Play with Me

I walked away from Storm, deeper into the back field, half turned toward her, snapping my fingers (which means "come"), hoping I was being inviting.  Then I ran, circling around her, and dodging toward her occasionally.  She stood and watched.  When she came toward me, I clicked and rewarded her.  Eventually she followed me around, I even got a few trot steps out of her, but she clearly didn't know what I was doing or what I wanted.  

Meanwhile my husband was trying to teach Abbey to come to him when he stood with his hands behind his back.  She saw Storm getting clicked and treated and was interested.  So I took a running step toward Abbey.  She startled and dodged away, and I took the pressure off and walked away.  I did that three or four times, moving her back further into the field, but then the herd ran off around the other side of the barn, and Abbey - eyeing me as if I was clearly insane - circled me and charged off after them at a gallop (I was not forcing her to participate in any way).

Humans.

There is method to my madness.  I am trying to engage them and get them to play with me.  I don't really know what I'm doing, but I expect them to teach me.  There were a few times after I engaged Abbey that I got her lovely, neck-arched, floating trot out of her.  And then she galloped.

You have to understand, tubby Abbey does not gallop for no reason.  Abbey isn't really all that into moving around unless there's something to be afraid of.  You also have to understand the evil, evil looks she gives me if I lunge her.  She is the smartest horse I ever met and she does not appreciate being forced to run in circles.

But she might appreciate playing.   I figure, if I can get her to enjoy a little game of dodge-horse, I can run some weight off her (and me!) without it seeming awful for either one of us.

Interestingly, Vee was very interested in my game.  When I was playing with Storm, she followed us, and then she sort of followed me (at a safe distance, of course).  This is a horse no one can currently touch, but she very obviously wants to connect with me.  And I very definitely want to connect with her.  I'm hoping that with my unconventional "training" methods, it might happen.

I have seen people do this game with a whip, but I had no whip.  I don't need one.  Abbey is very uncomfortable around them (we have desensitized her but she has given me very clear messages on this score in the past) and I suspect that the increased pressure would just send Storm into her happy place.

When I came back around the barn, all four of them were standing there waiting for me rather than retreating to the big field they usually hang out in, looking at me with ears pricked.  What's that crazy human going to do next?

I rubbed on everyone I could rub on, played with a feed sack for a little while, handed out goodbye peppermints, and we went home.