Clicker training: Help

Lot1983

Active Member
Oct 16, 2006
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The Cotswolds
Right, so say you teach a horse to target an object with the clicker, that's great you can say get them to target an object, so how does this translate into real situations.

If a horse was no paying attention say and you clicked what does that do? Bring their attention back?

Can you clicker train a horse to stand still? If so do you just click and reward when they're standing still and ignore when the aren't? Or would you get them to target something? Say the loop of bailer twine or something??
 
The point of targeting an object is that it teaches them that they do something then they get the click and treat and it is something easy to teach as most horses are curious of different items (plus it comes in real handy with scary things out hacking- ask them to touch it and they figure out it's not scary!)

Once they have the concept you can move on from there to different things getting towards the behaviour you want- so if you want them to stand then clicking and treating when they are standing still and when you have asked for the stand so they learn the word and begin to associate it with the behaviour and ultimately the treat.

The whole point of clicker training is positive reinforcement- you are rewarding them for the behaviour you want- so you would not click just to get their attention if they were mucking about as otherwise you will find yourself inadvertantly rewarding them for mucking about and they will believe this is what you want.

Others can probably explain better than me- i used clicker training for a time with my boy and he responded really well to it but i know that some people on here have taken that much further and use it lots more in their everyday lives with their horses to great effect.
 
So, when she was standing would I say stand, click and then treat, Can I say stand and click at the same time? I mean does this just negate the use of the clicker or does the clicker make it easier for the horse to understand?
 
The click is just the thing to tell the horse that what they have done is right. You need to attach words or commands to ask for the behaviour and then when the horse does it click and treat. So to start with i would click and treat immediately the horse stands and then introduce the word and then start to ask for the behaviour with the word before clicking and treating to teach the horse that only when the behaviour is asked for do they get the click and treat. But this can take many sessions to achieve- you need to build up slowly so the horse understands what the click means and make each step as slow as possible so the horse can get it!

Does that make sense? Where are all the clicker trainers tonight?
 
I would imagine the clicker trainers have social lives lol! Only on her as OH is asleep!

I've got plenty of time to train, office is 5 mins from yard so going on lunch break!!
 
Hmmm yes it is Friday night after all! I'm sure there is a fairly decent book on clicker training that goes over the basics and how to teach quite a few things- can't think of the name of it at the moment though! If you search clicker training on past threads it might come up with something.
 
Trying to learn as much as I can for free:rolleyes:

The books are still selling for about £15 second hand paperback so I'm going to see if I can learn as much as I can before forking out cash as I have 2 horses to pay for this month :eek::rolleyes: (Plus a MOT on the car... :mad:)
 
Sorry i cant help iv never used clicker on a horse, i my weimaraner is clicker trained!;)
 
:confused: hang on my other half is down stairs! maybe i should click him if he looks away from the TV:p
 
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