Clicker training

[my2babys]

Just out of curiosity really how many of you have used it successfully and what purpose did you go down this route with your horses? x

 

[FlaxenPony05]

I started it with my loan horse a few months ago and so far, it's been going well. I started because I wanted to have a better bond with him and to improve certain things that he struggled with. I have done some with him regarding picking out his feet, as it used to be that I had to physically lift his feet up and when I had lifted them up, he would shake them and try and put them down again. I slowly introduced the clicker with this (so click and treat when he lifted them up nicely for me) and now I just have to touch half way down his leg for him to pick it up for me He's very lazy in the school so I'm hoping to introduce clicker when riding soon (ie click and treat when he does a good transition). Hope that helps.

 

[canteron]

I used it first to give a horse confidence when mounting. When another horse came back from loan very school sour I used it to find a way to engage her in her schooling, with great success. I have subsequently used it with her to improve stable manners and stop her barging. She now takes a step back every time I go into her stable. it is also great for spook training and has definately helped to get the horse to focus on me more.

I have found it gives me a reason to continuously praise a horse and look for what she is doing right and encourage that behavior A lot of training is based only around correcting what a horse is doing wrong, which can be rather a negative experience for horse and rider alike!

Even if you just do the basics (targeting, not mugging for treats, moving backways and head lowering) you will learn so much about timing and how a horse learns.

 

[Spudlet]

I've used it wi my dog and would try it on a horse too. The most important thing is to make sure the clicker is properly charged - that is, make sure there is an absolutely solid association with the clicking sound and good things happening. People can sometimes rush this step (because it seems boring and repetitive, and they want to start on the fun bit), then get disheartened when the training doesn't go as planned, but it happens because their foundations weren't solid enough.

 

[stormox]

My friend bought a lovely irish sport horse yearling- no bother to load, lead whatever.At 3 she was advised by the local clicker trainer that this was the way to break her and get her riding. Before long this well-mannered horse had turned into a bargy, rude youngster, although it could play football and pick up cones!
I went up with her one day to see her progress, as soon as we walked into the field the horse turned its bum to me to get me away from the owner(who had a bag of titbits). I was about to give the horse a whack with the headcollar I had in my hand, but I noticed my friend looking at me, so I didnt. All she did was kept saying 'make a nice face' to the horse!
The horse became unloadable, nappy to ride, ill-mannered, nippy - and was eventually sold to a dealer as dangerous!!

 

[budley95]

I did it as bud would get easily distracted but was very food motivated as a 6 year old. Learnt target first, learnt to then back up on command, put his head down if you touch his poll on his left with your right hand, we then learnt to fetch the target and used that to learn that trailers with no front ramp aren't that bad and also flying changes and lateral work on long reins before transferring it to under saddle this way. It's useful if you don't have a food aggressive horse. Tried it with troll pony and I basically got chased for food... I don't like horses thinking I'm a vending machine and spent ages with pony behind stable door and as soon as he didn't mug me he'd get his click. But without the door it didn't work... I quite enjoyed it and found my book the other day. Thinking I might get the clicker back out now!