Driving Lessons

[Nanno]

That's fantastic! There's nothing like getting some hands-on instruction. I'll bet you learn a lot helping train your friend's horse!

[DownUnder Gal]

Yes, it is very exciting. And Koby's training is going really well! It's like the penny has finally dropped regarding his learning what I want him to do a lot quicker now; we even seem to be over the pouty "teenager" phase. We had a really good ground driving lesson today. I got him going forward well and he seemed happy to do it. We went for a bit of a circuit around obstacles, walking, trotting, turning left and right and stopping. When I unharnessed him in the training yard he repeated the circuit on his own, without me even asking him to. He even remembered all the steps Our next challenge will be getting him to do it without the constant treats. I think I need to lessen the frequency of the treats. Part of what is making him enjoy himself so much is having the peanut gallery goggle-eyed in the paddock next door. He's becoming a terrible show-off.

[Nanno]

I'm so glad Koby is progressing! Isn't it great when they start showing off? Once they know what you want and start looking forward to it you can start giving treats less frequently. The job has become rewarding in itself. Expect him to have days or even phases where he regresses, doesn't want to work, expects constant rewards, is spooky, or whatever. Everyone has bad days. Just work through them. That's what we did with Finn. What I don't do is put the goat away just because he's having a bad attitude. We do our best to work through it and hope for a better time the next day. And it usually is better--especially if you make a point to always end on a good note (however small).

[DownUnder Gal]

We definitely still have our not-so-good days but yes, we always end on a positive note. I think I can see the whole process more objectively now. In instances where Koby does not seem to be progressing, 9 times out of 10 it's caused by something I have done/not done. So the first thing I scrutinize is my own behaviour. A bit of navel gazing seems to help

[Nanno]

My mom used to tell me, "Whatever happens, it is never the horse's fault."

(Implying of course that it is always me, the trainer's, fault if my horse isn't behaving well.) That statement has given me some excellent opportunities for navel gazing over the years, and of course it applies to goats as well.

[Nanno]

Before the Rendezvous weekend, Phil and Kate and I spent some time hanging out in Lake City where Kate got to practice driving our team around town. They cut quite a dash on those quiet village streets! 
   

Kate was a quick learner and drove very well with minimal instruction. 
   

How embarrassing! This is what happens when Sputnik spits out his cookie and then changes his mind and wants it back. 
   

Looks like his front legs sank into the road. 
   

This is more like it!
   

[DownUnder Gal]

Ha! That was great fun! I had a ball driving Finn and Sputnik and loved their "Who's this amateur?" expressions when I first took up the reins. Nanno, you're a very patient teacher

[Nanno]

Phil and I went for a lovely drive today, but it ended with a small catastrophe in which no one was injured but a lesson was learned. It was a beautiful day and the sun felt nice. 
   

As soon as I lowered the tailgate on the truck to load Finn and Sputnik, Coral leaped in and told me plainly that she wanted to come with us! 
   

Pretty baby! Of course I let her come! 
   

I love the sunlight glinting off those horns. 
   

"Where did the boys go, Coral?"
   
   

She spent most of the drive right here by Finn's flank. 
   
   

When we were almost finished with our drive, I took the goats down a little side road with a narrow sidewalk up a hill. They did great, but on the way back down the hill our yoke broke! The wagon tongue hit the pavement and the wagon overtook the boys and whacked them in the hindquarters. However, their solid training foundation saved the day and they stopped immediately when I pulled the reins and said "Whoa!". Had they spooked and bolted it could have been a terrible wreck. I got out and unhitched them and drove them back to the truck while Phil pulled the wagon. I made a new yoke last week because I wasn't entirely happy with the first one I made. Unfortunately, the wooden rod was too narrow for the size of the holes I drilled for the ring. Furthermore, horse yokes always have a metal piece to bind the wood around the ring and keep it from splitting. My next yoke will be designed with a sleeve of steel pipe in the spot where the ring attaches. Lesson learned! But I'm very proud of how well Finn and Sputnik obeyed in the face of such a major spook.

[DownUnder Gal]

This clip makes me feel much better when I have a small glitch in a driving lesson with Koby

https://harnessstuff.blog/2018/04/25/old-skool-driving/

[Nanno]

Oh my! I hope none of your "glitches" are as bad as those glitches! You gotta admire the horses who, when the buggy tips over, loses a wheel, etc., stop immediately and wait for further instruction rather than bolting off in a panic. That's good training.

So what was Koby's glitch?