Shunka Wakan

Shunka and I were at first scared of each other though we hid it from each other the first say. I was able to pet him the first day. I walked right up to him in his new pen and rubbed his neck two or three times. It was only in the next few weeks that his and my fears surfaced. I didn't have a clue how to train a horse other than what I had seen trainers like Clinton Anderson, Monty Roberts, and Pat Parelli do on RFD TV. On those shows I had seen grey haired people out there with their horses so I was sure I could somehow manage this. First I had to learn not to be afraid of him. As I learned to trust him, he also learned to trust me.

It was slow going at first but we made progress and each "Red Letter Day" when we reached some goal, like getting him to yield his hindquarters, gave me the needed push to set a new goal. Still in the back of my mind I was disappointed. Sometimes I would have to go and halter Shunka in his stall and make him come with me into the round pen to work. I wanted him to come willingly every time. Then I discovered "Clicker Training."

Once we got over the first stumbling tries at learning the basics of clicker training I began to see the happy horse I had so wanted. After a little while I could call "Shunka" from the pasture behind the barn and out he would trot, eager to "play with Mom."

Now we are into our third year together and we are still playing happily. We have learned Shadowing (Where the horse walks when you walk, stops when you stop, backs up when you do and so on) and Shadowing at liberty. We have learned all the basic ground work plus the side pass, backing to me from anywhere in front of me (Shunka taught himself that one.) and various tricks. I am starting him under saddle now. I have ridden him a few times but as with the first learning stages I have to learn how to teach him so it is one step at a time. Just this last week in August 2007 I came across a website that told how another clicker trainer overcame a problem with a horse that wouldn't canter. From that article I learned why when I get on Shunka and try and take him around the round pen he starts side passing. It is because he doesn't understand what I want and offers what he knows. I know now that I need to make smaller steps. My first steps from the saddle will be to reward any try at forward movement.  Shunka is so smart and learns so quickly that I expected him to walk right off with me on his back. I didn't realize when I slide into the saddle we are both on a completely new level of training. Neither of us knows what to do but I am certain we will learn how to learn this too.