Big Thumbs up for clicker training

[virtuallyhorses]

I've been motivated to try some clicker training after returning from a clinic and have to say I'm quite impressed. I think it's brought home to me how much yacking I do."yes, good boy, well done..." all trying to be helpful and encouraging but Imp probably tunes out or get's mixed messages from it. Not that we haven't been successful with training so far.

Anyway I've been starting with 5-10 min sessions and Imp seems very quick on the uptake - well there is food in the offing so I guess that's not a surprise ;) We did the 'bridging' session and started to associate some of the commands he already knows in the first session. We've had 2 more short sessions and already easily added two new 'tricks' - nod 'yes' and shake 'no'.

I have seen some rather OTT claims about clicker training which I don't necessarily agree with but it certainly helps the novice trainer such as myself to focus and be clear. It will be interesting to see what happens when we get to the stage of weaning off the treats. :)

[Yann]

I've only really played at it, but it definitely works and it can be quite surprising just how quick something new can be learnt.

I haven't tried to wean off treats, (seems a bit mean and tricksy somehow:D) and to be honest I don't know if I'll bother trying, as the rewards are all part of the fun for us:)

[intouch]

What I like about CT is that it trains the trainer to respond quickly to trys. So often we wait for the finished sequence of a subject - I mean, the complete turn on the forehand, or back up, or holding the foot up - before we reward, whereas with CT we notice the littlest attempt to do what we have asked. It certainly was the break through I needed with my stroppy youngster.

[Yann]

Good point - and it's also much easier to pinpoint the small try so the horse understands and can make it a bigger one next time.

[virtuallyhorses]

I was actually thinking about it the other way around. I've always been so good at rewarding the try that we sometimes get 'stuck' with a part effort or incomplete 'trick'. With the clicker and food treats I now feel I have more focus and so I can either begin a new trick\behaviour with lots of rewards for tries OR wait for a better effort\completion before rewarding with either a click and\or food.

I can even develop 'sentences' where 'click' means yes, you've succeeded and will get a treat but where I can delay and ask for more then click again and reward - I'll do up to 3 things so far. Imp seems to get it that click means he 'will' get the treat and whether its immediately or in a minute doesn't seem to distract him.

[NuttyMare]

i've tried it on my dogs but not on a horse :cool: