This week started with Sansa’s very first public demonstration “Sunday Brumby Session” with Nigel and his Brumby Alpine Daisy. Sansa won the heart of everyone who came down to support us and be a part of our training journey.
I was very proud of how calm, soft and willing Sansa was, even in a high stress environment.
The take home message from the session being: “Good leadership is everything.”
In preparation for a set of clinics next week, I have also included float training into Sansas program. Her first loading session was even better than expected, she knew exactly how to follow the feel on the rope, and did not seem phased by the float at all.
Our success float loading is a product prior preparation. For the past few weeks we have been testing our leading cues over obstacles such as poles, rubber mats and the podium. The photo this week shows me being a distraction while Sansa stands on an obstacle.
Floating is only a test of how well a horse understands a lead forward cue.
3 rules of float training
- Never Motivate your Brumby when it is standing on the float
- Sansa is allowed to leave the float as many times as she likes
- Always educate “forwards” away from the float
For those who own a “problem loader” or a “sometimes loader” Nigel and I have just published The System, for Trailer Loading. A book that will be released and available before the challenge in November.
