Starting a Horse with Attraction 3 of 5: Tacking Up

To prepare Raleigh for his first experiences with a rider, I'm trying an experiment where I train him using only pressure-free, attraction-based techniques. How do you get a horse to stand still for tacking up while he's at liberty? First I ask him to target a block (or pedestal or tire) on the ground. Then I mark the moment he stands on it and give him a reward. I add his saddle pad, mark the moment, give a reward. Girth is next, mark, reward and so on. Because he's not restrained, the block acts like an anchor which keeps him standing still as if he were tied. Lots more about targeting and attraction at: http://paintinghorse.wordpress.com/

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• attraction
• tacking
• clydesdale
• liberty

[DjEndurancE]

Is that Dr. Cook's bitless bridle you're using?