Lovely 2yo Splash wore a rug for the first time today. This guy has been on quite a journey, from a very fearful, uncatchable little fluff box in March to the smart, curious guy he is today. You can read my previous post about him here https://www.facebook.com/100063889095107/posts/889717973167831/?
We have been training Splash using positive reinforcement as it is so powerful for building positive associations and therefore positive experiences when learning new things. We use appropriate food rewards with Splash which have lowered in value as his confidence has built.
Due to some itchy skin problems he needs to start wearing a fly rug. Wearing a rug for the first time can be a really scary experience as it is often their first time having something attached to their body and “following” them that they cannot get off. People expect a big reaction to a saddle, but really a rug can be a more intimidating prospect as it covers so much of the horse. I have seen lots of people just put a rug straight on a young horse, only to have them explode and panic as soon as they start moving and realise it is stuck on them. At best it is causing really unnecessary stress and at worst it can result in a nasty accident if the horse is running in a panic.
As we have with all other parts of his training, we broke it down into bite-size pieces so he was never getting to a level of stress that would make him upset. Firstly he sniffed the rug folded up and we rewarded any interaction with it. We then opened the rug on the ground and encouraged him to interact with it. Splash has been trained to stand in “neutral” so we can move down his body without him following us, so we could then start to quietly touch the rug to his shoulder, then reward, repeating each step until he was comfortable with it. I also started to walk him with the rug folded over his back so I could see he was okay with it moving with him before I attached it to him.
We did this over 2 sessions, in the first session he got to the point of having the rug thrown over him and I felt it was enough as he was just a little bit worried. Today’s session he was much more comfortable straight away and he had the rug on, all straps done up and back off twice. And now he is ready to wear his fly rug with no stress.
We can approach all elements of horse care and training like this, fly sprays, hosing, clipping, hoof handling etc, there is no need to go through high-stress and cause the horse to rear, panic and try to get away from you. There is a difference between learning “this is scary but the only thing that makes it stop is if I stand still” and “this is actually fine and I’m getting a nice reward so I want to do it more”. It might take a little bit longer to get there but it is worth it if you value the relationship with your horse. 🐴
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