Alexandra Kurland's Website.

[Bejay]

For anyone wanting to know more about her form of clicker training -

http://www.theclickercenter.com/2004/index.php

If you look at the newsletters, there is masses of information there, and on the 'Panda Project', the minature guide for the blind horse, section as well.

I can also thoroughly recommend all of her books and videos/DVDs - I now have all but the 'Microshaping', which only came out last week.

I emailed her a question, specific to one of my horses, who has impaired vision in one eye. She answered within 24hours; a really long, detailed reply, which made so much sense to me. I think that she is brilliant.

[hilary]

I have the microshaping one, but not watched it. The yellow dun (fat!) highland on the cover is my Lottie of Langley

Hilary

[Bejay]

Wow Hilary - more information please! Where was it filmed, do you go to many of her clinics, is she as lovely a person as she seems in the videos/ DVDs, is there a lot of Lottie (ho,ho) in the DVD?

You can't just leave it at that one, short sentence - too cruel!!!!

[Becky holden]

Yes Hilary tell us more!!! 

Becky

[hilary]

Just noticed this-and never replied - I am sorry!

The dvd was based on her clinic up here last year. Alex uses the term microshaping - you could call it just good shaping, because it is breaking things down into tiny movements.

We were microshaping  the abdominals to contract, and the lumbar spine to lift  -sounds bizarre - but the difference in posture at the halt is really interesting.

Lottie is the type of pony to preserve energy (!). What we did was have her in a pen and we were outside. She was in a corner so se could see the other ponies. Then we waited, and began to click any semblance of a shift backwards.I was at the front, and couldnt see anything, but the others (about 8) were all sideways on to her. The first thing looked for was a tiny tightening of the chest muscles, click. Because the clicks were fairly infrequent to being with, this was interspersed by using a target with a few very simp touches of the target in order to keep the rate of reinforcement up to   a level in order to keep her engaged in the game. As the clicks became more frequent, the target then became used to mark her really good tries ( ie she had to do hardly anything to get her clicks)

One of the ways you could actually see her shift her weight backwards was by observing the background behind her chest  - suddenly you could see a tiny extra bit of plank of the stable wall, so you knew she had shifted backwards.

When she had begun to do this, you then noticed her abdominals, and you could see them contract, the hind muscles would work, then you could see her slightly arch (elevate) her lumbar spine just by a tiny bit.

What the aim is, is to get the posture, before movement.

Try this yourself -  no preparation - and walk backwards.
try again, but this time, collect your own abdomen in, and see the difference.One tends to be in balance , the other without.


My older horse is so used to moving , but not in that balance, that with him, he moves back very easily, but you are trying to slow everything down to work on the balance before he moves. Quite different  - and I havent done a lot with him.

The best way I can describe it is equine pilates, and it is definitely athleticism at the halt.

Sorry for the delay, and yes, Alex is really nice -  quite a lot of the work she does is rope/rein handling skills, being grounded etc .  She doesn't do tea breaks though-you have to remind her!

Hilary

[Fiona]

Alex is doing some clinics at the farm where we compete if anyone's interested?  Is it OK to post the link here or does that need to be paid for?  (The clinics are not connected with me in any way and I don't benefit from them at all, just thought you guys might be interested)

Fiona

[BigBird]

I've been on her website a few times and I really would like to get my mare started with Clicker training, but I've noticed she is in America and the step by step book which is the first book isn't on amazon.
Does anyone know where I can buy it in the UK?

[hilary]

You could try emaiing Liz Lamb  - http://www.click-on-training.com/aboutme.html


She ,I think, got some spare copies last summer. I have tended to order from Alex's site - I didnt think her books are on amazon


Hilary

[Claire]

I've been on her website a few times and I really would like to get my mare started with Clicker training, but I've noticed she is in America and the step by step book which is the first book isn't on amazon.
Does anyone know where I can buy it in the UK?

i found it in the saddler's at hexham the other week - shall be up there next week if anyone would like me to see if it's still there and buy it? (I already have it).

or you could try ebay as well as amazon.

[BigBird]

I tried ebay as well, I'm just being lazy really as I want to order it and some one bring it to my front door.
But am going to have to actually go to a book shop and order it. Oh the struggles one faces in life........

[Claire]

you could try waterstone's online and then arrange to pick up at branch, thus saving the postage...

but it is on amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/203-2985395-2570312?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=alexandra+kurland&x=12&y=18

[SNC]

Is this the book you are wanting 

http://www.traininglines.co.uk/erol.html?405x1846#405X1846

Edited to put website link in correctly 

[hilary]

s this the book you are wanting 

http://www.google.co.uk/products?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GZEZ_en-GBGB286GB287&q=The+Click+The+Teaches+A+Step-By-Step+Guide+In+Pictures&um=1&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title
Posted on: Today at 08:39:30 PM Posted by: Claire

Thanks for this Claire (SNC). T'other Claire, this is a different book than the one on amazon - and defintely much easier to use as it is divided into different types of lessons ,  makes it much better as a "what do I actually do" book

[BigBird]

SNC: Thank you for finding it online for me. I didn't realise Google sold books. Haha my laziness lives to fight another day. 

The books on Amazon are by Alexandra Kurkland but the "Step by step" guide I was told was the best intro book?

[hilary]

"The books on Amazon are by Alexandra Kurkland but the "Step by step" guide I was told was the best intro book?"


Yes