OTTB Success Stories

Posts Tagged ‘Clipping’

Just want to share our news–prob not that exciting, but further proof of your often stated philosophy of slow and steady with these guys.

Brett’s only ‘hole’ has been head shyness–especially his ears. Joan and I have spent three years on this issue, slowly but consistently exposing him to more and more head/ear contact. I’ve ‘clicker trained’ him, and that’s how he learned to tolerate having his muzzle clipped–took me a good 3 months, but we got it done. The ears have been a much more challenging issue, as it took a full year until I could hold one, and it’s taken another year + to get to the point that I can grab an ear (gently) and he drops his head and turns it to me.

Friday, Joan and I were chatting as I clipped his muzzle. I wasn’t wearing my glasses, so Joan trimmed the hairs along his jawline. She then slowly sneaked the clippers up to his bridle path…and he stood there. A few minutes later he dropped his head and turned it to me. I quickly gave him a treat, and indeed, Joan was clipping his ear! No twitch, no drugs, just consistent rules and cookies when he offered the trained behavior. He now has two beautifully trimmed ears, and he looks like the fancy show horse he is. I’m pretty darn proud–not of the neatly trimmed ears, but rather of the trust that those ears represent.

Of course, this is Brett….so he is now facing nearly daily ear trimming until we are sure we have installed the new behavior!

Patience and consistency win again!

Rap It Up at the creek crossing. This is about a 4' slope down the bank to the water.

Hey Elizabeth,

Just thought I’d send you a quick update on Rap. He had a great weekend. I was able to ride him all 3 days, between rain storms. My wife and I set out an a trail ride Friday evening, a little later than we had intended, we took our usual route out across the hay fields and down to our trails in the woods. We rode across creek crossings and up and down several hills and Ol’ Rap did great. It got dark pretty quick so we decided to head back to the barn. As we were making our way back we met one of the guys who deer hunts the area who was riding his ATV with headlights on and Rap acted as if he saw stuff like that everyday. After chatting with the deer hunter briefly, we headed on back to the barn, by this time, it was very dark in the woods and Rap led the way as if he had been on those trails all his life rather than just for the last month. When we got back from our ride, I clipped his bridle path and the whiskers on his muzzle, he stood in the middle of the barn hallway with his head down completely unrestrained while this was going on. Read the rest of this entry »