Clicker training ideas?

[Casper]

I started clicker training Casper about 2 years ago.

I bought lots of books (Alex K and Sharon Foley), got a friend who practices on her horse to give me a demonstration and off we went.

As is usually the case, I got busy with other things - work, the need to ride/exercise him to keep him fit, competing etc, etc.

If he wasn't so good at clicker training and didn't love it so much I would probably just stop.

So far, all I have trained is-

Targeting,
Back up on point or verbal cue,
Walk forward on verbal cue,
Lift and paw both legs when I point to them,
Head up and down,
Head shake,
Fetch (with a feed scoop but he'll do it with anything) - be brings it back to you 90% of the time even if I throw it across the arena
Some turn on the forehand/haunches but is still dependant on pressure/release.
I did once have him weaving through and touching several cones too.


These were just random things I though of as I'm not very creative.

I'd like to start clicker training him again - he's going to be lunged twice a week so I thought I might as well add a clicker session on to that but I'd like some advise on what and how to train certain things - the fun things are great but I'd like to apply a purpose to what I'm training but I worry that with these things I might do it wrong and make a mess of things

Areas I'd like to focus on are -

Turn on forehand/haunches - reducing the need for pressure and transfering this into ridden work.

Softening of the neck/jaw

Medium trot

& also some fun stuff (more fetch, weaving etc)


Then I come up blank!!!!

Can anyone provide me with some inspiration and some suggestions on how to train these things.

With turn on the forehand/haunches I am physically putting pressure where I would ask with my leg and rewarding when he move away and he is improving but is not great at it when ridden?

I'm going to start reading the books again as I only got about 1/3 or the way through - Alex's book in particular takes a lot of reading and I dont have a lot of time but will aim to read it on the train jouney every day.

Any ideas welcome!

[catkin]

Apart from 'retrieve' which we started as something for her brain when my youngster was on boxrest, I only use clicker training when we are working together whether it be under saddle, in-hand or on longreins. This is to keep it special, and because of the intensity of concentration I find it needs from both of us. The horse learns patience whilst waiting for their treat ridden or on longreins and quite frankly I just use it as I would praise but it amplifies how good the really good bits are.

Set the ground rules quite firmly ie 'good girl' does not mean treat!, remember your manners etc. I also found it invaluable for traffic-training a young horse under saddle (though she does 'look' for cars now to see if she can earn some more nuts )

PS My Welsh princess is more than capable of making up her own 'rules' so I've purposely kept away from any tricks that could become a problem in the wrong context such as lifting a leg (kneecapping by a Welsh Cob anyone? )

[Casper]

I've purposely kept away from any tricks that could become a problem in the wrong context such as lifting a leg (kneecapping by a Welsh Cob anyone? )

Yip that's one thing I wish I'd never taught him - he now paws quite agressively when he thinks he deserves a treat and I am withholding them - that seems to be his "go to" behaviour- I have been caught a couple of times when I've ducked under the front of him and he's chosen to paw at that specific time but it's great for stretching once I've girthed the saddle so I still let him do it but only gets a tread when I've asked for it!

[Casper]

catkin can I ask what kind of exercises/behaviour that you do clicker train?

[TashaKat]

You can also add stretches such as the carrot stretch and leg crossing and strengthening exercises such as the jambette.

We've (Emma Lethbridge helped me a lot with clicker) also taught 'stay/stand' and 'come'.  The 'come' came in very handy the other day when I was herding them all out of the inner sanctum    All I had to do was to pat my leg and say 'come here' and Saff followed me all the way to the gate 

the fun things are great but I'd like to apply a purpose to what I'm training but I worry that with these things I might do it wrong and make a mess of things/size]

I know that some people are anti the 'fun' things but they're actually a really good way to practise your clicker technique.  It doesn't matter as much if you foul up on say, targetting a cone, whereas it can be more of an issue if you mess up when teaching something in hand or under saddle.  I've found it really helpful for my timing as those kind of things tend to show up where you've gone wrong too without it being too much of a disaster.  It's also good if you need to take a step back.  I started teaching jambette and then got worried when she started to do it at every given opportunity.  Of course I then learned that you have to ignore the behaviour and not punish or reward (no matter how cute it looks!) so that they know only to do it on cue.

Ben Hart does some good stuff on shaping plans (he's got an excellent book out and 3 e-books) which is worth looking at too.  I don't follow any method to the letter but do like his work 

[catkin]

Once I'd done the basic groundrules like what the clicker means, targetting and anti-mugging, I decided to jump straight in and go for it on the longreins and ridden. I use it whenever the horse 'does good', lots and lots of reinforcement of standing still for mounting etc (she's young) and whatever we are learning at the time, I find it is a great way to say 'yes, that's the movement I'd like' as the click doesn't disturb the moment - I use a tongueclick. I'm still asking with the same aids/pressure-release/voice aid as I would with any other horse, just use the click as a marker for work well done - so the youngster still halts/moves off/goes sideways in the same way with the same cues. I still use scratches and tell her how good she is, and I still finish a session early when something good is done. And she is still told 'no' decisively for any mutiny - it's up to her then - does she want to earn a treat or is pratting about more interesting.

Interestingly, to hone my timing for the baby I practiced on my 26 yo oldie, she is pretty well schooled and in her case I found that the click worked as an incentive for quality - yes she knows the aids for, say, a shoulder-in, - if a click's involved she appears to improve HOW she does it! (she gets more bored with earning treats than the youngster though) It's a great way of giving a rest after a nice movement too.

Only other thing that I do is have a very strong ritual at the end of a session to demarcate between work and 'normal' life - ours is that she waits to be untacked in the yard, takes herself off to her stable and waits by her feedbucket for a handful of nuts and I then remove the bumbag.

........All in all, that's a very longwinded way of saying I use it to mark good tries and performance for all exercises

[Pikku Karhu]

Yip that's one thing I wish I'd never taught him - he now paws quite agressively when he thinks he deserves a treat and I am withholding them - that seems to be his "go to" behaviour- I have been caught a couple of times when I've ducked under the front of him and he's chosen to paw at that specific time but it's great for stretching once I've girthed the saddle so I still let him do it but only gets a tread when I've asked for it!

Certain behaviours need to be on cue only... for every behaviour you must teach the opposite behaviour, so if you teach the leg lift/jambette, it's a good idea to also teach a solid stand still. I've only just started work on jambette with my colt very recently, as (typically for colts) it's something that comes to him very easily and could be dangerous if uncontrolled. So, having spent about year and a half building very solid foundations in terms of manners and emotional control, I decided he was ready. While teaching the jambette, I also spent some time to reinforce politely standing still when I'm NOT cueing for jambette, and it's paid off as he doesn't offer it unless cued.

Alex K comes to Scotland every summer for a 4 day clinic... she is a fabulous teacher, so if you're interested in furthering your clicker training skills that would be an ideal opportunity. If interested, PM me and I'll forward you the details of the person organising it - it'll be held near Huntly.

[Casper]

Thanks Pikku Karhu - initially the pawing was a major issue but he now knows that he get nothing for that behaviour so it better at containing his excitement.

One thing I do notice with him is that it is much easier to train him to actively do something than to show passive behaviour and do nothing.

I did managed to teach him to stand when lunging (sounds simple but his automatic reaction is to stop and then turn in towards me) over the last few days which he's picked up quickly but sometimes he struggles with these things i.e. holding his head down for any length of time.

My friend attended Alex's clinic last year and got a lot of out of it - might be something to consider for this year if cost allows it!