Habituate mice to the room for at least 30 minutes
Start training on the first cage and prepare the apparatus by covering the base of the pole with home cage bedding; if desired, use a Sharpie to label the tails of the mice to keep track of their order.
Perform trial one: Grab the first mouse from the first cage and place at the top of the pole, facing down. Allow the mouse to travel down the pole and dismount onto the base; if they are struggling or not completing the task correctly, you may need to tap their backside to nudge them in the correct direction and/or help them maintain a downward orientation. Return mouse to its home cage and repeat for each subsequent mouse in that cage; start a timer for 3-5 minutes.
Perform trial two: Repeat the same procedure as for trial one, but starting the mice at the top of the pole and facing upwards. Recording video is recommended.
Perform trial three: Repeat the same procedure as for trial one, but starting the mice at the top of the pole and facing upwards (identical to trial two). Recording video is recommended.
If there are additional cages to be tested, clean apparatus by discarding the bedding and wiping down all components thoroughly with 70% ethanol.
Repeat procedure on each subsequent cage.
After the last cage, clean everything with Clidox (or similar disinfectant).