[trailscout]

I think I’m definitely going to sign up.

I watched the video and part of the podcast. I will finish it.

My discretionary funds have been spent on materials for a BlM spec round pen for a mustang so I'll have to depend on your detail reports for now if you do sign up.

I am interested in pain and just read an article somewhere recently on reading a horse's face for expressions of pain. Mostly in the lips but other areas also.

 

[untamed equestrian]

I watched the video and part of the podcast. I will finish it.

My discretionary funds have been spent on materials for a BlM spec round pen for a mustang so I'll have to depend on your detail reports for now if you do sign up.

I am interested in pain and just read an article somewhere recently on reading a horse's face for expressions of pain. Mostly in the lips but other areas also.

Well, I just signed up, so I will keep you updated on the course and what I learn! I've been waiting for it to open up again, so I'm excited to get started. I'm also curious to learn more about your future mustang...will you be training it with +R?
After learning about warning signs in horses its really helped me to notice small things before they escalate into something bigger. Tight lips, swishing tail...etc. Its definitely an area I'm interested in learning more about.

 

[trailscout]

will you be training it with +R

Absolutely! That is why I finally decided to select an unhandled horse, to minimize the amount of forceful handling it had experienced, even though the training in the holding pens is gentle b -R standards, it's still -R. They all have been handled some for husbandry but not as much as others.

The clean slate seems to be easier to train and with me being a beginner, easier is a good thing.

I don't want to try a three strike mustang, but I do want to adopt one that would not be likely to be adopted. That would mean one at least over six and maybe one over 10.

I emailed the founder of Mustang Camp asking her opinion about training older mustangs with +R since the BLM thinks over 10 is untrainable using -R. She answered back right away wit totally trainable. so that's encouraging.

She has had over 600 mustangs through her non profit with some being total herd gathers from the National Forest with the normal ages of a full herd. And she gentled the entire herds.

As soon as the pen is finished I will submit an application for adoption to the BLM and at that time I'll talk to the local BLM holding facility about what they have and what they recommend.

The pen would be finished in a couple of week but rain is in the forecast for the latter part of next week and I'm not too keen on doing AC arc welding in the rain. Could be more excitement that I prefer

 

[untamed equestrian]

That's awesome! I've never bought into the whole romantic version of the "unbreakable, tall, thoroughbred-looking mustang", but I think they are well put together, smart horses. It's a pity more people don't consider them. If you don't mind sharing your progress once you get your mustang I would be intrigued to hear about how your training goes. I kept an eye on the last BLM auction and some of the flashier pinto horses hauled in $2,000+.

 

[trailscout]

I'll be posting for certain on my progress, or lack thereof. I'm committed to the idea that if I have problems, it'll be me and my lack of +R experience and not the horse.

Most BlM mustangs are between 14/15hh. If there was one that tall it would likely be one someone turned out. I saw one in a wild herd a few years back with a halter.

The thing that draw me toward a mustang is that they have a lot of rugged terrain experience which is what I like to ride in. Plus, there is no way for a horse's foot to develop as well as it does when traveling 10-20 miles each and every day from birth.

I know the BLM has auctions but had no idea one would ever sell for $2,000. All third strike mustangs and mustangs over 10 years old can be purchased outright with immediate title for $25.00. To adopt one that is unhandled with the option of returning during the first year is $125.00. The returns are where the 3 strike mustangs come from.

I will not even be looking at flashier. Calm and curious is what I'll look for. Particularly curious.

During some sessions with Keno today I began trying to build some duration between the click and the reward. As I was doing it, it dawned upon me that it should be called building anticipation because that is what the duration is for I'm pretty sure. It's the anticipation that a reward is coming that jazzes up the seeking system which goes way down after the food is received and the other drugs kick in. But it's good that I've waited as the clicker has to be really strong before duration is added, or so I understand.

 

[trailscout]

Just checked my email and received my bi-weekly email from Shawna and she addressed something I've been wondering about as picking up feet will be something I'll want to accomplish as early as possible with the new horse.

She just watches the horse until there is the tiniest weight shift from one front to the other and clicks at that very nano second. And repeat repeat repeat. And that I believe is why there needs to be a very strong reward history with the click so the horse will really really focus on what he was doing when the click was made with the treat that follows.

This +R training is not something to be approached haphazardly I'm beginning to think.

 

[trailscout]

I'm re-reading Shawna's first book and this morning I realized I had forgotten that the cue that is being taught was to be made at the exact same time as the click. The word target the and click is at the same time until the association is made. Once it becomes a cue it can be made alone with the click only coming after the target is touched. I've been saying target as a cue before he knew what the word meant.

Big DUH. I completely misread this. Don't know how but it's scary. The word target (cue) is presented at the time the target is presented with the click only being presented after the target is touched. I'll try to edit (erase) the above from the post it was in.

I re-listened to her podcast #3 this morning and thought there was a conflict with the book until I went back and re-read the section on paring the clicker with the cue (stimulus control).