CT success, despite numpty trainer :)

[shoveltrash]

for years my horse has had a psychotic fear response to any *spray*, fly spray, etc.  the hissing noise alone would make him flinch his whole body......i was able to get him to the point of standing still/not bolting off, but wasn't comfortable with the tension he still exhibited.


armed with my clicker, i recently decided to tackle this.

now, i must say, i am NOT a CT expert, in fact i probably do a LOT 'wrong.'  but it's still a great tool

at first i would spray just a bit, then C/R.
then i focused on rewarding the lowering of his head - C/R.
it's amazing!  not sure why i didn't do this sooner?   the change in him is astonishing, after only a few brief sessions



sorry, just wanted to post something positive

[winnieandben]

    I only use it occasionally now as Jinx was second guessing too much to get the next treat  But it is still a fantastic tool. 

[ash]

VERY cool! 

[ChrissieW]

   

[ukica]

Love it.  Can be a very useful tool for that kind of thing.  And i was thinking today whilst on hack, for getting past spooky things too...(had difficuties getting horse into sea today and thought if only he had been CTed, i could have used it to get him in and maybe saved half an hour!!) 

[Wendy]

 

I've just taught Marley that one too, he really hated the sprayer. It doesn't take more than a few sessions - he's fine with it now too!

[shoveltrash]

what a wonderful training tool!  i never would've tried it, if it weren't for EE

[Pikku Karhu]

  Well done! Jensen used to hate sprays too, but can now be sprayed loose in the field.

[Amanda1950]

Well Done 

[Imperidor]

Okay girls, an utter CT virgin here.   

I can sort of "guess" what the theory is, how would you put into practice CT for a horse with fly spray terror?

Thank you
Martina

[Wendy]

Well this is how I did it with Marley.

Show him the spray bottle, click/treat when he looks straight at it.

Ask him to touch it (or if you haven't done targeting yet just quietly try to touch him with the bottle) - CT as he touches it - or moves towards it - or lets you move towards him with it - depending on how frightened he is. Do this until you can move all around him with the bottle.

Move away from the horse and spray into your hand very quietly. Click/treat when you do it. Do this several times until he's comfortable with it.

Very quietly spray into the air and CT at the same time. I just click when I spray it - before the horse has even had a chance to react and being clicked actually distracts them from being afraid.

Gradually move your spray towards the horse. CT every time you press the trigger.

There's a bit of advance and retreat psychology as well - don't put him under too much pressure. If you are getting a bad reaction just go back a step.

Move onto spraying the horse very briefly clicking every time. Start at an easy area like the front legs then move onto the back legs and neck. Gradually extend the length of the spray.

That's it pretty much, you need to keep reinforcing click/treating) for a while but if you do it every day itcan be phased out pretty soon.

[Wendy]

You do have to be careful to C/T the reaction you want. With Marley at the moment he's accepting being sprayed, loose in his box, and he stands well - but he waves his back legs at the sprayer when I do his right side so I have to delay the click a bit to be sure that I only click while his foot is on the floor.

[Imperidor]

Thank you Wendy, that's very clear and precise.  I will print this off and follow it carefully with Harry.

 

[shoveltrash]

wow Wendy, i should've asked you first!
i would have done it MUCH better......i didn't use the bottle as a target .

[Greybaby]

Sounds like you did great anyway Trish 

Well, after my success using CT ridden I have tried this too; woo hoo, I can get fly spray on my horse!!! 

Thanks so much for the inspiration  (MUST tell my instructor who has been trying to get me to use it for over 12 months  )