With the Parelli program, you typically use a halter, lead rope, and carrot stick. The carrot stick is a 4-foot-long fiberglass orange stick with a six-foot-long string at the end of it. It is what we use to cue the horse, and also to enforce our cues.
The horse's first introduction to the carrot stick should be friendly game, where the stick is rubbed all over him, swung around him, and used in such a way that he learns to trust you with a stick in your hands.
I've done this step. While he's haltered, Cruise stands for it very nicely. A couple weeks ago, I went to catch him with the stick in my hands. I usually leave the stick somewhere else and just go to catch him with the halter. When I approached him with the stick, he took off.
Hmm. How interesting!
So, we've been playing the catching game/friendly game with the carrot stick lately. Apparently he doesn't trust me with it, yet. We'll get there, I think. It's a little disheartening, though, when I think of how far we have yet to go before a real friendship can blossom.
But yesterday I made him think! Success!
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