Spring Training with Mats

Spring has been a tish wet, which is abnormal for this desert environment. It's brought a whole new level of green-ness to our world.

Non-riding houseguests have kept us somewhat grounded this spring with the result that the critters got a lot more groundwork and little saddle time. We spent many days developing the equine mind with labryinth training, mat training, and coming when called. I will describe the mat training since it only took a few session and has turned out to be very useful.

We used a big rubber mudflap from a semi truck for our mat. It's about 2ft x 2ft so it is large enough to be a good target for their front hooves, but not too large to move easily. I introduced them to it in the confines of a stall by picking it up and putting it down and telling them to "go to mat". I started out reinforcing for anytime a hoof touched the mat and by the end of the first session they were getting the front hooves to the center of the mat consistently. It helped dramatically to pick it up and make a show of placing it for them between each cycle of them being on it.

In the second session I started asking them to go to it from a few steps away, which quickly evolved into asking them to go to it from anywhere in the stall. I would have them follow me away from it, then point to it and ask them to go to it.

In the third session I took it outside the stall and used it in the yard. Only a few sessions and I can now ask them to go to it from anywhere we can see it... with me either on the ground or mounted. I use it to "ground tie" them when I am brushing or saddling.

I am thinking about putting it back in the stall and training for more duration by getting two friends to wave lunging whips around every time the animal starts to step off after I request them to "go to mat". It will be interesting to see if a little negative consequence will be effective to extend a positively reinforced behavior.

On another note, the highline through the cottonwoods has been very effective with the mustang's tying problems. I catch him and feed him there everyday. He doesn't fight it at all.

I hope to be more regular in posting our progress here. Also, the links to my critters (long dead links) will soon be going live to Picasa web photo albums. Enjoy!

Patricia