If we were going to try to focus Keno using clicker training we had to get the click-treat association down. Tossing the carrot bits onto the old piece of conveyor belt wasn't cutting it so we went back to some old fashioned handling techniques.

I worked her on the line until she would let me rest the back of my hand on her nose without fighting me. Then I more or less forced a carrot up to her. After she settled down, she took a big bite. After a couple of carrots were down the hatch, we decided to make her wait until she would look at me, then click and offer the carrot. Within less than 15 minutes she seemed to have the association down pretty well.

Sharon handed me an old stick to try to use as a target. Keno was starting to get into the click-treat game so we started playing "touch it!" After she got solid on the stick, we advanced to the brush. Once she was solid with the brush, we changed the game.

At this point I'd say "touch it!" and advance the brush to her shoulder. So long as she was into the game and following the brush, I not only could touch her shoulder but I could brush her a little bit. Remember, this is a horse which only minutes before would violently bolt and crash around if I tried to initiate any form of contact other than a via long bamboo pole.

We quit on a good note and went off to work with Patience. When we were through, Sharon checked on Keno and discovered that she had somehow gotten the drag lead up over her head and was constantly stepping on the end of the rope. We new this situation could result in an abrasion sore across her poll if not corrected so I went inside with clicker, carrot bits and the brush for a target.

SNORT!

I held out the brush and we played "touch it!" I used the target to move her head around until I found a spot where I could reach in and disentangle the rope. I suppose one could call it "click rescue." We felt Keno had enough activity for one day and we decided she should rest and we'd try some serious grooming the next day.

Day 4:

We started the day with "touch it!" then immediately moved to touching the shoulder again with the brush. The new verbal cue became "stand still." She could walk off if she wanted to, but I would bring her head around and disengage her. If she stood quietly, she got a click. Within a few minutes I could brush her from poll to tail on her "off" side, but she was still very guarded about her nose and legs.

Next I went to her less comfortable "on" side and repeated the exercise. When I touched her shoulder with the brush, she wheeled backwards so violently that she turned herself over. I gave her a chance to get up and shake off the dust, then we started over. This time I spent more time on targeting before touching her shoulder.

Within a few minutes she would let me brush her about the same as she did on her off side except that she would not take any carrots for a click reward. I found a little spot near her shoulder that she liked to have scratched and she got scratches instead of treats for her reward. (I personally prefer social contact rewards to goodies so I saw this as an opportunity, not a setback.)

During my next two visits to her the pen I could verbally cue her to "hold still," give her scratch rewards and brush or scratch her from poll to tail, both sides, without even taking up the lead. She wasn't real solid yet, but she was definitely making progress. I wanted to exploit this state of mind as it was her choice to stand for me and I wanted to reinforce this process before venturing into those few remaining "forbidden zones."

"Touch the stick!"

Targeting the brush

Really bending around
(Note those attentive ears)

"Touch it!" just became
getting touched

Getting scratched with
nobody holding the line

"OOOH! I'll give you an
hour to quit!