I missed a training opportunity yesterday. I was riding with a new friend who hasn't had enough experience with clickertraining to believe in it fully, mired, as many traditional horse trainers are, in doubt.
Her horse is one who doesn't like being passed and gives ample signals with ugly faces and threats, and speeding up. He isn't even willing to be ridden up next to. I was tired of trying to carry on a conversation from behind, but also not anxious to cause any trouble for her. So I tried it a few times and then gave up.
Here is what I might have done, had I been able to think it through at the time:
I would have encouraged my horse to speed up and draw just even with the unhappy horse, then click. My horse would have been rewarded for following the speed up cue, and also for being even with the other horse. He would have been reassured that she was not going to pass him, because she would have immediately stopped for her treat, thus dropping back. As my horse learned that side-by-side gets the click, I could have delayed the click (200 peck pigeon). Very likely Mr. Unpassable wouldn't have to care as much about being side-by-side with another horse with that gradually increasing time (kind of like the approach to the timid lama, "can I be here? Good, I'll step back."). The doubting rider would have had a positive experience of clickertraining, and eventually we might have been able to converse without yelling. Instead of my horse getting tired of being asked to go faster, then pulled up just as she wanted to pass, and losing her enthusiam for the speed up cue, we would have all had sucess!
