KBR Horse Net
Training Case Study:

"Scout"
Scout was a late addition to the 2002 Stockton adoption. He had been adopted by an elderly gentlemen who was unable to properly care for him. When he was picked up he was underweight and his feet were terribly overgrown. The three year old gelding had grown into a halter that was now too small for him and he had sores on his jaw and face.

Jenny Morgenstern, having "ceremoniously" receiving title to her previous adoptee, immediately set about the pens for another project horse. Last year she adopted the "Horse from Hell" at the Salinas adoption. This year she set her sights on the sore faced blonde that became frantic when the wranglers shaved his freezemark to verify his brand.

In conference with the wranglers we agreed to not halter this horse until his face healed. As a result we would have to work him "free style" until haltering so as to not cause any discomfort. Since he arrived pretty edgy, Sharon and Jenny began by using basic polling and clicker training methods.

Sharon first worked Scout with a bamboo pole. Once he settled to the touch she would allow him to curiously inspect the pole as well as herself. Having been in captivity he knew what carrots and other treats were and eventually he would cautiously reach out for one. This behavior allowed Sharon to start some clicker patterning which would be valuable later.

Sharon also rubbed Scout in other, more scary places, getting him used to contact all over. The idea here was to push the envelope as much as possible without replacing his natural curiosity with fear.

Within about a half hour Scout would face up, touch the pole with his nose on a verbal cue and could be touched in all sorts of places with the pole without becoming afraid and running off.

Keeping the horse curious
Desensitizing all over
Day Two

Sharon reinforced the previous session's work. By this time Scout was invested in the clicker game and would come up for treats even while the pole was moving across his back. A key point here is to allow the horse time to investigate and explore his handler.

Touching Sharon's hand
Taking a treat
Exploring up Sharon's arm
Jenny arrived and stepped into the pen in Part Two.

Continue to Part Two

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