Baaa...rainy sheep set to wow crowds
Performing animals join A&P Show line-up
Dogs are so clever. They can sit, fetch a ball, jump over a hurdle, spin around and weave through poles.
But sheep can too ... if you train them right.
Bex Tasker from Aongatete has a “performance team” of valais blacknose sheep who can do a range of tricks which include walking backwards, fetching a squeaky toy, playing a little game of soccer and even jumping over hurdles.
Then there’s her team of rescued chickens — she’s taught them to ring a bell, to walk a seesaw and go through tunnels, to jump and kick a ball around.
It’s all done through treat-based rewards and positive reinforcement. With her Positively Together team, they’ll be showing off the valais blacknose, babydoll sheep and her chicken’s tricks at the Katikati A&P Show next month.
All animals on the 5.6 hectare property has been trained in positive reinforcement including dogs, horses, sheep and chickens.
Sheep have a bad rep for being a bit stupid, Bex says, but she doesn’t believe this.
“It’s the training technique/skill that gets the results, rather than the breed — or even the species.”
And it comes down to time, she says. When the Katikati Advertiser visited last week, Baarnaby the sheep was on form, easily jumping over hurdles and fetching a squeaky toy to bring back to his human mum. Baarnaby follows Bex around like a puppy looking for pats and affection and the rescued chickens are also always in tow. Bex is the star of the show here, like Snow White in a farm yard setting.
Bex has been training animals for more than 20 years. She started as a dog handler at Auckland Airport. She now travels the country teaching people how to train their horses with positive reinforcement.
She went viral in 2017 after a Facebook post featured her relaxing in a deckchair and motioning to her clicker-trained horse
Hokey Pokey to fetch a wine bottle from a chilly bin.
“A lot of the traditional horse world is quite coercive and dominance based ... you know, hit the horse to make it go faster, put a stronger bit in its mouth.”
This training is about finding ways to inspire animals to want to do things for us, not have to do things for us.
“It’s very effective in that if you can teach a horse to get a wine bottle from a chilly bin, you can also teach them to line up to a mounting block so you can get on easier or get on a horse float.”
This kind of training is more widespread now, which is wonderful because it means horses will be treated better, she says.
Bex has been running coaching sessions for juniors and teenagers for four years.
First Gen Trainers
First Gen Trainers is a monthly day of workshops on how to train animals using positive reinforcement.
“There’s life values that can be learnt with positive reinforcement. We don’t force our animals to do things ... chickens don’t get picked up if they don’t want to, sheep or dogs don’t get chased or pushed around.
“The experience I have with kids is they are then able to see that body autonomy and apply it to themselves.
“We talk about the importance of consent when it comes to animals and our friends and our own bodies.”
Katikati A&P Show
The 99th show includes a big focus on horticulture. The Western Bay of Plenty is a horticultural hub so the addition of the industry aims to showcase this, highlight rural communities and to celebrate them after a tough few years
The committee promises the show will be a fun day for all, with plenty to entertain the entire family. Katikati A&P Show 2024 includes equestrian events, home industries competition categories held in the A&P hall and crafts, baking, garden produce, flowers and more (91 categories), a new local horticultural aspect, sheep racing and sheep shearing display, trained sheep, alpacas, donkey rides, pony rides, woodchopping demonstrations, dancing — Filipino group, Mural Town Line Dancing and lessons, highland dancing and Scottish country dancing, children’s activities, puppet show, balloon twisting, colouring competition, lolly scramble at 12.15pm in pony ring, machinery, tractors, vintage and classic cars, Katikati Concert Band and more than 60 trade sites and food stalls. Bex and her performance team will be at the Katikati A&P Show performing at 10.30am and 12.30pm.