Tanka and the Easter Bunny

Tanka Time

Tanka says Happy Easter with his new desensitizing friend...the Easter Bunny.

We finally had a day to do some training. I bought that bunny yesterday for half off at the grocery store so it was in our lesson. Tanka played with it on his own. Eventually I rubbed it on him and put it on his back. I slid it off him and let it drop to the ground. He did great.

Tanka also picked up the noisy tarp today and shook it.

I used the bag on a whip to have him walk, trot and lope free lunging. [This was a horse who couldn't handle the bag on a whip at all a couple of months ago.]

We did some of the usual moving the feet while on lead...fore...hind...back....step.

I worked a lot at the mounting block. I worked him to slowly step up to the block, move his hind over to the block. I was amazed that I could think about him moving one particular foot, look at that foot and he would move it. I told him square up. He is somewhat resistant to having his hind end near the block but that is okay. I just walked around him and asked for one step over with the hind.

He rested near the block when he was positioned properly. However, if he moved I asked him to walk in circles on the lead, change direction and walk. Then, we lined up with the block again and hoped he would figure out that was the good deal.

I finally managed to step up and down on and off the block without Tanka moving several times. I thought that was great so I called it a done training session.

This morning a neighbor came over with her new puppy. Tanka did really well. He took a carrot from the neighbor and was fine with the puppy. He sniffed the neighbor and didn't look worried.