Clicker Training

• Proven results, backed up by modern science,and behavioral psychology.
• Dramatic increase in your horses motivation and willingness to perform. (Your horse performs because it wants to.)
• Accelerated Learning Program for your horse.
• Fits in with and enhances classical horse training techniques.
• Improve results and teach your horse anything! Dressage, Western, Tricks, Games, Showing, Barrels, Reining etc.....
• Makes training more successful and fun.
• Improve your timing, as a trainer.
• Successful results with horses and people of all ages.
• Helps you through sticky spots in training. e.g flying changes, piaffe, spins, etc.
• Makes learning clearer and easier for the horse to understand.
• Hassle free way to teach your horse complicated tasks or movements.

What is Clicker Training?

Clicker Training is a science based method of training animals that was first used by trainers of marine animals such as dolphins and whales.

Clicker Trainers use a small metal box that makes a "clicking" sound to mark good behaviors, hence the name "Clicker Training".

The "clicking" sound is always immediately followed by giving the animal something it wants, such as a food reward.

The clicking sound is used as a marker signal, it tells the animal exactly which behavior earned the food reward.

The animal quickly learns to repeat behaviors that were rewarded with a click and a treat.

The trainer can then gradually increase what the horse has to do to earn a click and food reward, so that behaviors that are complex or long in duration can be trained.

The Click is NOT a cue - it doesn't tell the animal to "do" something, the trainer gives cues/aids in the normal way (e.g leg, rein pressure cues), then when the horse responds correctly, the trainer clicks and gives the horse a treat. The clicker acts as a "yes" signal, it tells the animal when it has responded correctly.

Clickers and Tongue Clicks - The clicker sounds very different to the clicking sound we make with our tongue. It has a different meaning and sounds completely different, the horse will not get confused between the two. The click we make with our tongue usually means "go forward", whereas the clicker means "yes" that is the right response.

Many trainers refrain from using food rewards with their horses, they know how pushy their horses can get with the food. What those trainers don't realise is, that the horse telling us that they are really motivated by food and they will do almost anything to get it.

Clicker Training allows us to harness this motivation and direct it into the task we want the horse to perform. Clicker Training creates rules around the food, it teaches the horse "table manners", how to take treats politely and gently, so that we can direct the horses motivation in a positive way. Can you imagine how much fun training will be when your horse REALLY want's to perform!

I can't use a clicker in the showring, how can I use it in training? The clicker is used to train a new behavior or improve a response. Once the behavior is established you can phase out the clicker and just use it again if you want to train a different behavior, or improve the horses response. By the time you take your horse to a competition, you should have all the behaviors you need well established, so you won't need the clicker in the showring.... it is just a very effective training tool.

* Clicker Training has been used to help new riders and horse owners to learn about horse behaviour and become more confident around their horse.

* Professional horse trainers use Clicker Training to improve horse's responsiveness and to re-train difficult or problem horses.

* Competitors use Clicker Training to improve their performance results in all types of equestrian sports. Clicker Training is used with horses from breaking in right up to Olympic level performance.

Clicker Training is a fun, gentle way to build a better relationship with your horse. Have you tried Clicking with your Horse?