Wobble board training!

[janehon]

This is all really interesting - Thank you for taking the time to video and write it all up.

I'm going to try and commandear a matress to have a play with for Hon, she is rather particular about her footing and I think it might be a really good thing for her try. I need to get practicing and improve my ct skills first though

[hilary]

Well today came home from work ( very quiet shift with the added luxury if a GP registrar whom I knew on with me - which Meant I hung around while he did the work!)

A very quick session this morning. The first time on the mattress I didn't video then got the iphone out. Today she was able to stop with her hind feet on the mattress and was able to take her treat there, which is a great step forward. I didnt want to get stuck into the "i can walk over it but only at speed" scenario - though c/t makes it so much easier to break down the steps.

The next step is to introduce the  equimat on top. This is the mat which is just lying by the matrress ( and makes it really boingy on top as they dont sink in too much). The first couple of days she really blew down her nose at it ( please bear in mind this is one of the mats out of the stables on which she has slept since being a yearling!! -  but it has never been in the arena like that before!). Today she happilyy stood on it.

The camera all over the place is when we did colours   -  I need to be an octopus!!
http://youtu.be/rjBg9lpA6mM


Jane, I went to my local bed shop last year - they had kind of reconditioned ( !!) cheap mattresses in a plastic bag for a tenner. My others have been fine going straight on it -  so it has been interesting with CAllisto working on all the steps to get her there ( which has meant i has been a much better training exercise for her and me !)

[Appy2quarter]

Really interesting charting the whole process Hilary - as you say, its not until a horse throws you something where you really have to think through it that you develop detailed training plans and skills.

I wonder how this will transfer to her confidence out on hacks etc?  One of the horses at our yard would get panicky when first riding out on uneven surfaces but I don't think my suggestion of a mattress was taken seriously LOL!!!

[hilary]

Will let you know!

I think one of the main things is that it will teach her to be able to stand still , rather than be a  foot mover -  but a very dynamic way of standing still. That is why I wanted to make sure I didn't get stuck in the cycle of her being able to walk across , but not stand still. ( she still has a little way to go to compete with Lottie -  but I reckon she and I will actually get more out of it as I have had to build the steps more slowly.

One of the things that I was thinking about was how I did build my cue when I was asking Lottie to bring her hindlegs on, when front feet on the block ( on the loopy training) ,.It wasnt from ropes -  with her it was asking hind feet onto the metal pedestal. So breaking it this way means I will have a cue to get the hind feet on ( I think Alex said it came from my ropehandling but don't think it did particularly)

[hilary]

A very quick session after a fairly stressful day ( went to take CAssiopeia ( alpaca) to stud ,  puncture on trailer, then she would load onto equitrek, puncture, mended , friend helped me load her ,  got to york late, a good covering ( 20 mins!) , back, then broke down in the field as I had taken them off the trailer -  simply cured by the RAC -  pipe had blown off)

I have now progressed to putting the green equimat on top of the mattress. This changes the feeling considerably -  moving one foot definitely affects the other . She has been putting 2 front feet on, and able to walk forward with her front feet.
Tonight she managed all four feet , I wish I had filmed as it showed how hard it is to stand still on that surface -  you could really see her concentrating with a big wobble trying to stand still. I rewarded her a few times ( c/t for just touching my hand right in front of her nose) then she did a big leap off. I was really pleased with her as she had concentrated so hard.

[hilary]

Another little session, with the equimat on top.I think you can see how it changes the surface,No reason for the bridle on this video as opposed to others-  was just riding her a little after.  At the end she stands still with all four feet  -  the video doesnt really show how much effort it too to do that
http://youtu.be/DE4zK3oXhdE