It's been a wild pony week - a New Forest colt, a section C colt and a four year old New Forest pony. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that clicker training is the only option where owners don't have the facilities or appropriate fencing to contain a pony for whom the default position is flee! It's certainly working with Piper who now comes up to be caught. Providing clicker training is done in a disciplined way - only give a click and a reward where the pony does something desireable - then the ponies don't seem to become aggressive or nibbly. In fact it seems to make them decidedly cheerful. Im not into teaching ponies circus tricks but simple clicker training is great for teaching ponies to come up to people and to think before reacting.
It really is important that untouched ponies do become well handled early on while they are still malleable and open to learning. Pootling around for an age just teaches them to become more adept at avoiding being caught.
I hope no one is going to mind, but, despite the death of my Dad, I think I am happier now than I have ever been. I am loving every minute of my work and the sheer variety of horses and problems that I meet. I have the same attitude to horses as I have to food, if it's on my plate I will tackle it! It's wonderful not to be confined by the standards imposed by breed societies when deciding what constitutes a nice horse. I'd rather like my own t.v. programme ..... something on the lines of dog borstal for horses. Borstal is too strong a word though - must think of another one. Which reminds me - what is the collective term for RA's? A hush of horse whisperers?
Sarah Weston is a horse lover, and has been a horse owner and trainer for many years. Copies of her book, No Fear, No Force - A Guide to Handling the Semi-Feral Foal can be obtained direct through her website: www.sarahweston.co.uk
