Okay I never leave comments on videos but thank you so much for this video. I'm new to clicker training and am struggling to find resources like this. This is so so so so helpful! "You don't want your horse trying to chase [the target] trying to touch it" - this helped me so much! My horse started chasing the target and I didn't know what I was doing wrong. Thank you!
I love your videos so thank you for all the amazingly useful information. I am wondering where can I purchase the type of tool you are using as your target, or what can I purchase to use as a target that isn't too whip looking? Th ak you!
You can buy hand held targets for horses in a couple of places (depends where you are in the world but check out clicker training horse supplies). I usually make them - an old crop or bamboo cane with a plastic bottle, or a piece of pool noodle on the end work well. Some of the dog training ones are big enough to use for horses, too, and are usually easier to get hold of from pet shops. I've also used dusters, balls, feed tub lids, juggling skittles, kids toys etc when in a pinch - anything you can get your hands on that's clear for the horse to see and safe for them to touch will work and anything light you can tape onto the end of a pole or stick to extend it.
Love this method. Slightly off topic but, what it is you arena footing made of? I'm looking at the area about :40 seconds into the video. I'm building a new play pen and want to put something soft and relatively low dust
Just in case you still need an answer after 5 months ;-). You do it the way you always teach new cues. So, the procedure is 1) give new cue 2) give (old) known cue 3) behavior happens. For example, if your new cue is for you to move your arm in a certain way, you will 1) move your arm 2) show the horse the target 3) horse will walk on. After a few reps (sometimes a lot), the horse is going to start anticipating and responding to the new cue. This you must click & treat. You'll have to be careful to fade the target too. In the beginning, the horse will follow the target but, little by little, you'll be able to remove the target for a few seconds at a time and reinforce (reward) the horse for walking on. As always, you'll have to make sure that you don't overwhelm the horse by asking for too much too soon while moving on before the behavior becomes so ingrained that he finds it difficult to respond to a subtler/different cue, to offer longer durations etc. Bob Baily recommends upping criteria when your success rate is 80% so that the student knows what the whole thing is about but there is still some variability there. Hope this helps. :-)
Thank you !! :)
Very interesting, full of tips, clear. Thank you for sharing your expertise and knowlege
Thank you for the feedback!
Okay I never leave comments on videos but thank you so much for this video. I'm new to clicker training and am struggling to find resources like this. This is so so so so helpful!
"You don't want your horse trying to chase [the target] trying to touch it" - this helped me so much! My horse started chasing the target and I didn't know what I was doing wrong. Thank you!
I love your videos so thank you for all the amazingly useful information. I am wondering where can I purchase the type of tool you are using as your target, or what can I purchase to use as a target that isn't too whip looking? Th ak you!
You can buy hand held targets for horses in a couple of places (depends where you are in the world but check out clicker training horse supplies). I usually make them - an old crop or bamboo cane with a plastic bottle, or a piece of pool noodle on the end work well. Some of the dog training ones are big enough to use for horses, too, and are usually easier to get hold of from pet shops. I've also used dusters, balls, feed tub lids, juggling skittles, kids toys etc when in a pinch - anything you can get your hands on that's clear for the horse to see and safe for them to touch will work and anything light you can tape onto the end of a pole or stick to extend it.
Love this method. Slightly off topic but, what it is you arena footing made of? I'm looking at the area about :40 seconds into the video. I'm building a new play pen and want to put something soft and relatively low dust
It’s sand and fibre xx
How do you transfer a behaviour from target to a different cue?
Just in case you still need an answer after 5 months ;-).
You do it the way you always teach new cues. So, the procedure is 1) give new cue 2) give (old) known cue 3) behavior happens.
For example, if your new cue is for you to move your arm in a certain way, you will 1) move your arm 2) show the horse the target 3) horse will walk on.
After a few reps (sometimes a lot), the horse is going to start anticipating and responding to the new cue. This you must click & treat.
You'll have to be careful to fade the target too. In the beginning, the horse will follow the target but, little by little, you'll be able to remove the target for a few seconds at a time and reinforce (reward) the horse for walking on.
As always, you'll have to make sure that you don't overwhelm the horse by asking for too much too soon while moving on before the behavior becomes so ingrained that he finds it difficult to respond to a subtler/different cue, to offer longer durations etc. Bob Baily recommends upping criteria when your success rate is 80% so that the student knows what the whole thing is about but there is still some variability there.
Hope this helps. :-)