Herding Training at Nutmeg Farm

Jim's first time with Will and the sheep

Will gathers the sheep

On the run

Emma watches the action

We are really trying to keep to weekly herding lessons for Will and Emma, but it's been tough due to our schedules. But we've had two weeks in a row of lessons, and we've actually had a great break-through with Will. He was the reluctant border collie when it came to the sheep up until now, but 3 weeks ago he actually seemed to notice the sheep and came to life! Lynnette had him in the small pen with a flock of sheep, doing the lunging that she leads him through, and he was going along with it all. We didn't notice anything different in his attitude towards the sheep. He usually seems like he doesn't really care that they are there, and in fact, seems like he wants to get away from them. The change happened when Lynnette opened the door to the pen to let the sheep into the large area of the barn for to give more space for lunging. Well, the sheep took off out the door as fast as they could and Will suddenly seemed to notice them. He perked right up, and ran out after them, with Lynnette still holding the lead. The instinct and the training came into play, and he began to circle around the sheep, gathering them into a circle, like he knew what he was doing. He raced and raced in a wide circle around the startled sheep. Startled because he had shown no interest prior to this, and they did nothing else but what they knew to do they gathered together, and turned and turned , watching every step that Will took as he ran around them

Lynnette was not as surprised as we were. She knew that he would the interest would 'kick in' at some point. . She let him have his rein for a short time, but stepped in to have him turn around to go in the opposite direction. She kept him going back and forth in his running circle, first one way, then the other. He was in his glory! And we were in awe that he finally had discovered the sheep, and his true nature to do something about them!

We've had one lesson since then, and each week, he goes through his paces, with the warm-up exercises, putting up with all the stretching, the flexing, and the backing up and side-stepping. But for the second time, when he got into the pen with the sheep he suddenly came alive. This time, Lynnette worked with him for a short time, and then called Jim into the pen. While Will continued to work the sheep, Jim changed places with Lynnette, and got himself into place, complete with horse whip and all.

For the first time, Jim was surrounded by the flock of sheep who were all trying to avoid the crazy running Will. Will just kept his pace, running a circle around the sheep. Jim did what he was told, working Will back and forth with the sheep, around and around, back and forth, changing directions just as Jim instructed him to do, by holding out first the left hand with the whip, then the right. Back and forth, back and forth. Shorter and shorter circles, then, when Jim was in the corner surrounded by the sheep, Will came to a stop and laid right in front of Jim and his flock of restless sheep. He did it!

It was the greatest feeling to see Will find his sheep, and to see Jim in there, whip in hand, looking like he knew what he was doing in the middle of a big flock of sheep.