The games have been going great--then, the last few times I've played with Orri he's been acting paranoid about the CS. He's responding to the games with my hands but as soon as the CS lifts he starts getting nervous. I'm not doing anything with it that I would think conveys any reason for him to be scared....why was he OK before and now he isn't?
Knowing he shouldn't be afraid of the Carrot stick I've given him lots of 'room' with the 12' line while I ignore him and play with my stick....he seems to get upset with the rhythmic motion of the stick. He will allow me to throw the string over his back but acts like it's on fire! I've never hurt him with the stick, or threatened him with the stick, but for some reason he thinks he has to move, and fast, if I start moving the stick with rhythmic motion. Last night when I put him back in his stall he went right to the back like he was afraid of me. I went and got some carrots and coaxed him over by putting them in his feed dish one by one--all the time with my stick visable and moving. He eventually settled and ignored the stick so obviously the carrots took over. :D I've been watching the Parelli tapes, etc and see that the horses are sometimes afraid of the stick, but they eventually get over it. Why would Orri get worse with it not better? Anyone doing Parelli games notice their Icelandics react differently than the 'big' horses most Parelli students play with? Orri is reacting very well to all the games when I use my hands--it's just the stick when I want to play Friendly with it that he gets all bothered. I hope I'm not messing him up. V
