched (he still just goes down to the cone but BARELY touches them with his muzzle…he is much more willing to make contact if I use tennis balls!)…I had a 3 cone sequence and he marched up to each one that I indicated and touched them in sequence!  I put them about 8 feet apart. I also reminded him about backing up and he was much better (yes, of course clicking and treating for each segment)…and I tapped the crest of his neck in rhythm and he did lower his head incrementally.  He was much more accepting of me using the whip around him this time.  This (teaching of lowering the head to tapping in rhythm) needs more work. Also: I am going to add MORE cones next time I’m out there.  Fly sprayed his body and also wiped some around his eyes.

Duchess: lunged her; cantered her some; also showed her an exercise (done on the ground) of suppling her (only did it 2x in each direction)…in essence you get the horse to step over with its hind end AND step smaller (also over) with its front end…while keeping the horse’s poll flexed a tad towards you, the handler.  She took to t his like a champ.  Did spiral in and out in trot (on lunge).  Applied some fly spray around her eyes.

4/27/18
Brushed him off first. 
Today I tried a new cone with Mikey—one of the softer older medium sized ones rather than the ones that are currently used sometimes in the indoor arena.  He was very good about going right to them on the ground after I said “target” and would stand off to the side.  I even tested him and put one 8 - 10 feet away and he walked right over and lowered his nose to it.  Now, I do notice he does not as solidly TOUCH it with his nose like he does the tennis balls but he is about 1/32nd of an inch from it and taht’s a-okay in my book.  The intent is valid.  
I worked on “back” with him (waggling my fingers back and forth as if I was shooting a 6 shooter).  He’s getting better and better about response time.
(note: he’s getting clicks and treats throughout! for all his good behavior)
Used the butt end of the dressage whip after I laid it on the side of his neck and stroked him with it…then tapped it 2x on each shoulder and he easily stepped sideways with his fore feet. Yay. 
Worked on asking him to lower his head and neck. Revisited using the tapping method (lightly, rhythmically) tapped gently on his mane crest. At first he acted insulted.  Backed up some. A few times. tried to march forward (I did not allow this…Jeff Moore said all was okay…even sideways or a few steps of backwards but no forward…as that is often their flight/fight kicking in.  All I wanted him to do was experiment…until he started getting the message to lower his head to the tapping.  He started to get the idea.  I will revisit it again tomorrow morning.  
I also asked him to lift each of his four feet to command (“up” plus either pointing at said foot with my whip or in the case of the hinds having to touch the front of his cannon bones—he really lifted his feet WAY high!!! Oy vey! But it was one foot at a time as I asked so I clicked and treated each time and made a big fuss.

With Duchess: lunged her and made sure going to the left (counterclockwise) I walked out in a big circle with her so she was traveling trotting on a VERY large circle (30-40 meters) and this assisted her in being able to use her bad hind leg better. The other way she even was offering me stretches on her own at trot. I also spiraled her gently in and out ( both directions) at trot and walk.  And I played a bit with the voltes/small circles.  Made a huge fuss too out of her.  

4/24/18
Worked with both Mikey and Duchess.  Brought Mikey up to the r round pen and took off his lead rope. Then showed Brittany how active and precise he was about targeting.  I would hold the tennis ball (on the end of the old whip) anywhere and he'd seek it out. Click and treat. Yay.  Then asked him to come to me--kissed a bit, leaned over, made the scooping motions with my hands and forearms (towards my solar plexus) and he readily walked towards me. Click and treat.  I also asked him to back up using my voice and wagging my index fingers towards him. He did not get it so I lightly touched the point of his shoulder and repeated back. NO problem (later after I put. him away in. his home paddock, he easily backed away from the fence line to me just wagging my finger and saying "back."). He was a bit distracted because a car drove by and Brittany was watching...but it went okay.  I also used my shorter dressage whip to lightly tap him on the broadside of. his shoulder and rewarded him for ANY sideways with either of his forefeet (away from the direction of pressure, of course).  Click and treat.  However, when he just took a step back...no reward.  He is a bit reactive to the whip so I would lightly rest it on the side of his neck, say "whoa" and by now I had the lead line attached because sometimes he would take several steps back when all I wanted to do was lightly tap his shoulder over.  The moment he got the correct idea, click and treat. I also dropped the whip and then used the tip of one finger to very lightly press/poke into his shoulder and he easily stepped sideways, click and treat.  I then picked up the whip and showed Brittany where we were at with me tapping a certain foreleg and saying up and he got a reward for that too.  And I re-tested his ability to just stand there w/ me saying "whoa" and walking in an arc in front of him...click and treat. He used to try to follow me everywhere. Eventually I will build upon all this--these tiny things that I can marry up into longer sequences.  Right now we are just learning "a language" together.  Interesting to note: as I led him to and fro from his home paddock, he never once offered to eat grass. It is as if he is too mentally into things to even notice the grass! On Fri. I need to bring my extra tennis balls and work more on the sequential stuff and make him touch them in order. He's a bit proud of himself. Later, as I drove out for the evening, I stopped at his pen, asked him to come to me and then waggled my finger at him, said back, and he was a doll out it. I made a click sound with my mouth and of course he got a treat. Waved goodbye and told him we'd be at it again on Fri. He is almost done shedding out.

Duchess!  Adelle said that on Mon. I think she used her for a very light lesson with Anne.  The mare did not fret on the cross ties like she used to. Adelle found that of interest. I lunged her out in her field and I was amazed to see that she did not limp in the hind end!  True, she is still a bit short strided (the hind end) BUT she is much more even over all. All I did was walk, trot, whoa. Brittany was watching the last half of our work session and was impressed by the mare. She is getting the idea of whoa to the voice but I have to reinforce it for now with some movement of the lunge line.  Want her to eventually just whoa in her tracks, on the original line of travel as I don't like horses turning in on me as they come to a stop.  I like them staying on the 20m circle.  I waggle it upwards to enforce my asking her to come to a halt.  She is spot on with her transitions.  Very much on the money. All I have to do is say the word "trot" or "walk" and maybe add a cluck or say "EEEE---ZEEE" to reinforce a downwards and she's there with me.  Never pulls on the lunge line. Light, easy to handle.  A dream.  I told Adelle I'm going to work on teaching her to stretch as a way to help her build up her top line.  It's only been a little bit that I've been doing this with her but can see progress already. Will now start more spiral in and out and eventually add walking voltes...then will use the round pen to introduce her to long lining.

Fri and Sat. April 20 and 21
managed to work both of them. what I'd doing new with Mikey is making. him touch tennis balls on the ground and will sequentialize them. he's getting better about back to a verbal command.  also reinforcing whoa.
with Duchess: lunged her in the field. Found out from Adelle about her history (being abandoned; was always gimpy, forced to jump 3 ft.) she limps more going to the right. looks high up. maybe stifle. she actually stretched some going to the left. I told A I'd also long line her.

April 15 and April 17: both horses report:
Duchess: round pen lunging. On Sunday (the 15th) pen was a bit wet so I kept it slow as she was making a smaller circle (to avoid the muggy outsides). I worked a lot on asking her to whoa and stay on the perimeter. She got better but not confirmed yet.  Good on her upwards transitions (to a verbal). Only walking, halt and trot so far. She is still a bit needing strengthening. Also brought her in and groomed her some.  One time she did a perfect halt on the perimeter and I got excited and praised her and she got worried because I was overly enthusiastic.  However, overall...she likes the formalness I t think of working.  On Tues., the 17th, she purposely met me in her pasture and let me collect her.  Very good work in the round pen.  I also am reinforcing that she whoa in her tracks when I lead her on a straight line, too.  Overall, she was much more keen and cued in on Tues. Better about staying out there in the halt...but I will have to keep after t his because I do not want her coming in at me when I ask her to halt. I have to be very quiet when I talk to her...deliberate with my movements.  She is sensitive.

Mikey: Sunday: groomed him fully. Oiled the tops of his hooves. Took. him into the covered arena. He did not want to enter at first (used smaller side gate). Easy to use the target to ask him to come forward in increments and easy to get him to get past his first resistances.  Once in there, he was a bit "high" (I suspect from being used to being jumped a lot in there)...it was a work setting for him.  Easy to get him to target.  I also worked on the tapping him on the OPPOSITE haunch but he still not getting this so it led to him getting confused. Decided to let that be.  Worked on asking him to just stand. click/treat. He was easy to move his shoulders sideways to one tiny touch (click/treat).  backing was good.

Tuesday, the 17th: worked with him in his home paddock: now teaching him to raise his front legs to a touch of the whip. Also worked on asking him to back to a verbal.  Reinforced the request to stand (click and treat...use the word "whoa" of course); he was easy to get to come to me via kissing, motioning towards my solar plexus with my hands.  I worked him this time with no halter just to see how it went.  All good.  He is a very focused student.

April 13, 2018
Spent bulk of the day at the barn helping Adelle. As I drove towards front gate, stopped by and worked with Mikey as I told him I would. I kissed at him and called his name and he quickly walked in my direction.  Click and treat the moment he began walking towards me. He's getting really good about being assertive about going after the target (tennis ball on old dressage whip). I can hold it out further from him and make him walk a few steps to touch the ball with his nose.  Click/treat. He gets that! I also groomed him in the middle of his home paddock.  Then I worked on asking him to back up by word and he did not understand it until I lightly touched the front of his shoulder and pressed lightly.  click and treat. We did this SEVERAL times and finally he offered on his own to take one medium sized step back. click and treat, of course. Along the way to getting him to do all that (the one step back) were attempts on my part to cue him via waggling my fingers parallel backwards (much like a guide on a aircraft carrier indicating direction to a fighter jet)...plus I tried wiggling the lead rope a lot to make it slightly obnoxious to him and suggesting to him (a la Parelli) that he might consider taking a step back.  Once he gave it to me...much coo-ing and the click/treat.  I also played with whoa, come.  I would target him so he came forward and then ask for him to whoa.  He finally got the idea that all he had to do was stand there and I'd reward him for his "whoa."  And I reinforced his coming to me by kissing, the ole slight leaning forward and stroking the imaginary lead rope to my solar plexus.  He easily understands that concept. I explained I needed to go on home so I undid his halter and lead (most of the time I did not even use the lead...just let it dangle)...and once I was out of his paddock, I made him take a step back (away from the fence...and at my behest (word "back" ) and clicked and treated him.

4/10/18
Mikey:
Drove into main gate, stopped by his paddock...called to him from his front fence and clicked and gave him a Jolly Rancher for him coming to me. I moved my location and made him come to me from a different vantage point.  I also said "whoa" and he had to stand still and then I would back up a few steps...he had to stay...and click and treat. I also kissed and bowed over a bit and made the come to me move (like pulling in a rope to myself solar plexus) and he complied. Click and treat. Then I drove in and took my lesson.  Went back out afterwards and gathered him up (halter and lead) and took him to the round pen. Using my longer whip, I tested him on the idea of tapping him on his RIGHT haunch by reaching up over his back  and hoping he'd yield to that and step towards the left. Nothing doing.  He was still stuck on the idea that no matter which haunch I tap (should I stand on his left side) he is going to move to the right regardless. I even tried reaching my uber long whip up underneath his chin and tapping him while I still stood on his left shoulder and tapping his right haunch and he got excited by this change of maneuver. One evasion he uses is backing up...raising his head, etc.  I then went back to more plebeian requests: yielding his fore to the side to my simple prodding with a finger tip (no problem there) and he is very clear about yielding his haunches right or left as long as I am tapping and standing on the same side as where the whip is touching him...no problem with that either.  He did get a bit flummoxed when I tried a couple of times later on my "difficult request" and then refused the Jolly Ranchers(!)...however later, after he was back in his home paddock and doing my oral requests that he take a step backwards (he did this...and he got a click and Jolly Rancher...no problem then with him accepting the Jolly Ranchers).  He was accepting of the other horse treats I offered, though. Only when he got flummoxed did he start spitting out the Jolly Ranchers.  So, duly noted.  I also did the target thing (tennis ball) and am now working on offering it more away from his head space and he's going for it. He definitely has the idea of what "target"means...and I make sure he actually TOUCHES the ball with his muzzle and not a cheating way of sort of touching it.  In a wonderful test...in the round pen...I said whoa.  Then I walked ALL THE WAY around him and he just stood there and I praised the heck out of him...click and treat. He did not move a muscle. Will play with that concept again on Fri.  With my own horse I can say whoa, walk in a gigantic circle in each direction about 30 meters out...he just stands there...this is something I can teach Mikey.

April 7, 2018
The Mikey Report
It was lightly raining when I got there about 10:30 in the morning. I decided to just work with Mr. Mikey in his own paddock. I donned a rain coat and hat and grabbed my tools: a regular short-ish dressage whip, a much longer flexible whip, my "target" (tennis ball stuck permanently on the end of an old dressage whip), my clicker, a couple of fanny packs filled to the brim with treats and a shedding blade.
I walked up to his paddock from the parking area and he met me at the gate of his home paddock. I took his halter from the hook just outside his main gate but did not put it on him etc. From there, I walked all the way towards the back of  his home paddock to see what it was like in his run in shed just in case the rain escalated. I was wearing very good mud boots (a blessing).
Mikey followed me all the way to the back side. I groomed him all over and checked his chest (skin healing just fine) and he just stood there (no halter) while I did this.  Got some old winter hair off of him.  I found a spot of high ground (no puddles) and put on his halter.  Then I tested if he was willing to step sideways with his front feet if I touched him in the middle of his shoulder. Yes and yes. Click and treat! Then I worked on asking. him to yield his haunches to a slight whip touch on the same side as I was standing on and he readily stepped sideways with his haunches to whatever way I indicated. More click/treat. Then I tried taking the LONG flexible, light whip and tapping him on the OPPOSITE haunch from where I was standing (note: I had to reach over his back, traverse wise; also note: I use the command "over" as I ask for any traverse steps from him coupled with tapping or finger tip pressure) and he finally got it if I asked him to bring his left hip right ways (step counterclockwise) but he could not make the mental leap to do the other way. So, I tried several times and he kept offering that he yield just the left hip towards the right even if I was tapping him on his right hip (and I'd also step back and revert to the "regular" way of asking him to yield his haunches with. me on the same side and he was fine with that...).  So, I then took him closer to. his run in shed and used it as a "block" so he would not want to step his haunch into the building from that position, I stood at his left shoulder, reached over his back with my uber long light whip and tapped his right haunch hoping he'd make the leap and step over towards the right. He did it and I gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up and a click and TWO treats (a jackpot).  But that was the only time I could make him do it in that direction.  However, during this training session, I could not get him to recreate the same move as he refused to stand near the run in after that. I tried some out in the open but he kept just going back to yielding the left hip to the right (despite being tapped and "prodded" to do the opposite)...so I gave that up and pledged to try it another day. At one point he got a bit mad at me so I decided to go onto something else.  He is an overachiever and likes getting the right answer.  He also likes to experiment.  I am jazzed that he did rather comfortably make the learning leap that if I stood near his right shoulder and tapped onto his left hip (reached over and across his spine) that he could manage that aokay.  Then I tested him on "target" and he got jackpots for correctly touching his nose to the tennis ball even if it was way up in the air about 3 feet from his face...but at the level of his ears...and he also got a click/jackpot for reaching down to the ground and correctly touching the tennis ball after I would say "target" and offer it to him.  In the future, I'm going to try to get further and further away from him and make him "work" for his click and treat more on this one.  At one point he was nuzzling the old dressage whip instead of the tennis ball and I did not give him a click or treat...so he figured that out and immediately went for the tennis ball with his nose. Click and treat!
I also checked in with him on lowering his head. He was better than yesterday. It is not confirmed...but at least we were starting from him having a more level head/neck carriage...I would gently place my hand on the upper third of his crest and NOT press down but say "put your head down."  His eyes were blinking slowly during this part of our session...and he even appeared almost to yawn.  I tested him from BOTH sides about this and did my best to avert him turning his nose into my space (I would either use my finger tips and gently prod him away as all I want is for him to keep his head and neck centered to his chest and put his head down to that...sometimes I held my arm so my elbow pointed down to the g round and if he tried to turn his big head into my space he would end up touching my forearm instead and it served as a sort of "guard" so he would go back to more neutral straight head carriage).  ANY semblance of lowering the head was rewarded. A few times he took a slight step backwards coupled with lowering the head and I felt compelled to reward it anyway because at least his head was going DOWN. And then I noticed he began to VOLUNTEER dropping his head (a few times to the ground) and I rewarded one of those despite the fact I had not primed him or requested it...I felt it was a step in the right direction. Click and treat anyway at least in that case.  I also was sure to give him his treats (after the click) in a space LOW so he had to release his head and neck in an even more downward position to get his reward.
I also did a quick check in on"whoa" and "come" and told him whoa and walked about 5 feet off and did a semi circle in front of him. He just stood there. Click and treat. Then I stepped back, curled down a bit and made the stroking motion as if I was winding an imaginary lead rope into my solar plexus and I kissed at him and he immediately broke rank and walked towards me. click and treat!
I then began to make motions that I had to go (I'd spent about 40 min. with him).  I took off his halter and he followed to the front. I made him back 2x (to verbal) as he had no halter on. And he got rewarded (click first, of course).  Then I exited the paddock and asked him to back one more time away from his fence line and he did so so I gave him a click and treat and told him I'd see him on Tues.
Ms. Toye, his owner, said he really likes Jolly Ranchers so we are going today to buy him some.  I used a lot of carrot bits, some horse treats and some rock candy today for his treats.  He loved all of it of course.

April 6, 2018
The Mikey Chronicles, cont'd.:
Walked over to his paddock about 2:00 and he let me halter him just fine. He was very very dirty. We went towards the main barn.  He spied the automatic walking wheel in motion (it had Duchess in it) going and even though we were a good distance from it (basically near the pond) he took umbrage with this device.  He raised his head up high and kept it there and watched in amazement as she walked/trotted with the pieces of hurricane fencing coaxing her along. All I wanted to do was to lead him to the cross tie area so I could groom him first.  This was the last thing on his mind, though.  As we neared "the torture device" he got more animated. This gave me an idea. I got him to take a step with me and clicked and treated him. He totally forgot about the device for a moment. We'd go a few more steps, etc....more clicking and treating. He did the "trumpet snort" for good measure. Duchess couldn't have cared less about him. She was huffing and puffing and had more important things on in her mind...like moving.  I attached him to the crossties and he made sure he could (from time to time) look over his shoulder at the walking wheel.  Duchess started ignoring the hurricane fencing so Adele corrected her 2x from the side and urged her forward.  She explained that it was not good to strain the motor if a horse was going to flat out stop and let the pieces of fencing drag over her back!!! Ah, Duchess!  Mikey took all this in and was a bit put out that Adele had started clucking to Duchess and correcting her and such!  I kept on scrapping the hair and mats off of him till he was much cleaner/smoother; treated his front chest scratch area with Corona (it is almost all the way healed) and felt for his beginnings of a summer sore and that was just about all gone (I put a touch of Swat on it, for good measure). I also cleaned out his feet and applied Koppertox to the back ones (frog crevasses) as there was a touch of thrush starting. The fronts were good, though! Then I put him in a school horse stall across from the crossties, unclipped his lead rope, and pulled out my clicker, dressage whip and bag o' treats.  We worked first on head down. This time I did not do the Jeff thing of taps...rather I gently placed my head up near (not on) his poll, the crest of his mane and waited for any glimmer that he might drop his head.  For every nuance of a head/neck drop, I immediately clicked and treated. One thing he started doing that I had to start "reshaping" was the tendency to turn his head into my space and look for a treat.  I began only clicking when his head went down (in any form or fashion) straight in front of his own chest.  After about 10 segments of this he was getting the idea. I also worked at it by standing on the other side and he got the idea of "head down." For my own horse, I say literally, "put your head down" and by now I do not even need to touch. him...but he's been conditioned for years to do this before he ever gets ANY treat at all (when unmounted).  So, I was happy to see Mikey was getting the idea of head down and for good measure, I was saying the phrase just to pair it up so that perhaps one day I won't have to place my palm on the upper crest of his mane at all.  Regardless, he appreciated getting the praise.  Then I did a mini version of "whoa" and "come" in the stall. The challenge was that he had to stand still (NO FEET MOVE) no matter where I moved in the stall.  That was for the Whoa part. He the idea (we have done this before) and I "tested" it about 4-5 x and he only once moved towards me (I shrugged up my shoulders at him and he immediately took that step back).  Then I said whoa and walked a corner of the stall, slightly leaned forward and made the cooing sound and also fashioned my hands and arms so that it appeared I was reeling in a rope towards my solar plexus and he immediately walked towards me. Click and treat.Yay!  Then I tested his willingness to step sideways (NOT backwards) to a slight pressure from the butt end of my dressage whip to the middle of his shoulder and he willingly and IMMEDIATELY have me the exact correct lateral step (inward, towards his mid line) I was looking for. Click and treat for both directions. Very happy.  I praised him. He was now cleaner and wiser.  We walked back out to the front paddock and I let him graze for just a couple of minutes because it began sprinkling and I knew Eladio had put his feed out there for his dinner and I did not want his grain to get wet.  Once we were in the paddock, I asked him to first back 2x to voice only and he remembered and got a click and treat. Then I undid his halter and lead and stepped aside so he could eat his dinner. He was very mannerly about all this.  Super cool horse.

April 3, 2018
Did 3 mini clicker sessions with Mikey today. First I drove in and parked next to his paddock.Got out and called to. him. He nickered and came to meet me from where he had been standing all the way in the back of his paddock.  I put his halter on. him.  Used my shedding blade on him and got more mats and old winter coat off of. him.  Then used the clicker and worked on "whoa" and "come."  What I did was ask. him to stand where he was standing and would say whoa and then click and reward for him NOT moving any of his feet. Naturally he did reach out and beg some...and at first he kept taking a step or two towards me. I then began rewarding him much closer in so he was set up for success.  And, each time he broke protocol (walked towards me), I asked him to back to his original spot.  (and would click when he backed up to my request).  Then I told him I'd be back for. him later after my lesson.  I did go back and collect him.  He was not super good about whoa yet.  I took him first to the tack up/cross tie area and groomed on him some more and put some Corona on some spots he had (that are getting better).  Then I took him to the round pen and did the same lesson.  He got pretty good about backing up, actually.  He still did not totally grasp the whoa. part. To instill "come" I would lean forward a bit (tip forward) and comb the lead line or the lunge line in an inviting gesture towards my solar plexus and kiss.  He caught on to the immediately.  click and treat every time!  Then I used the lungeline to ask him to back up a bit (shook it a lot...made his halter vibrate on his face)...would quit the moment he backed to my request...click and treat.  Then worked again on the "whoa" part.  He finally was standing when I walked about 3-4 feet in an arc around his forehand.  click and treat.  Took him back to his paddock...let him graze for just a few minutes before I turned him in to his paddock. Then once inside...took off. his halter and now for mini session #3...I tested him on back, whoa and come (kiss along with inviting arm gestures) and he was perfect!  Much praise. Will see him again on Fri.