Echo Training Journal

[charlottein]

I am starting a thread to document the training of my daughter's filly Echo. She is a 2 year old silver dapple pinto, out of two wonderful driving parents. We are starting this summer with learning voice commands and desensitizing, the progress to harnessing and ground driving so she is ready to put to cart next year. We have owned her since she was 3 months old, and she is rather mischievous but very sweet. I sent away my gelding for 30 days of training, so this is the first time we have done one from the start! Hopefully this journal will keep me accountable and maybe serve to help me and others!

So far in the last 2 weeks we have done several short sessions learning to lunge. We have tried voice commands in the past in hand, but she pays too much attention to us to listen to words, but is already starting to get the idea while on the lunge. We are just doing walk and whoa. Then we will do stand. I don't plan to introduce trot until she has those down very well on the lunge and in hand. She is naturally very forward so I don't think we need to be rushing to go any faster than a walk and I don't want to teach her that lunging is a time to be naughty, as my prior big horses were taught by trainers when I was young and didn't know any better!

 

[charlottein]

Had another lesson today, with my daughter taking the lead. Echo def. listens better to me, it is very hard to try and teach a child to lunge and train a horse at the same time as training a young horse. She doesn't want to listen to half the instructions I give her. She was actually doing a great job with the instructions she did follow and I was impressed. I stayed calm and supportive. But now my daughter is upset and telling me that Echo doesn't like her, because she listens better to me. Sigh. I didn't factor in this difficulty.

 

[Kelly]

Your daughter will soon learn how to become a really good leader

 

[Trhewett]

Thank you for starting this journal. I am new to minis so this will be going to be great information for me. I got a 5 year old and 18 year old in July of 2021. They came to me very well mannered but I want to start training them.

 

[Willow Flats]

It is an extra challenge because you are not just training a horse, but also training horsemanship to your daughter.
You are an awesome mom for doing this!

 

[charlottein]

Aw thanks! Here is a picture:

 

[Willow Flats]

So cute! I thought of a good way to explain it to her. Horses are perceptive (smart) and he has already picked up who the boss is in your family and that every herd has a hierarchy (pecking order) and she is most definitely second in command!
And when you have a special friend you may not do everything they tell you to do, but you are going to do what the teacher or policeman tells you to do. But does that mean you like the policeman or teacher better than your best friend? No way!

 

[charlottein]

That is a good way of putting it! Echo really does seem to think Salem is more of a playmate than a boss at this point. But we’ll get there!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

How is Echo progressing?