I'm a very foolish person...

I've been a bit of a twat. I think I jumped in head first into the deep end. I expected too much from Shadow and now I'm paying the consequences for it!!!

Let me explain as best as I can ( and if it comes out as a totally unstructured ramble, my apologies!)

Shadow is one of those horses, whom, just like me, needs everything broken down into small, digestible chunks. Which is basically what Alexandra Kurland says about 'Shaping', rewarding when they think about things, when they move toward that behaviour etc. However, after consoling in some good friends on a clicker training forum, they've reassured me and explained how I need to go back to baby steps- I tried to do some in-hand work with Shadow yesterday and I was foolish and perhaps should of just carried on with basic behaviours- i.e anti-mugging sessions, targeting sessions and basic, primary work.

It was also suggested about the treats I use- Shad gets VERY enthusiastic about the treats, he loves them ( which is good because it's the primary reinforcer and the motivator), however, I think the problem is that he's TOO keen on the treats, which means mugging is becoming a top problem- but nevertheless, we are going to overcome this. I'm going to be ordering Alexandra Kurlands books off of Amazon and Emma Lethbridges- I reckon these will be the key ones which will help me and Shadow to unlock.

Tazzle on Equi-Click forum said to me that 'Enjoy the journey- there is no destination'. And it's true- the whole point of horses is a learning experience for us, and for them, we're constantly learning and discovering new things, not only about horses, but about ourselves. I've learnt a lot about myself since having Shad.