Baker training sessions 10-12 - lots of repetition!

Sorry it has taken so long to write.  It has been a hectic past few days with a clinic, a show and several other things going on.  I did manage to work with Baker 3 times over the past several days, I just didn't have any chances to write about it.  So, i'll sum up all three sessions in this blog today.  All three sessions were pretty similar anyway.  I worked with him for about 14-18 minutes each time.  On Friday, it was just me, but on Saturday and Monday I had a helper.  We mostly worked on reviewing what he has been doing.  He came right up to me all three days, and I started and ended all three sessions with a lot of rubbing and scratching.  He was mostly good about not leaning - I only had to remind him a time or two each day.  The next task in each session was to pick up all four feet, hold them like the farrier will, and tap them with the hoofpick.  He mostly handled all of this like a champ!  He struggled once or twice each day, but once he realized I wouldn't let go, he relaxed and gave in for the rest of it.  After that, I sprayed him with flyspray.  I'm still just doing a few squirts at a time on one side before stopping to go to the other side.  He gave a little resistance at first, each session.  But after just a section or two, he was standing perfectly still.  Finally, I worked with him on leading.  This part did change a bit with these last three sessions.  I have started to lead him without having someone lead Fiona as well.  I start out by asking him to walk away from Fiona until we get about 20 feet away (If I go too far away, I will lose his attention because all he will be thinking about is getting back to his mom, so we start with short distances in the beginning).  At first, he is resistant to go forward.  When a horse plants their feet like this, you have to find a way to get their feet moving, even if it's not straight forward.  The best way to do this is to try to get them to take a step sideways.  Even when Baker only takes one step sideways, I release and praise him (horses LOVE to hear words of praise - they mostly respond to the tone of your voice, not the actual words you say).  So, we might go a step to the right, then release, then a step to the left, then release, then back and forth like that until suddenly he takes a few steps forward.  When that happens, I praise and pat him.  We do that a few times until we are about 20 feet away from Fiona, then we turn around to head back.  On the way back to mom, going forward is not a problem, so we work on halting.  It's really hard for a baby to halt when all they want to do is get back to their mom.  So, I just keep asking until I get what I want, and then Baker gets LOTS of praise and rubbing.  Each session, it only took him a few times back and forth before he was paying more attention to me and what I wanted, and less attention to his mom and getting back to her.  There was even some more licking and chewing with this exercise!  I should be able to work with him again tomorrow, and hopefully, I'll be a little more prompt in writing about it 😃.