This is the first time I’ve been able to touch Brandi’s hind foot with my hand. As always, some notes:
- Built-in pauses - looks like I’m feeding for nothing, but I’m reinforcing a pause, and then I’m pausing at shoulder and hip as a check-in to see if going forward is a good idea or not. Also emphasizes the difference between cuing for a foot lift, and *not* cuing (I don’t want her to lift her feet willy-nilly if I’m just standing and not asking).
- I was going to click for my hand touching her hoof. I’ve never gotten to this point before, so at first she lifts her foot and puts it right back down, just like she’s learned. So, I ask again with fingers at the chestnut (my cue to lift a foot), and this time I’m able to slide my hand down and catch her foot and actually hold it. If it didn’t work this way (which it doesn’t quite for the right hind just yet), I can click for just the touch of my hand to her hoof and not try to hold, and build from there.
- She’s still not 1000% relaxed in her body. That’s always the goal, and she’s SO MUCH better than she started, but it’s not there yet. Short sessions, high rate of reinforcement, small, logical steps, and alternating between different tasks is what’s been most effective for getting us to this point, and that will only continue to work for us going forward.
Also pretty proud of myself for figuring out how to click with a cough drop in my mouth. Harder than it sounds!
