Hi Glen, well that sounds like a good thing to me. The part about him moving off with your hand gesture and not kicking out.
You know Sid will do that sometimes as well.
Not as much as he did when I first started teaching him about moving away.
IMHO, because we don't use force or manipulation and we do focus on positive reinforcement, they are reluctant to increase distance and are telling us this by the kicking out. Once they realize that reinforcers will also happen with distance too and they also have a clearer understanding of the cue to move off or away , then their fine.
I beleive Sid does it because he tests me at times. He can be rather dominant, not just with me but with the other horses as well. He pushes and pushes his will. I actually believe that if I were using -R and force with him that I would have alot of fight with him.
He is the type that needs to be convinced that what I would like him to do is of benefit to him.
I played a game with Sid on Saturday. My dressage instructor ( I don't take lessons anymore ) came out to visit with her old horse. I asked her to sort of distract Sid, he's nosey and always checking new people out to see if he can get a free handout
I called him to me, while she acted like she had something in her pocket. She knew not to give him anything, he tried.....and in less than a minute he came trotting to me ( my 2 finger target, " here" ) I appeared as though I didn't have the treats but that Wendy was the one who had them. When he realized nothing would come from her, he came to me and
SUPRISE, SUPRISE...... a delicious piece of apple was waiting.
At any rate, I try to do different set ups to show him that being with me and/or doing things with me when I don't appear to have treats is when the best chance of getting food treats will occur.
Another thing I do, is I will simply walk around, acting as if I could care less if he follows me or not.
I don't ask him for anything.
As soon as he begins to follow me and is in the position ( proximity) that I would like for following ( not crowding ) I will IB then a TB followed by a treat. I will increase the duration of following me by using the IB and then sometimes it is just a short xx then X followed by a treat.
Now, more often than not he is choosing to be in the non crowding position and following.
I wonder if Freckles thinks that when the halter is on, he is "working" and when it is off he is free to make a choice, so sometimes he will make the choice to follow and sometimes not.
It certainly isn't a bad thing at all.
Carrie