Chat
I went for another drive today in the same place, and the boys were even better behaved than yesterday! I was not sure how things would go because Phil had to be at a meeting and couldn't come. I also wasn't sure if the boys would be a bit cranky about having to work two days in a row. But no, they were incredible! There was almost no fussing or squirming while I harnessed and hitched them. Sputnik moved over obediently when I asked, and he stayed where I put him instead of springing right back where he came from. It helped that Finn left Sputnik alone for the most part. It took me almost no time to get them harnessed and hitched even though I was alone. As soon as I backed them away from the truck, I got into the driver's seat (which I remembered to bring with me this time!) and drove them right off. There wasn't a bit of hesitation. I hardly used the whip today, and most of the time when I did use it I barely touched them. The voice commands are already coming together, and I credit a lot of that to the fact that we've spent so much time training these boys to do tricks. They've learned how to listen and they've learned how to learn, so they're picking up the driving commands very quickly.
We only had one brief spot of trouble about 1/3 of the way through the drive, and it was only because I was nice enough to get out of the wagon and offer them a treat ("See if I ever offer you cookies again, boys!"). They'd been going along so nicely at both walk and trot that I stopped (a smooth, calm, even stop I might add), and offered them each some treats. Sputnik was in a much better mood today. He's a pouter, and each of the previous times we drove, he sulked and refused cookies as long as he was hitched to the wagon. But today, other than a brief spell at the beginning, Sputnik eagerly took treats and begged for more, so I know he was enjoying himself. The boys stood perfectly still while I treated them and got back in the wagon and took up the reins. It was not until I said "Walk on!" that things went south. I'm not sure if Finn was trying to go back to the truck or if he was trying to turn toward me and get more cookies, but either way he was not moving forward and was pulling Sputnik around to the left. Sputnik kept trying to go forward on my command, but he's not a leader and would not drag an unwilling Finn in the right direction. I had to get out three or four times and straighten up goats, tangled lines, and crooked harnesses, and Finn got a few solid whacks on the left side before he finally decided that disobedience was both difficult and unpleasant. The whole episode lasted less than five minutes before we were back on our merry way.
We had only one other brief spell when we were about 3/4 of the way back to the truck when the boys suddenly took off at a trot without being asked. I had a hard time getting them to slow down and I thought at first that they were trying to race back to the truck, but I think it was because we were approaching a house with a barking dog and they wanted to pass it as quickly as possible. I spoke gently to them and they calmed down and walked obediently the rest of the way. We also passed a man mowing his lawn near the road and the boys slowed down just a little and looked, but they did not spook or balk. I was very pleased with them. As we approached the truck, Finn tried to turn toward it without permission, but this time he got back in line with just a little correction. I made the boys drive on past the truck and trot a few hundred yards up a side road before I stopped them and got out. I gave them lots of treats (Sputnik was still not sulking!) and I led them back to the truck with an empty wagon as a reward. I am absolutely thrilled at how wonderfully the team is doing. It was only their second "real" drive, and they act like they've had weeks of training! Their good attitudes make me feel confident that the harnesses are fitting well and are adjusted properly, and that the wagon is not too heavy for them. I'm sure we'd have more problems (especially from fussbudget Sputnik) if the work were difficult or uncomfortable. I could not be more pleased!
We only had one brief spot of trouble about 1/3 of the way through the drive, and it was only because I was nice enough to get out of the wagon and offer them a treat ("See if I ever offer you cookies again, boys!"). They'd been going along so nicely at both walk and trot that I stopped (a smooth, calm, even stop I might add), and offered them each some treats. Sputnik was in a much better mood today. He's a pouter, and each of the previous times we drove, he sulked and refused cookies as long as he was hitched to the wagon. But today, other than a brief spell at the beginning, Sputnik eagerly took treats and begged for more, so I know he was enjoying himself. The boys stood perfectly still while I treated them and got back in the wagon and took up the reins. It was not until I said "Walk on!" that things went south. I'm not sure if Finn was trying to go back to the truck or if he was trying to turn toward me and get more cookies, but either way he was not moving forward and was pulling Sputnik around to the left. Sputnik kept trying to go forward on my command, but he's not a leader and would not drag an unwilling Finn in the right direction. I had to get out three or four times and straighten up goats, tangled lines, and crooked harnesses, and Finn got a few solid whacks on the left side before he finally decided that disobedience was both difficult and unpleasant. The whole episode lasted less than five minutes before we were back on our merry way.
We had only one other brief spell when we were about 3/4 of the way back to the truck when the boys suddenly took off at a trot without being asked. I had a hard time getting them to slow down and I thought at first that they were trying to race back to the truck, but I think it was because we were approaching a house with a barking dog and they wanted to pass it as quickly as possible. I spoke gently to them and they calmed down and walked obediently the rest of the way. We also passed a man mowing his lawn near the road and the boys slowed down just a little and looked, but they did not spook or balk. I was very pleased with them. As we approached the truck, Finn tried to turn toward it without permission, but this time he got back in line with just a little correction. I made the boys drive on past the truck and trot a few hundred yards up a side road before I stopped them and got out. I gave them lots of treats (Sputnik was still not sulking!) and I led them back to the truck with an empty wagon as a reward. I am absolutely thrilled at how wonderfully the team is doing. It was only their second "real" drive, and they act like they've had weeks of training! Their good attitudes make me feel confident that the harnesses are fitting well and are adjusted properly, and that the wagon is not too heavy for them. I'm sure we'd have more problems (especially from fussbudget Sputnik) if the work were difficult or uncomfortable. I could not be more pleased!