Circling with the mat

[hilary]

Here is a very simple mat exercise I have been working on   -  simple , yet it sums up the power of the mat!

I set up a little ( like tiny) circle of cones. The mat is incorporated, in as much it is part of the circle when walking round the cones.

Exercise -  cue your horse to walk off the mat, round the cones, and back onto the mat. ( have been doing this at liberty).ON the mat they get to do favourite exercises -  I have ben using "pilates at the halt) lateral flexions, head downs. So lots of chances to easily"earn" treats on the mat. Then ask them to walk off ( if walk off cue not strong you may have to initally C/T the walkoff but the aim is really to get all the way round the tiny circle back to the mat.

When happy with this, slowly make the circle bigger.

The conundrum is this  -  they get lots of rewards for being on the mat. So , in the case of a hipo, why bother to go round the cones  - just a small circle then back to the mat.
This is where people would say " my horse can easily go round a circle of cones   - - except when I put the mat in the circle it spoils it, and doesn't work because my horse just ignores the cricle, cuts in and goes back to the mat.

But  ... with the mat, they truly have to understand that to get rewards on the mat they have to go round ( and not knock down!) my little cones.

Several times today, when the weather changed, and my other horses came down the track , I thought Lottie had "cracked it" when she decided to miss out the odd cone or two. So she comes back, doesnt stop at the mat, and gets to do  the circle again ( if it really isn't working go back to a smaller circle -  or I C/T for being outside the cones furthest from the mat for a couple of tries.

Add in W/T/C etc  -  and it s liberty lunging. Legyield on a circle and lateral work can done too.

For me, this has been a great exercise to help with forwardness. I am slowly making the circle bigger , before we see if canter happens!

Set up 2 circles , with the mat being the point adjoining them, and you have a figure of eight for changes of bend etc.

To change direction, one can set up a cone to the outside of the circle for a little circle the other way. I have been working on moving the HQ towards me ( front feet stay on the mat)  -  as opposed to away . This will help with asking for travers whilst being on the inside.

[Trudi]

Hilary that sounds brilliant  wish it wasn't dark 'cos I'd be off to try it 
I've been moving the shoulders away at liberty but struggling to slow the shoulders and move the 1/4's (unless he's got his front feet on the mat) I think you may have just solved my problem.

[ash]

Oooooh brilliant!

We are way off doing any of this yet, but I must print this stuff off and keep it for the future!  

Although actually, having said that, doing forehand and quarter yielding, as well as flexions, is something that can be done in the stable during the dark winter months, and while I'm too  fat to do much involving movement!

Thnks Hilary  

[Beth]

Thank you 

[lisaNW]

Thank you Hilary!! Totally coincidentally I did my first liberty circle like this last night! Have been using the cone circle with the mat in it for forwardness/getting enthusiastic lunging but have to say there was something thrilling about the same at liberty 

Lisa

[hilary]

That's great Lisa. 

And to make your circle bigger or smaller you can adjust the cones ( or have 2 circles of 2 different colours or heignts  - then they can swop from one size to the next with a liberty leg yield out!!  ( No havent done this -  just thinking!)

Just had a great lesson with Becky today  -  even though the weather was foul!

[ash]

Hmmm, I think I've gone off the idea of mat work.  I still don't understand it! 

[Trudi]

Don't give up on the mat Ash  , maybe you just don't have a use for it right now but in time you may find it a useful tool. Moo isn't at all impressed by it but Chapiro just adores the work and so we've reaped the rewards. I think the important thing is to see the mat as a portal rather than an end point.

[ash]

Lol! Trudi, I have bought one, it's just sitting on a shelf.  Anyway, I couldn't possibly bend down to pick the blimmin' thing up right now, 'bump' has pretty much put an end to all  non- essential bending down at the mo'!

[TashaKat]

I need to get my head round the mat work too  but thank you for that, it will be good to try that some time 

[Trudi]

LOL yes I remember it well 

[Jeanette]

What you describe with missing out the cones Hilary and making a dash for the mat reminds me of training my dog to go thru agility weave poles. I thought she had it so stopped giving any cues between the poles...but then she dashed to the end to fetch the treat.

I can see how the presence of the mat on the circle really checks their understanding of the exercise.

I like the idea of having exercises to do on the mat rather than just a reward for reaching it

I've lunged with a mat on the circle and got some really nice square halts and balanced approaches.