Ask the Vet - Clicker training for horses

[@alisonannefox]

So great to see a discussion of positive reinforcement and clicker training and all of the benefits. The only thing I would suggest is that you provide an update as what you are describing as negative reinforcement is actually positive punishment.

[@ConnectionTraining]

Hi there, thanks so much to Lydia for mentioning our Shawna! Lovely to see clicker training becoming so much more popular, I'll pass this video on to Shawna, she'll be delighted to see it. Clicker/reward-based training for horses is so much more accessible now than it was even a couple of years ago - there are so many talented trainers out there nowadays. It's important when beginning to utilise positive reinforcement training with your horse that you seek some guidance, even if you're an experienced horse person. Whether it be in person lessons or remote learning like the courses we offer at Connection Training, one-on-one help is essential to you and your horse's success! Happy training.

[@birdsantics1253]

So, so glad to see you discussing this topic! Clicker (also referred to as marker or reward based) training has been successfully used in the zoological industry for years. I started using it several years ago with horses, and wouldn’t do things any other way now. It is important to have a fundamental understanding of the difference between positive and negative reinforcement and positive and negative punishment. The ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ are not value judgments (as in, positive = good, negative = bad), rather, they are mathematical (as in, positive = add, negative = take away). That said, positive reinforcement adds something the animal likes after a desired behavior is performed (and the clicker, or marker tells the animal when that desired behavior has occurred), and negative reinforcement is when the trainer takes away something the animal doesn’t like when a behavior is performed. Traditional horse training is almost exclusively negative reinforcement; the pressure of the bit, leg, etc. is taken away when the horses performs desired behavior. Sadly, too many people also use positive punishment on horses. Positive punishment is when something unpleasant is added after an undesired behavior. Spanking is a perfect example of positive punishment. Research on animals AND humans has shown that for positive punishment to permanently change behavior, the punishment would have to occur immediately after the behavior, and would have to be so severe, that most people would not ha e the stomach for it. There are loads of resources out there now to learn how to do this extremely effective and humane type of training; I do agree with the others, if you are interested in learning, definitely consider a coach. This can even be done remotely with video coaching if you don’t have a positive reinforcement trainer in your area.

[@DarleneDeMayo]

I have no history with being around or handling horses but I now own 2 Quarter Horses as of Sept. 2017, and clicker training has created a way for me to be with my horses, as I learn everything 'horse', and I can honestly say I don't see any relationships at the stable like mine with my mares because of finding Shawna Karrasch and the crew at Connection Training!

[@lauriefredrikahiggins6256]

Your definitions are quite off. Positive reinforcement means that you add something the animal wants as a way to reinforce or strengthen the desired behavior. Negative reinforcement is strengthening a desired behavior by removing something the animal doesn't like, such as pressure/release. Correcting the wrong behavior is punishment.

[@whunicorn]

It's wonderful to see you guys putting clicker training out there. I am a huge proponant of positive reinforcenent. But for anyone interested that has not used this method with an animal before, please please please seek out further guidance and coaching before you begin. Positive reinforcement is a hugely powerful psychological tool which if dabbled in or used improperly can cause problems. There are tons of free intro videos on youtube and amazing books and online classes available. Dive in and it will change your life with horses for the better forever!

[@PunksTank]

We are also huge proponents of clicker training! It is just like any other training, you need to learn it thoroughly to do it safely and effectively. We have a facebook group Empowered Equestrians focused on educating people about positive reinforcement :)

[@thehencam]

It's great that you're talking about the clicker perspective - look for what you want, and reward each small step to the goal. As others mentioned in the comments, some of the terminology in the video is inaccurate. Also, although Shawna has been instrumental in bringing clicker training to horses, she wasn't the first. Karen Pryor was clicker training her Welsh ponies in the 1960s (at the same time that she was doing marine mammal training.) It was Karen who was the first to spread clicker training throughout the marine mammal world and into the companion animal community. Like anything you do with horses, there's not a magic fix. Clicker training takes skill, study, and experience. But, it is effective and rewarding - for horse and trainer, alike! - and worth delving into.

[@melaniewf]

Lovely to hear and see that the message is getting out there

[@gilllangridge4401]

Excellent to hear that more and more people are using positive reinforcement training. Please do get expert help when you first start out. Like anything it needs good timing and it is useful to have someone with you or to video a session for feedback from another trainer. I learned from Peggy Hogan and Laurie Fredrika Higgins - well worth looking up - they run a course for beginners and also so a course if you want to work with more than one horse at a time, all online. Jo Hughes is my mentor - The Academy of Positive Horsemanship. Negative and positive are not feel good words but are used as mathematical terms so -ve = subtracting and +ve = adding. You also need to pair the clicker or another sound with the food - this is classical conditioning. So at first the click means nothing to the horse - in fact my horse ran away when he heard it as it was too loud. Reward based training is a huge subject and I am only just scratching the surface.

[@lauriefredrikahiggins6256]

Peggy Hogan has also been around working with horses and positive reinforcement for over 15 years.

[@sophk1033]

I thoroughly support positive reinforcement but as a university student I have access to a lot of scientific reports and have found many that prove it is difficult to train with horses, in most cases it didn’t work well

[@rachelpowell18]

DEFINITIONS ARE NOT CORRECT. Smartpak, you can do better.lol. If you are going to talk about clicker training, please interview an expert in that field. Dr. Gray is great but I don't think this was the exact interview you should have asked her to do.

[@robertcarroll9260]

clicker trqining is ridiculous

[@No-uq5jt]

Clicker training works better than normal training so no

[@ConnectionTraining]

Hi there, thanks so much to Lydia for mentioning our Shawna! Lovely to see clicker training becoming so much more popular, I'll pass this video on to Shawna, she'll be delighted to see it. Clicker/reward-based training for horses is so much more accessible now than it was even a couple of years ago - there are so many talented trainers out there nowadays. It's important when beginning to utilise positive reinforcement training with your horse that you seek some guidance, even if you're an experienced horse person. Whether it be in person lessons or remote learning like the courses we offer at Connection Training, one-on-one help is essential to you and your horse's success! Happy training.