Clicker training - cones!

[TiggerthePony]

I had to share this as I thought it was so cute! I taught Tigger a lot via clicker training as he was quite traumatised and it worked really well, I started with getting him to touch a target for a treat, the target was a mini cone, I have not done that particular exercise with him for nearly 2 years.

I took him to the school on Monday and put out some poles and obstacles to practice long lining, I also put out some cones for him to steer in and out of, I couldn't believe my eyes when he followed me touching every single cone as I layed them out and kept touching them then looking at me expectantly! I was amazed that he remembered our cone sessions, he didn't even take any time to think about it he was straight on them as if it were yesterday we did the training!! Luckily when it came to long lining he did steer in and out like a pro without stopping at each one!

Just amazes me how good their memory is on certain things!!

 

[stripey]

What a fantastic story, my mare also targets cones. She was scared of the temporary roadworks signs so I worked with clicker to overcome this, now much to the amusement of workmen she will march up and target them!

I thought I read a scientific study a while ago that had done some experiments and found that horses taught to discrminate between different objects could still do the same 10 years after originally being taught it, despite having no interim training. They truly are amazing creatures, and much underestimated.

 

[amberleystar]

Behaviours taught with positive reinforcement (clicker training) tend to get stored in the long-term memory, hence why you've experienced your horse remembering the cones So cool, I just love it!