Yesterday when I approached with the flag Beege snorted a little but didn’t run off. He and Odin the Mustang were in one pasture, while Canyon the Mustang was in the other. This is the usual snow schedule, in part because Canyon unfortunately is sensitive to dusty hay and must have his hay steamed. Beege and Odin are bottom feeders, luckily.
Anyway, the flag seems to generate interest from all three horses since doing easy, silly things with the flag is rewarded with treats. Odin doesn’t care if I flop the flag all around on the ground or gently over his body. Beege prefers to target the flag with his nose, apparently so that where the flag touches him is under his control. The great news is that he didn’t run off when I flopped the flag on the ground and he followed me and the flopping flag. He got a big reward for that — the rest of the cookies in the bag. It’s satisfying to hold the bag for him while he buries his nose and closes his eyes. Pure reward, which I hope he remembers for next time.