I’m taking care of a draft horse (coming nine Shire gelding), he is supposed to be a logging horse, but it looks like that is sidelined for the foreseeable future due to injury: something truly evil to a lower right hind suspensory/fetlock is my guess, vet is coming Friday. (there is a whole saga on this horse’s injuries and vet or not vet calls, which is not relevant to the question) The horse is very lame, is likely to remain very lame for a long time, hopefully it is not catastrophic. He could just be dumped in the back forty for a year, but I would rather work on his mind, since he is fairly green. If the injury is as bad as I think, he may have to be a pasture ornament for someone. At two thousand pounds he HAS to be a Polite pasture ornament.
So my thoughts are turning towards clicker training to keep him engaged and connecting/listening to people. Since logging with horses takes the danger level to about Defcon Four, horses that are listening and connected are genuine lifesavers. I can at least work on that aspect.
I’ve never done any clicker training. Does anyone have any good recommendations for books, youtube, other sources, general hints?
Karen Pryor is a guru of clicker training generally, and her website is a great resource:
https://clickertraining.com/
Alexndra Kurland has written a lot on clicker training horses, and her writings are on the site when you click through to clickertraining with horses. She also wrote a book, but I don’t know if that is still in print.
Clicker training is a lot of fun, and it sounds like it would be perfect for what you want to do.
Good luck with your big Shire!
I think that is wonderful for you to think of this horse’s mental wellbeing while laid up. Good for you.
I would recommend first and foremost, Shawna Karrasch. She wrote the book “You can train your horse to do anything” https://www.amazon.com/You-Train-Your-Horse-Anything/dp/1480254908
She is wonderful! I’ve been to one of her clinics and she’s amazingly upbeat and, as a science minded lady myself, it makes a hell of a lot of sense! She also works with two European ladies with a program called Connection Training. I have signed up for their foundation course which steps you through clicker training but have not yet finished it. There is also a forum on their site for “members” with specific questions about positive reinforcement training. Really a nice community of people who care deeply about their horses.
The goal is not to forever carry a clicker and food around with you but to eventually phase those things out. The point is that all animals generally learn in the same way when you really boil it down. It is a wonderful way to communicate with your horse no matter what type of riding (or not) you do. A way for you to say, “yes! that’s what I’m asking for” so your horse can think “ah ha! I get it!” Also, the point of a food reward (note, you do NOT have to use food as a reward) is that it’s a HUGE motivating factor for horses. There is “something in it for them”, not just the release of pressure (which I am not against, I mix positive and negative reinforcement with my horses).
Another source I’ve found helpful is The Willing Equine https://www.thewillingequine.com/
This girl is very knowledgeable too especially when just starting out.
I’d take a look at her blog and buy Shawna’s book. Great places to start.
I will say, it is definitely a different mindset than I was used to. As with anything new, you will have ups and downs but ultimately I feel like if you stick with it, your horse will thank you for finding a way to communicate with them.
I took a break from working with the clicker for 9+ months. When I moved to my new farm, I was just messing around and set up a target that I used to “send” my horse to on the command “target”. I pointed and said “target” and she went right over and touched the target immediately. I was surprised. It certainly stuck with her.
I am now keeping a mini donkey who doesn’t like her feet touched. I am starting to work with her using clicker training.
Good luck to you!
Thanks.
I was looking at the resources, it seems like (if done properly) the horse is better about treats and it doesn’t cause the horse to be aggressive about treats. That was one of my concerns with this guy, he is very pushy when fed by hand. In fact, I avoid doing it because he gets right up on you.
Yes, if done properly, horses will become more polite about treats instead of less polite. All the resources above are excellent. You’ll probably find that some trainers’ communication and styles will ‘click’ (pun intended) with your way of learning more than others. The same thing goes with YouTube videos. You can go down a pretty deep rabbit hole of clicker videos on YouTube and you’ll see how each person’s methodology varies a little. I play around with clicker work and find it to be a really valuable tool for solving a behavioral ‘puzzle’ with horses. I’ve used it for everything from ground manners to longeing exercises to under-saddle work. I echo the comments above and admire that you’re thinking of your horse’s wellbeing and working on ways to communicate. That lightbulb moment when they understand the clicker concept is really neat. If you have time, please post updates!
Just keep in mind, INITIALLY he will be pushy with food. This is new for him and what he knows from the past is he likes food and if he pushes he gets it. That is the first part of clicker training. Realizing the food is the reward but he will not get it for manhandling you.
At times, while figuring this clicker thing out, you may inadvertently reward him for “bad behavior.” It’s OK. It will be fine. You’ll realize it eventually and be cognizant of it and stop rewarding the wrong thing.
I started by putting my horse in a stall with a dutch door or you could use a gate etc (some kind of barrier)—The Willing Equine blog/YouTube has a good video to describe this starting process. That way he can’t rush you and you can start out safely. Watch her video, it explains it better than I can.
