Karen Pryor Clickertraining - Horses

Rescue horse + clicker training = positive outcome

Miranda Hersey Helin — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:37:12 -0500

Karen Pryor was recently interviewed for an article posted at CinCHouse.com, a website for military women and wives. The article details how clicker training helped a traumatized rescue horse.

Blue had clearly been abused. The then-7-year-old Arab/Appaloosa/Percheron gelding was petrified of horse trailers. His owner, Lei Ryan, Army wife and former active duty officer, could tell her rescue horse had been traumatized in a trailer.

After clicker training:

Blue now not only willingly loads in a trailer, but also trusts Ryan to guide him through all kinds of situations that used to terrify him. The horse that used to shy away from human contact recently took part in a parade through downtown Leavenworth. "He's very much my buddy," she said. "He chooses to be with me. He chooses to do the things I do. He's very cooperative."

Once again, clicker training saves the day—and the horse. Read the full article here.

Horse Needs to Calm Down? Try Football!

Aidan Bindoff — Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:38:02 -0500

A Thoroughbred x Irish Draft Horse given up as "unridable" has calmed down after learning to play football (or soccer as you may know the game). Horse trainer, Emma Massingale, taught her horse, Kariba, to play football as a therapeutic game to expend some energy.

Register by 9/30 for ClickerExpo Los Angeles and save $50

KPCT — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Only a few days Left to save $50 on ClickerExpo!

Proof that miniature horses love clicker training

Miranda Hersey Helin — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 17:22:54 -0500

Clicker trainer Michele Pouliot sent us a highly amusing photo of her miniature horses.

View the Canis Film Festival finalists online!

Bill Peña — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:16:57 -0600

The Canis Film Festival is in full swing, with some fantastic entries coming in from around the clicker training world. Submissions are now closed, and the finalists have been posted.

Check out CanisFilmFestival.com today to see them all!

UPDATE: See the videos that didn't qualify for the finalists, but include some of the funniest and most talented animals! Check them out here.

Techniques for Calming Your Horse

Melissa Alexander — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 21:11:47 -0600

All horse owners know that a fearful or too-excited horse can be dangerous, or even deadly. Being able to calm your horse can be the difference between a safe, fun ride and a serious accident. Recently, the ClickRyder mailing list discussed techniques for calming a horse.

Finding a new way to train

Melissa Alexander — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:14:55 -0500

From the ClickRyder mailing list... Horse training is traditionally built around the threat of escalating pressure. Although it would be nice to throw away all of our pressure-adding tools, it's not practical since some of those tools are used to give cues when riding. Alexandra Kurland explored how traditionally-aversive tools, like ropes, can be used in a more positive way. The first step, she said, is to retrain our own muscles with new behavior patterns, so we don't fall back into the old rope-handling habits.

ClickerExpo 2007: Training with the Stars!

Bill Peña — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 15:14:59 -0500

The new ClickerExpo.com is now live, including registration for ClickerExpo Los Angeles (Jan. 26-28, 2007)!
We've listened to all the attendee surveys and feedback, and we've kept all your favorite parts of Expo, while making lots of improvements:

Panda in Braille

Miranda Hersey Helin — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 18:01:15 -0500

We recently learned that the Library of Congress has selected Panda: A Guide Horse for Ann by Rosanna Hansen for production as a braille book, to be published later this year.

Announcing ClickFlicks! Download a video training lesson

Aaron Clayton — Mon, 01 May 2006 16:24:57 -0500

Karen Pryor Clickertraining proudly announces the launch of ClickFlicks Learning Center.

Rescuing Clydesdales with Clickers

Miranda Hersey Helin — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 19:06:15 -0600

The Kearney Hub in Nebraska reports on a woman who is rehabilitates rescued Clydesdales, using clicker training to help them find new lives as pets. Read the story here.

Help for Animal Shelters, One Click at a Time

Bill Peña — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 14:34:19 -0600

Redondo Beach, CA (PRWEB) March 4, 2006 -- Karen Pryor Clickertraining (KPCT), organizer of ClickerExpo, the highly acclaimed educational conference specifically for animal professionals and pet owners, and 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com, North America's largest nonprofit online pet adoption service, have teamed up to help more pet owners and shelter professionals learn new skills for successful pet adoptions. How? KPCT and 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com are going to pay partner shelters $25 for each individual that attends ClickerExpo in Newport, RI March 31-April 2, 2006!

ClickerExpo Tucson - a photoset on Flickr

Bill Peña — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 19:23:10 -0600

Photos taken by roving cameraphone photographer Bill Peña at ClickerExpo Tucson. Here's a basketball-playing rabbit to whet your appetite!

Just two weeks left before ClickerExpo Tucson!

admin — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:05:14 -0600

There's nothing else like ClickerExpo.
It's all about positive training, and always cutting-edge. Five tracks of sessions, hands-on Learning Labs, lunchtime Topic Tables, evening games and dinner with the faculty. Nowhere else can you get this much info, this accurate, this focused, and this easy to assimilate—in just three days. Join us!

KPCT Underwrites Public Radio

Aaron Clayton — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 16:48:23 -0600

Karen Pryor Clickertraining (KPCT) is underwriting National Public Radio broadcasts in Tucson AZ beginning January 11th on KUAZ 89.1 FM/1550 AM. The underwriting, will help spread the word in the local community about Karen Pryor's ClickerExpo, "where pets and people learn together" January 27-29th at the DoubleTree Hotel at Reid Park in Tucson. "It's great to be able to sponsor a valuable show like Morning Edition and other great programming on this NPR affiliate", said KPCT president, Aaron Clayton. "NPR broadcasts and clicker training appeal to people who know the value of good observation; I'm sure we'll get a few more people and their dogs introduced to the power of clicker training through affliation with KUAZ and NPR".

Clicker Training Horses on the Trail

Bill Peña — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:26:27 -0600

This is an email sent in by Teresa Jessee, a reader who wanted to tell us about her successes with clicker training horses on the trail. These are great examples of how clicking can work out in the real world, outside of "training" scenarios.

Licking/Chewing=Learning? - TheHorse.com

Bill Peña — Fri, 02 Dec 2005 16:44:19 -0600

More studies showing the "aha" moment that comes with operant conditioning, this time when clicker training horses: Years ago we studied punishment in horse training. In that context, when subjects "figured out" how to avoid the punishment, they usually showed the lowered head, lip licking, chewing, and sighing. They then responded correctly and avoided punishment, so they had learned. But they usually showed signs of anxiety and mild depression. The end of a training trial seemed like relief, "Thank goodness that's over," and they became reluctant to do the trials.

Taming the wild in mustangs, with clicker training

Miranda Hersey Helin — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 20:51:20 -0600

Robert Denlinger of Kentucky utilizes imaginative and low key approaches in dealing with ungentled and troubled horses. When working with mustangs, he employs participant involvement and his "human round pen" is a popular activity at the workshops.

When training, Denlinger uses a clicker to signal to the horse. "When she hears a click, she knows exactly at that point in time that she did exactly what I wanted. I will then unobtrusively give her the reward, which in this case is some alfalfa hay because she likes that."

Denlinger stressed that he only uses food as a reward. "We're not bribing her. I'm getting as close as I can to that little wild horse and saying (by making the click-click sound) because you allowed me to get in close, here's your food."

Denlinger said he does the exact movement to her maybe 100 times and the horse then knows it is safe to get the food. Patience in the pen is a virtue to gaining trust with a wild animal.

New List for Clicker Horse Trainers

Karen Pryor — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 19:38:01 -0500

Here's a new e-list for horse trainers, hosted by Melissa Alexander, the author of Click for Joy and the highly experienced host of the Clicker Solutions list:

Beyond Basics: Equine Clicker Training

Katrina and the Animals: How you can help save desperate pets in the Gulf Coast

admin — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 21:43:26 -0500

The most silent victims of Hurricane Katrina may be tens of thousands of pets that either died during the storm and ensuing flood or were left behind by owners who in some cases were not allowed to evacuate with their beloved animals. Many organizations are rescuing abandoned animals and helping to reunite them with their families. Many rescue organizations need money, crates, and animal beds. Foster families are also needed. Click here for information on how you can help.