Good Ole Aurum

Here’s an email exchange between me and Colleen Archer. She has a Palomino, Aurum, who can do so many interesting things.

Hi Winnie.

I saw a picture of Roy Roger’s Trigger untying a knot and decided to teach that behavior to Aurum, but to throw in rescuing a victim. This is how it went.

I took the big stuffed doll and tied it to the fence with a quick-release knot. Then I asked Aurum to grab the rope and pull, which he did, and the doll dropped to the ground. I then asked him to give me the doll, which he did.

Second time: I tied the big stuffed doll to the fence with a quick-release knot. Before I could say anything, Aurum grabbed the doll by the shoulders, manipulated it until he got it out of the rope, and then handed it to me.

Why waste a lot of time?

Colleen

Hi Colleen

I’m still laughing! Good ole Aurum. Got to try that trick here!

Winnie

Bill and I tried the quick release knot trick. Perhaps the rope was too thick. Anyway, Zelador pulled on the rope, it did not release, then he got the froggie in his mouth (yep, he was supposed to untie the froggie and rescue it) and flipped it around.

Tried again. This time Zeloso stepped in while Zelador was pulling the rope. Zeloso lifted the froggie out of the rope and flipped it around. Tag team.

Got to rethink this…need an easier rope to pull. Need to work on the rope part of the trick without it around a victim. Add the victim later because the horse is quite fixated on the victim and finds the rope of no consequence.