I've created this blog to chronicle the training of my horse, Ziggy. Up to now Ziggy has not received the time and attention he needs and deserves. His initial training was rushed, so he never had a solid foundation. I got him at a point in my life when I was no longer competing at shows and really didn't have the time to devote to training a young horse. Recently, my other horse passed away, which reminded me that life is short and I should make time for the things I love. So I have decided to start over, hopefully filling in the gaps in Ziggy's training. I have decided to do this primarily through clicking training. .
Clicker Training is a training method involving the use of positive reinforcement and an event marker. Positive reinforcement is simply giving the horse something he likes as a reward for doing something you want. An event marker is the communication tool that tells the horse when he has performed correctly. Essentially, the "click" sound tells the animal when they have done something you want and is then followed by something the animal finds rewarding. The reward is usually a food treat, but can be anything that the animal enjoys and is willing to work for. This training philosophy got it's start in the marine mammal world, but is probably best known for its use with dogs. Horse trainers are generally unaware of and/or reluctant to use this method. Some trainers are too set in the old "cowboy" way of doing things and most are against using food to train.
Conventional horse training is accomplished by applying and releasing pressure to the horse through the lead, reins, or rider's legs. When the horse moves away from this pressure, his reward is it's release. This is an example of negative reinforcement; rewarding behavior by removing something undesirable. Occasionally, a horse is punished for misbehaving with a shank of the lead or a smack with a whip. Rarely are horses rewarded with something they want.
Ziggy has come to dislike pressure. Although he will ultimately obey, he often shows his displeasure by pinning his ears, tossing his head, and swishing his tail. He often objects to picking up the lope and will buck or kick out during the transition. He is also frequently uncooperative while being bridled, bathed, or fly-sprayed. These are the main issues I hope to resolve during this retraining process.
While I have lots of experience working with horses and am well versed in the methodology of clicker training, this will be my first time clicker training a horse. It is my intention to use this blog as my training journal. By documenting Ziggy's progress, I hope to inspire and enlighten myself as well as others.
A Fresh Start
By jbradley on 06/11/2012
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