Saturday, September 24, 2011

Starbuck's First "Bit"

This morning it rained a lot and there were puddles and mud everywhere, so I decided to work on some simple leading and walk - stop - back transitions.  The other thing I decided to try was to use a lead rope as a "bit" to get Starbuck used to having something in her mouth.  I got the idea from Elizabeth de Corbigny's book Doma Natural  2 and the truth is that it's a great way to train her to open her mouth on cue and get her used to this new feeling without banging her teeth with a metal bit.  This way, hopefully when I put a bridle on her for the first time it'll be a lot easier.  So here's a video of how I did it, I was really surprised by how well she accepted it.


Little by little we're really progressing, I think I'll add this to our grooming / tacking up routine and see how it goes!  If only she would lift her feet so easily... ;P

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