What can you do with clicker training? Sometimes we are limited by traditional thinking or just need some new ideas. In this A to Z series, I’ll be sharing ideas for things to train. I’ve trained some, but not all of them, and will share links to resources for more information whenever possible. I hope this list inspires you and you can’t wait to go out and teach some new […]
What can you do with clicker training? Sometimes we are limited by traditional thinking or just need some new ideas. In this A to Z series, I’ll be sharing ideas for things to train. I’ve trained some, but not all of them, and will share links to resources for more information whenever possible. I hope this list inspires you and you can’t wait to go out and teach some new […]
I’ve organized the blogs by category, and even though some blogs might fit in several categories, I’ve only listed each one once. You can also search by keywords. Also, be sure to check the articles section for additional resources. Chains: ASAT Conference 2019: Steve White: LOOK OUT! It’s a runaway chain: The how and why of problem chains. ASAT Conference 2019: Dr. Joe Layng: Sequences of behavior: They are not […]
This is the last blog in a six part series on teaching your horse to cooperate and participate in hoof handling. Tip 11: Building duration on hoof stands plus some troubleshooting tips I use my hoof stand for all four positions: front feet sole up in cradle, front feet extended on post, hind feet flexed (sole up) in cradle, and hind feet flexed forward sole down on stand. When I […]
This is the fifth blog in a six part series on teaching your horse to cooperate and participate in hoof handling. Tip 9: Prepare and train for farrier visits If you hire someone else to trim or shoe your horse, you’ll need to teach your horse the behaviors he needs for your farrier. In most cases, these will be variations on the behaviors you have already trained, but you will […]
This is the fourth blog in a six part series on teaching your horse to cooperate and participate in hoof handling. Tip 7: Take breaks This is the simplest tip, but probably one of the most important because I find it’s easy to become too goal oriented when working on hoof handling. There is often a sense of urgency, especially if the horse’s feet are in need of attention. But […]
This is the third blog in a six part series on teaching your horse to cooperate and participate in hoof handling. Tip 5: Teach the horse to let you move her leg/foot Once the horse accepts hand contact on her leg and I can hold her foot up briefly, it’s time to work on teaching her to hold it up for longer periods of time (duration) and to stay relaxed […]
This is the second blog in a six part series on teaching your horse to cooperate and participate in hoof handling. The next two tips are most useful when the horse has learned to lift the foot up and when you are just building duration, or when there is some extra behavior happening between the click and treat. In both cases, I am focusing on building a clean behavior chain […]
Being able to safely handle and take care of our horse’s feet is an essential part of good horsemanship. But it’s not always easy. Horses usually have a natural reluctance to allow their feet to be handled and restrained and can show their anxiety by moving around or kicking out. Or, the horse may have learned the opposite approach, which is to pretend he is made of concrete and keep […]
On July 29, 2018, I clicked on the “publish” button for my book, Teaching Horses with Positive Reinforcement. Then I went and hid under the bed. Well, not really – although I might have been tempted to do the adult equivalent. While I was relieved to be done, I was not sure how the book would be received. That was a year ago. Since then, the book has been selling […]
