Does anyone use clicker training during ridden work?

[soloequestrian]

Just musing about the future - my 3 year old responds very well to clicker training and when the time comes it would be useful to be able to use it during ridden work. I wouldn't necessarily need to carry a clicker - could train her to a vocal noise instead - but is it possible to keep using a food reward? Scratches are just not as reliable!

 

[Leam_Carrie]

An old instructor taught my horse to respond to a click when ridden. It's a great way to teach her as she thinks it's a game. I make a clicking noise with my tongue when she does what I want and carry rewards in my pocket. When I click she stops and reaches round to take the treat while I'm riding her . It made it easy to teach her to stand at a mounting block etc.

 

[skint1]

Well, I inadvertentently "clicker trained" my horse... without realising it. When I started hacking out alone with him I would get myself a nicotine lozenge and him a mint if we successfully went past a scary thing like a tractor or large vehicle or if he didn't nap at a certain point where he'd previously nap. In a very short space of time he began to anticipate that if he walked nicely past something like that I would reach for my pocket, or even if I just reached for my pocket- he'll turn to look at me expectently waiting for his mint. He still does it now in fact. I don't mind it, we just happy hack so it's not trouble to give him a mint if he's gone past a scary thing.

 

[dollyanna]

Yes, I haven't moved on to more advanced stuff yet (although she does lengthen and shorten to cue inhand, longreins and ridden), still happy hacking though did ride through some driving obstacles, but mine has been clicker trained the whole way through. It has been brilliant, at walk she will stop immediately, faster paces she hesitates and then comes slowly back down to a halt unless I push her on (occasionally need to get to a safe spot to stop but want to mark a moment at the time). It is a brilliant emergency button for a young pony, even in a big panic a click makes her hesitate and reminds her I'm there with her which is just enough to then gently guide her to a more appropriate response. She will also stand her ground in the face of very scary stuff (think ENORMOUS tractors on her 3rd ride ever, passing on a narrow road) with consistent clicking and reinforcing - but the next time she doesn't need it at the time at all and we just mark once it has gone. She has never needed to see something more than once with the clicker in use to be comfortable with it the next time.
I do believe it has made her a very happy pony who really enjoys her work. And I found I could phase out the clicks remarkably fast, literally ride on ride. Initially she was marked for everything, almost constant, literally every step, but I can honestly say she has never tried to buck/rear/nap/resist at all. She was voice trained before she was ridden so voice is her primary cue but picked up leg aids within days by simply pairing them with the voice.
I haven't regretted it for a second and look forward to doing the same with my other one when he is ready. I always go out with a pocket of decent sized treats or chopped carrot - small rewards do not work as well with gloves on or from that angle - and my click is a mouth click. The only 3 bits of advice I would suggest are to switch to rewards coming from you rather than any helper on the ground as soon as possible (she wasn't keen to leave the side of my walker on the first ride, realised on the second ride it was because he had the rewards and she wasn't feeling secure enough to have the distance yet, switched to me and no problems after that - I did the clicks all the way through), have a walker who also carries rewards and train them to reward at the sound of the click for times when it isn't safe for you to lean forward to do so (above tractor moment for example!) and remember to switch the side you reward from to prevent any one-sidedness - I realised she always turned to the right as I carry in my right pocket, but now I mark and then state which side and she turns to that side - helpful for future driving too!
Happy to help with any questions if you want any.

 

[throughtheforest]

Hi yes, I had massive success using clicker training with my horse who had a phobia of traffic. It was the most effective and quickest method to help.