Vet visit

A wonderful new equine vet has moved to the area and came to see the donkeys a few days ago.

Deenah needed her teeth floated which means that the sharp points that develop along the sides get rasped off.  She was sedated for this procedure.  The vet felt Deenah is underweight so I have begun to increase her rations and will now add 1/4 cup ground flax and a tablespoon of rice bran oil to the mix.  I'll also give gher a bowl of soaked hay cubes every morning with her hay.

And thank goodness for hay cubes!  The dental procedure makes it difficult for the donkeys to chew for a few days - hay cubes to the rescue!  They can be softened and are full of good quality hay with added vitamins and some beet pulp.

Ringo has some sort of skin infection along his mane.  Cortisone cream has been recommended and I'll start that today.

Dorica is her sweet perfect self!  Everyone will need tetanus and West Nile virus vaccinations in a month or two.

Episodes this week ...

Well, never a dull moment is a good saying!  This week both Deenah and Dorica managed to get on the"wrong" side of the fence.  They were in the corridor between the barn paddock and the "lower" paddock -
often, I'll just leave the gates between the 2 paddocks open, trusting that they won't test the temporary wire fence panels pulled across the drive.  But, this time they somehow manage to get underneath the wire and scoot out the other side to freedom and grass.

Luckily, I happened to be in the greenhouse and saw it happen.  So I hurried down to the barn to grab halters and also my treat pouch and target stick.  Ringo was in the dark, so to speak and didn't yet realize that the girls had escaped, so I secured him in the barn paddock in front of a pile of hay and
made my way to where the girls were munching in front of the garden gate.

But then the light bulb went on for Ringo who realized that not only was he alone, but that the girls had made the great escape!  He went hee hawing and galloping all over the place, from one field to another but luckily didn't try and funny stuff.

I easily haltered good old Deenah and led her back and through the gate to where Ringo was.  Then off to get Dorrie, but ... of course now Deenah went wild and this one, old as she is, WILL try to jump the fences!
I should have brought Dorica back first ... how dumb!

So I put Dee and Ring in their respective stalls with hay, but, oh no, Deenah was threatening to  jump the stall gate and she could really hurt herself.  With nowhere safe to leave her, I felt my best option was to halter and tie her stoutly in her stall.  It was stressful for her but at least she would be safe.

I rushed to bring Dorrie home and all was well, although I spent considerable time apologizing to Deenah for my backwards thinking.

Next day I thought I'd take Deenah for a wee walk up the road to make amends.  Off we went to the background music of Ringo trying to clobber Dorica in frustration at being left behind.  Ignore!  Deenah never used to enjoy leaving home without the others but through clicker training, she has gained confidence and trust and is now happy to come along.  I use a small target stick to encourage her to walk and then click and treat her for coming so she gets the idea that "walking" is what I want her to do!

However a short distance away, she was looking unwell - how could I tell?  I just know her!  I led her to a patch of roadside grass and she refused to nibble .... now I was CERTAIN she wasn't feeling well and encouraged her to come home.

Sure enough, the small treats I had been offering as rewards had gotten stuck in her throat (she chokes very easily) and after a few minutes of standing, gobs of ropey saliva began oozing out of her mouth.  I know this sounds gross but actually it's a good thing!  Donkeys cannot throw up, so copious salivation helps dislodge and expel whatever they are choking on.  When I see this, I am relieved (although not completely happy until it's over as you're hoping the thing they are choking on can really be evicted.) Too much information?  Deenah was fine a short time later and began eating some hay.

Visitors & showing off ...

Yesterday, the donkeys and I had 5 visitors who were interested in meeting everybody and naturally I talked to them (probably for too long)  about clicker training!  Three women and two little girls watched as I haltered all three donkeys and dragged out the cavaletti jump.  I put them through their paces one by one .... clicked and treated each donkey for trotting and giving their all over the jump .... that meant Dorica heaved her two little front feet over,  Ringo practically walked over and Deenah gracefully tucked up her hooves and "flew" over!  Everyone clapped appreciatively!


But, but, but ... was this the "right" thing to do?  I puzzled all through today about whether "showing off" the donkeys was undermining their training.  Clearly Ringo seemed to have "forgotten" our game where he goes and touches a target and then finds me for his reward.   I'm certain he didn't "forget" ... so what was he telling me?  He kept trailing after me and ignoring the target.

The things that I have taught the donkeys are still not on cue ... not really firm, although they do know my intentions and what I mean most of the time.  But I think I still confuse them.

I did allow the two little girls to groom the donkeys, after determining that Ringo was good with them and visa versa.  No feeding though ... at least I feel that feeding by "others" is not a good idea - I'd like to keep the treats directly related to our clicker work.

Next steps...

On to working at liberty, but with halter on and no lead rope.  I want to gain trust before adding pressure.
My theory is that if I can get Ringo to be a willing particpant and eager to "play" then by the time I pick up a lead rope, he'll still be a willing partner and won't resist!

Ringo - Behaviours on Cue!

I have been realizing for quite awhile now, that many of the behaviours I have taught the donkeys are, well ... sloppy!  They do it ... or they don't, or maybe they wander away ... hmmm, not good.

So after Clicker Expo and after having heard and watched Alex at work, I think the light bulb finally went on (for me!) and I am bound and determined to "fix" the problems!

First - foundation lessons - too important to skip over - I really get that!

So putting some foundation behaviours on cue for Ringo - I worked first in the barn then outside the next day.
Here's what we did:

- extend closed fist on outstretched hand and say "target" - Ringo approaches touches my hand, click, treat.
- make backwards motion with my hands, palms towards Ringo and say "back" - Ringo backs, click, treat
- hold one hand up, palm facing Ringo like a policewoman, say "stand" - Ringo stands, click, treat
Repeat!

Next day: 
- use halter as the target (he hasn't had his halter on for awhile) hold it out, say "target" - Ringo touches it, click, treat
- put halter on him, click, treat for standing still
- off we go:  use outstretched fist, say "target" - Ringo walks beside me for a short distance (no lead rope attached) I try to stay at his left shoulder
- then say "and ... ho!" - Ringo stops "good boy!"  click ,treat
- palm up say "stand" (this is Alex's Grown-ups are Talking)  -he stands quietly beside me, click, treat
- off we go again, using fist and the word "target"
- change direction by offering treat with near hand - this is harder as he doesn't like me on his right side

Need to keep all the cues straight in my own head and practice them away from the donkey!  Ringo is doing great - hope to capture it on video!

Clicker Expo

Just back from Clicker Expo in Portland.  It was absolutely fabulous and my head is spinning with information.  I realized, that the faculty there are the pioneers of this approach to training. Since BF Skinner was working in the 1950's and then mostly with laboratory rats and pigeons, this reinforcement training, which emerged out of his work, really began in the 1960"s (have to check my facts to be absolutely sure.) The speakers at Expo are some of the originators of this work with marine mammals, wild animals in captivity, dogs and horses.

It was wonderful to be able to attend lectures by Karen Pryor, Ken Ramirez, Kathy Sdao and Jesus Ronsales-Ruiz, to name a few.  I plan to spend time at each of their websites - there are so many resources on line!

I was very aware that Alexandra Kurland's work with clicker training for horses is also brand new for equines - without her, I doubt there would be an equine presence at Clicker Expo.  The two sessions I attended with Alex were great and a reinforcement of everything I have learned so far in her clinics.

There were over 400 registrants and 5 concurrent sessions several times a day.  Hard choices to make and  some lectures that I missed that would have been fascinating.  However all the trainers reinforced
virtually the same principles for me:

* create an achievable goal
* create a training plan to reach the goal
* split this down into tiny steps
* put each behaviour on cue using cues that are clean and crisp signals
* build clean behaviour loops, eliminating any confusion for the animal and thus any unwanted behaviour
* keep the lessons short
* keep the animals feeling successful and avoid frustration

more on this later!