The Education of Toti
Teasing and Collecting from the Ground The next item on Toti’s agenda this spring is collect- ing semen, both to breed his mares and to ship semen. We built a “teasing wall” along the mare pasture lined with solid plywood on both sides (strong but supple, so nobody gets hurt if they kick or strike). I wear a helmet because Toti, as many stallions do in the breeding shed, can strike very high when excited. The footing is comprised of gravel with a couple rubber mats and some dirt on top of them. In preparation for the exciting task at hand, while
on our way to the teasing wall, it is time to stage a little good manners reminder: Toti needs to stop when told and not pass ahead of the Endostick placed in front of his nose as demonstrated in photo #5.
7 In photo #8, he meets his mare and the “stallion neck”
comes out and the front leg lifts off the ground. This requires a little correction so the movement is reduced to a symbolic stomping. I make sure that I am outside his range. I use a nose chain to tease and a lip chain to breed or collect and all the horses learn the difference very quickly: when the lip chain (which gives me a little more control) is on, they know the outcome will be pleasant. With the nose chain, there are no guarantees.
5 Then I remind Toti that he knows how to back up as
in photo #6. We do this before reaching the teasing gate. It is inappropriate to teach the horse self-discipline in the middle of his stallion duty, unless absolutely neces- sary. Too much discipline with a stallion at this time can destroy a weak libido.
8 In photo #9, we demonstrate a quiet and safe teasing
moment with all four feet on the ground. Next, the mare is being led away and Toti immediately
6 32 July/August 2016
returns to his place of calm and quiet with the use of a little Endotapping here in photo #10. On the way back to the barn, as seen in photo #11,
Toti gets the opportunity to graze a little. This time, we did not collect, but Toti has already
learned how. We collect from the ground for various reasons. First it is safer: the horse’s feet are on the ground
In photo #7, Toti is now at the teasing wall and you can see the set-up. We are using a mare today who is not in heat, to show him how to behave when not welcome.
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