In one of the posts on this site Carolyn tells of playing a game of running along the fence line with Pandero, and then afterwards, when Pandero leaves to go back to his owner,  a rather low-ranking horse who never before paid much attention, takes up the game with Carolyn. This reminded me of something I heard on NPR radio, about a researcher who taught a Parrot named Ike to talk and do play very sophisticated cognitive games. This woman did not like the standard “operant conditioning” way of teaching birds through trial  and treat. She studied behavior, and learned that just like humans, animals WANT to engage in play especially with leaders. So she set up a situation where Ike (the Parrot) could participate in a game with a human student. When the human student said the correct word, Ike witnessed her getting the object, and the teacher and student made sure they produced a lot of “joy”. This developed in Ike tremendous enthusiasm for the game, and so he tried really hard, and excelled to very high levels, both linguistically and cognitively.

I think this approach can be incorporated in all kinds of ways with horses. Why not let young, untrained horses, watch and participate when you play with your top stallion, or lead mare? Why not allow the young horse to learn through this notion of participatory play?

Bonnitta

I've been doing something like this with my two.  I have the one horse that does all kinds of play things in the arena and I have the second horse in there with me also who I know is watching the other horses moves most of the time.   He is actually the older horse but not the domineering one.   I always give them both a treat – no one gets left out.  I don't want any bickering going on while we play.  As it is, if the older horse doesn't move quick enough when all three of us play games then nudging starts as in come on get going and the older one lets out a whimpy eek sound.  Its all an act.  “He pushed me!!!”   the older one just has a slower speed like yeh I'm going and still some of that why should I from his past.

It is my hope that the older one will soon go play all the same games he has been watching his buddy freely do so as to get the treat and attention by his initiation.  I may not experience that free will participation until  I go in there with just him.   Not sure.  Still exploring.

I haven't figured out how to best manage the domineering one that is so exuberant about playing and looking for praise and treats while the older one is in there.  He also is the one that seems to be more inventive right now. 

I've noticed I have to be careful about my energy and how I interact with him in front of the older horse, his feelings can be easily disturbed if “he” feels I respond inaccurately.  Made that mistake once and won't go there again.  It almost feels like he is the teacher and we are the students.  I suppose that is the way it is right now come to think about it.  Hmmmmm