At this point in his young career, Liberty’s stock management training consists of taking him with me twice per day to feed the goats. He becomes used to the goats and understands that managing the goats is part of his daily routine. Liberty carries a long lead for the entire exercise.
Chasing behind the goats as shown below increases Liberty’s confidence. Even though the goats are moving towards their feeding troughs in anticipation of being fed, through the magic of daily repetition, Liberty begins to feel like he is the one moving the herd. His perception will manifest into reality soon enough, when he will actually becomes the one moving them. Doing this exercise with a fence in between Liberty and the goats helps to protect him from injury or a bad experience that might shy him off of goats for his entire life. To reiterate, young Liberty’s safety and confidence are always paramount in these exercises.
