Bright_Spark
Well-Known Member
Intrested in general thoughts really
Clicker Training horses?
- Thread starter Bright_Spark
- Start date
Bossanova
Well-Known Member
We've recently started clicker training a couple of ours that have minor stable vices. You train them to touch a bottle and eventually they take reassurance from that bottle when it's in their stable. Apparently!!
It's a good way of gauging a horse's intelligence as some pick it up really quickly and others take weeks.
It's a good way of gauging a horse's intelligence as some pick it up really quickly and others take weeks.
Bright_Spark
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that.
I'm thinking of teaching Amber some simple things with it as she is quite quick at learning things and I thought it would be something useful and fun to do with her (shall practice on OH first though).
Wasnt sure if this would turn out to be a Parelli type debate. I hope I dont set it off now I have mentioned that word.
I'm thinking of teaching Amber some simple things with it as she is quite quick at learning things and I thought it would be something useful and fun to do with her (shall practice on OH first though).
Wasnt sure if this would turn out to be a Parelli type debate. I hope I dont set it off now I have mentioned that word.
Enfys
Well-Known Member
I used to use it a lot, the mouthy, greedy (but not necessarily brighter) horses picked it up far quicker than the non food motivated ones.
I had one, a very intelligent arab mare, who just looked at the bottle, looked at me and more or less told me that I was joking and not to bother Her Majesty with such trivial games. (Well, that's how I read the head back to haypile and bum to me gesture)
I had one, a very intelligent arab mare, who just looked at the bottle, looked at me and more or less told me that I was joking and not to bother Her Majesty with such trivial games. (Well, that's how I read the head back to haypile and bum to me gesture)
kerilli
Well-Known Member
yes, i've done it, particularly with a mare who was on enforced box rest for a month. we did the touching a mini-cone thing, until she would go around the box to find the cones and touch them in turn. will now go around the field and touch every cone in turn. i've also been teaching her to lift her front legs high alternately with a view to teaching spanish walk and eventually piaffe.
it is very very useful because it actually makes the horse THINK. not in the "do that" "okay" sort of way, but in the "if i can work out what she wants, i'll get a click and a treat. now, what does she want me to do? is it this? or this?" you can really see them thinking.
you do get some unwanted behaviour though, that's one problem. e.g. once you teach them leg-lifts, they'll offer it when they fancy a treat... just something to be aware of.
it is very very useful because it actually makes the horse THINK. not in the "do that" "okay" sort of way, but in the "if i can work out what she wants, i'll get a click and a treat. now, what does she want me to do? is it this? or this?" you can really see them thinking.
you do get some unwanted behaviour though, that's one problem. e.g. once you teach them leg-lifts, they'll offer it when they fancy a treat... just something to be aware of.
katie_and_toto
Well-Known Member
do you think clicker training might help to teach my pony to stand square in-hand?
dwi
Well-Known Member
its really good, we started with daisy to teach her to pick up her feet, we use it now for things like stretching or for mental sitmulation when she's on box rest