After working so slowly with Odin the Mustang to get him to walk willingly under a roof on Thursday, I decided to check in with him today. I always start at liberty (no halter or lead rope) first to see if he's willing to come with me without any physical persuasion. He took a few tentative steps toward me, for which he received a food reward, but he wouldn't go so far as to meet me under the roof. Then he walked away. Well, there was my answer.
At that point I got his halter and he let me catch him easily enough. More reward. We practiced turning on the haunches, which means he will move his shoulder away from me when asked. This exercise is hard for him because he is naturally heavy on the forehand rather than the haunches. However, to properly carry himself, me, and do some fun maneuvers like jumping, he will need to balance himself better between forehand and haunches. This exercise is good for developing that balance.
Then we walked under the roof, stood quietly and got a reward. Odin likes to rush out the front so we practiced going back in the pasture, under the roof and out the gate until he could go quietly with me. And on to the barn where the overhang is. When we got close and I felt him suck back a bit because he didn't want to get any closer to the roof, I rewarded him everytime he took a step forward. Then I backed him out and had a bit of a rest. I could probably wait for more of a release at that point but when he starts looking around, we get on with the exercise.
We repeated that exercise a few times then I brought him into the stall, which is through the door beyond the overhang. He'd come in, look for his reward (for which I rewarded him) then back out toward the run to the pasture. Repeat. And finally walk under the overhang, through the stall and into the barn aisle and out the barn door to sunshine and expanse. Repeat a couple times, back and forth until he could walk calmly with me all the way out the barn door. Then I let him have a grazing break in the nice green grass by the arena. While he grazed I brushed him a bit as he's shedding a lot. I want him to get the idea that going through the overhang, into the stall, out the barn door via the aisle is a good place to go because there are rewards on the other side, like grass and relaxation. Eventually I work on him being comfortable in the barn aisle but for now navigating quietly through those three tight (to him) spaces is good enough.
I released him on the other side of the overhang so he could walk back up to his pasture on his own. I was going up there to check on Beege, see if he's shedding much yet, and Odin walked with me. I take big steps, he takes big steps. I take small steps, he takes small steps. I stop, he stops. I back up, he looks at me. I encourage him with the flag and he takes a step back. Reward! Forward again, stop, I back up 3 steps. He thinks about the backing up for a second then backs up exactly 3 steps. That is pretty cool.