Clicker Training

[liz]

Ok, I tried tonight, after Flashback had success last night.

I ended up chasing Sol round the stable with the clicker!

She has a thing about touching the back of her knees.  She lifts her foot - finds it irritating, with the 'greasy heal'.

Perfect for C/T... or so I thought...

Touch her knee, wait for her to put it back on the floor - click and treat.  Fine.

After doing this twice, she decided to run round the stable backwards trying to get the sweeties.....  :blink:

Clicked her for standing still - Again twice - follows me backwards again!

Should I leave it for a couple of days?  

As I said on the course, I just gave them indescriminately when either just arriving or leaving, or for standing still when putting her headcollar on.  (Don't know why i did the latter - she's always stood still).

b****r

Liz x
 

[chapsi]

I'm by no means experienced enough, and most of my clicker skill has been given following the book I bought and Nix's feedback.

When I introduced my mare to clicker training, initially the idea was simply to get her to relate the bridge signal with the reward. I was walking around the paddock,  clicking and rewarding as she was following. However, this posed a few draw backs, like madam getting the wrong idea and deciding to pest me.

Because I have past traumas with biting horses, I started to introduce her to the clicker from the other side of the fence (I have no stable). She was trying to grab the bag, so she was rewarded only when she looked away or walked away from me a few steps. Soon she learned that rewards only come after a signal, and most important, the bag is mine!

After this stage I introduced the target, and more recently a special word to the reinforce the clicking (handy if you are riding).  She now goes for the target, even at some distance. In the sand school I can even play football with her target and then she goes for it... I am also using it to make her go into places ridden with lurking monsters...    

I feel that using this method, there is plenty of reinforcement, some days are better than others and it takes time and patience. Better to stick to only a few things at the same time.

[Becky holden]

Hi Liz

Not quite sure what you are trying to shape here, is the end result you being able to touch back of knees without the leg bein lifted off the floor? Or are you trying to catch Sol to put head collor on?
I agree with Laura and do a little more target training then if Sol demands the treats from you it can be addressed before you try shaping other things.
Let me no Liz and i will get back to you,

Becky    

[liz]

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

It's trying to touch the back of her knees, without her snatching them away.

I tried the target training with a body brush...  I'm probably trying to run before I can walk.

Tried again tonight with the knee thing, but she was tied up outside the stable.  We got on a bit better.  (Had to put the cream on her split bits).

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear - I tend to write like I talk...  Waffle and complete crap!

Will go back to basics and try the 'toothless budgie' syndrome!

Liz x

[Becky holden]

Hi Liz,

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear - I tend to write like I talk... Waffle and complete crap

Thats me too on this dreaded key board, let me waffle any day of the week put typing!!! i'm terrible  :lol:
I ment to ask if you had a head collor on, not were you trying to get one on! Mixing you up with someone else on the workshop! Thats another thing i have trouble with, peoples names!!
You did right by having another go whilst tied up, also the backing and slightly demanding was probably due to Sol recieving treats in the passed for nothing and was probably thinking i want a treat for nothing now, just stay focused on the end result and whilst shaping behaviour like this make sessions very short and sweet.
Keep us posted and
Happy clicking!!
Becky    

[Numbat]

 

Sounds like there are a couple of things you need to work on here.

One is, if you've been giving random treats you now need to teach the horse the rules have changed and she will only get treats after a click. I second the advice on teaching about clicker training first, using a target from behind a barrier. Only start training other stuff once she clearly understands a) what the behaviour-click-treat equation is all about, and B) that mugging you doesn't get any treats. It's true that people have success sometimes just startinbg straight in on training something else, but it doesn't look like that's going to be the case with this horse.

However, this means you'd best stop giving random treats. It's no big deal, you can just ask her to do something nice every time you feel like giving her a treat, and click her for it then treat.

Another is, be clear on what it is you're trying to train and click that. You say "Touch her knee, wait for her to put it back on the floor - click and treat". It's not clear to me whether your hand stays on her knee throughout, or do you touch, let go and then click when she puts her foot back down? Either way, neither of these seem to be what you're aiming for, which is to have her leave her foot on the ground while you touch her knee?

I would try to avoid the lifting of the leg, since you don't want that.

1. Can she leave her foot on the ground when you put your hand nearly on her knee? Click *before* she lifts it.

2. Can she leave it on the ground when you touch her knee quickly and casually? Click *before* she lifts it. Then try to extend the duration to one second, two, one, three, and so forth. I find counting right out loud is helpful when working on duration.

Sue

[Numbat]

You might also consider using something other than a body brush for a target. I think it makes things easier at this early stage if you use something a little unusual, that you're not going to be trying to use for other things as well. Then the horse is not likely to have to be discouraged from targeting the body brush while you're trying to brush her.

[chapsi]

We use a small empty plastic water bottle covered by bright yellow masking tape (Nix's invention ) I can always attach it to a stick to make it longer or use it as it is.
Great target, cheap, and teeth proof (she has picked it up twice and attempted to bring it to me... bless her )

[liz]

We tried again tonight.

Better success getting the gunk on behind her knees.  I can actually touch them for a few seconds now!  

I have been waiting for her to put the foot back on the floor before clicking and treating.  Will try the 'click before she lifts', or do you think that will confuse her now?

I am impatient, and think I expected 'instant' results....

I want everything last week

Oh for virtue :blush:

Liz x
 

[Becky holden]

Hi Liz

Remember if you want to say "yes" then click it! Also try clicking before your hand even reaches her knee,

I am impatient, and think I expected 'instant' results....

The more things you teach with the clicker the easier each will become, it took Fanta less than 5mins to learn how to say "NO" if this was the first trick i taught him it would of taken much longer,
Keep going you'll get there!  :P

Becky