Trifecta Moves on to the Next Phase
Ellen had an old saddle with a girth--I added Cole's old plaid saddle blanket. It is my favorite one, but we used it so much that it has several rips and it was time to retire it. His whole ensemble is perfect for touching, biting and chewing.
I kept him in his stall for the first saddling. He was already familiar with the feel of a saddle pad, but I reviewed it with him just the same. I flopped it on a few times. He didn't care in the least.
I then brought the saddle to him. First I showed it to him. It only took 2 seconds before he started to nibble it. He also sniffed it all over. As I gently set it on his back, I clicked and treated. I lifted it up and put it down a number of times--clicking each time. He didn't care at all--he just wanted his treats. I tried hooking the girth up. Since I was unfamiliar with the whole set up, it took a while of me fumbling around, but he didn't mind. Finally I got it hooked up. I clicked him for his good behavior. Since I have been ground driving him with a surcingle, it was a familiar feeling for him.
Then, I was time to go on a walk about. He acted like he wore a saddle every day of his life. We then did a little lounging at a walk and trot so he could get the feel of that, too--no problem. Trifecta didn't let me down. This is how I expected this lesson to go from the beginning. With his good attitude and the help of clicker, I couldn't imagine it going wrong.
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