Clicker training- results!

[svenja]

I've been clicker training Pielena and we've been having a lot of fun with it - as long as I don't get the pieces of fruit and veg I use as treats dirty, otherwise all I get is a disgusted look and a snort.
I didn't ride her today as after a very productive lesson yesterday, I found her new bridle had rubbed her face quite badly so I lunged her in her sheepskin headcollar instead, and thought I'd bring the clicker to practise walking in hand without her bargeing all over the place
There were three stallions in the indoor school so she was being an absolute tart, plus it was a little chilly. She gave me the whole repertoire of the Spanish riding school, complete with squeals, on the lunge... Before lungeing, I'd been practising saying "stand'' while walking her in hand to get a perfect halt, rewarding her with a click and a treat.
For the hell of it, and as a last resort, I shouted "stand" when she was pratting around at a flat out gallop on the lunge.... She came to a complete standstill from mid-pirouette, and stood stock still- click, treat..... even the YO's jaw was hanging open!

 

[sammyantha]

Sven, WOW, it's great isn't it Have found it does not work while hanging off side of galloping horse however

 

[Gill]

That sounds very dramatic! I think clicker is a great training method. My greedy Highland ponies will back off the stable door and all around the box even when I am carrying their tea or a nice haynet, and all because they are trained to the click.

 

[svenja]

That sounds very dramatic!

well, it was.... however, let's hope it works for the real test: the farrier....
She's a sweet little mare, but she is impossible to trim (she is barefoot- I can't bear to think what shoeing her would be like).... turns into an equine version of the hound of the barskervilles if you go near her with a file and hoof knife....

 

[capalldubh]

Well done! Fast progress! Pielena sounds like the sort of horse that will catch on very very quickly and then enjoy showing off what she's learned

I really enjoyed clicker training my old share mare, but made the mistake one day of trying to feed her the treat from a hand which had previous applied sudocrem to her legs. Wow, amazing to see a mare's lips curl in disgust like that

It has also been great with Jackson - and in an emergency (loose horses in the dark), just clicking as he stampeded past brought him to a skidding halt. Risky, I know, but since he couldn't figure out what he'd done to earn a click and a treat, he then reverted to offering all of his clicker repertoire in sequence, which gave me enough time to lead him quietly into the stable.

edited to say I had lots of success getting Jackson over his fear of having his feet picked up after the vet whacking episode - he now offers feet randomly if I even stoop down to look at his legs - hopefully it will work for Pielena too.

 

[Saje]

I'm so glad I found this forum! First of all there are people from all over the world which I love! And now I find that people are clicker training. I've only done this with my dogs but really want to learn more for horses. Do you have any resources you can recommend? Any good books?

 

[Pink's lady]

It never ceases to amaze me quite how quickly and how deeply clicker trained actions sink in. I spent weeks trying to teach Kalli to go backwards on word command using pressure on her chest then just word but she never really got it. Bring out the clicker, show her it once and a week later when I was showing Jo she was going back with just a look, in hope of a treat.

Kalli has the attention span of a distracted goldfish and isn't very birght either but she LOVE attention and loves treats even more.

he couldn't figure out what he'd done to earn a click and a treat, he then reverted to offering all of his clicker repertoire in sequence

Kalli dos that occasionally

She learnt within 10min that a click signals correct action and results in a treat. She was then taught that mugging gets you nothing and if she wants something she must looks away. The first time she did it she looks at my left foot with her right eye and head lowered. Now she thinks she HAS to do that when told to ' leave it'

It took a little longer to figure out target training. She still can't quite beleve that touching the target on the end of the stick result in a click so she's started to think a bit more (not something she's good at). She often gets it first time but other times, or when she wants but hasn't been asked, she will look pointedly at my left foot then perceed to gentle touch my feet then my knees that my hand holding the target than then the stick and finally the target. She's trying to work out what else gets her the click and I'm more than happy is she starts to engage her brain and stops being so clumsy.

 

[svenja]

Saje- hi and welcome to NR! I tried to get the Alex Kurland book but it seems it's out of print. I found this website useful: www.theclickercenter.com

Pink's Lady- it's amazing how well it works, isn't it? I'd never used it before, although I've done similar stuff with my old pony in the past. Pielena is very quick to learn but was slightly underconfident and it's made such a difference. Makes up for the fact that people at my yard think I'm completely mad....

 

[Saje]

Thanks Svenja. I found that book just the other day and it looks great. It's recommended by Karen Pryor so that's cool.

I hope you guys post more of your stories!