articles on training
August 30th, 2008
Lunging is a skill every horse should know how to do, and do controlled. Controlled lunging is an absolute must if other riders are around. A MUST. And, depending the reasons for lunging, it might be best, for the fresh horse, to be lunged alone, with NO other riders in the ring.
Though the act of lunging a horse is fairly simple, it is much more than putting a lung line on a horse’s halter and having it run around you. However pedestrian and possibly boring the act (for both horse and equestrian), lunging, just like all horse activities, actually takes some common sense.
Anyone see where this is going?
The barn I ride at has three arenas. One outdoor arena with a full jump course, fully fenced with a gate, one indoor arena that sometimes has a jump set up or trot poles set up, also fully enclosed, and one dressage ring, fenced, with no gate. Out back, a 20+ acre cross country course with a pretty large open field including hills and several other open areas. There are jumps spread throughout with some cool water elements.
I enjoy riding in the cross country fields one or two days a week. Alone. It’s nice to get out of the (crowded) ring, and the hills are a great workout for the horses. Also, the open space provides a great workout for me during 40+ minute gallops.
Last Saturday afternoon was a choice day to ride in the open space. My husband was with me, the barn was empty, and the weather was perfect.
I decided to take my big guy out back; a strong S.O.B. in the fields. Hacking in the ring takes all the leg I have to keep him going at a moderate pace, but in the fields, it’s no leg for me, just a lot of whoa!
Set right in the center of the biggest field in the cross country course is a large bank complex; my husband’s spot. He took his place accordingly, and after a nice 20 minute, very forward warmup trot, I moved into the canter. As I was trying to keep pace and not yet get into a full-tilt gallop (my biceps are getting huge), suddenly the only other person at the barn walked her horse into the field I was riding in.
Surprised, I think I jumped out of my skin even a bit faster than my mount.
I assumed, at first, the woman was walking her horse back to graze. Not so. In tow: a lunge whip, wadded lunge line.
40 acres of grounds; this gal has to come work by me.
Up to the top of the main hill she went, and so down immediately went the lunge whip.
I tried my best to go about my business and return to the canter, or then, the lowest speed of gallop as my horse was as irritated as I was that we had company. My first lap around, I noticed the gal’s horse eating grass at the jog as the woman nagged the horse (in full sentences) while the lunge line drug on the ground. Clearly, moving forward was not this horse’s priority.
Soooo…we stopped. We walked. Waited for badness. The woman noticed her “work” had interrupted mine, and she then rushed to pick up the slack and walked towards the horse. Just as we returned to the controlled gallop, my horse exploded. He went up, I stopped, we twirled around, and saw the horse being lunged taking off dragging both lunge line and lunger. She hit the dirt immediately.
Loosing site of the horse, we heard him gallop down the path, through the river, towards the barn.
Oh man, then my big guy was pissed. Excited, snorting, rearing, jigging, hell, I was pissed too.
According to my husband, the horse wanted to go one way (to continue eating grass at the jog), the woman wanted him to go another way, and the lunge line tangled around the horse’s neck.
Nice.
I had to jump off my guy and hand walk him until he settled down. The woman attempted a few apologies, but at that point, I was far too annoyed. PLUS – go get your damn horse!
After about 2-3 minutes of settling down, I got back on and forced a canter. No galloping until I trusted he had his wits to him. After a few times around, calm, and quiet, I decided to let him go. So much fun.
We turned up the hill and I gave him the reins. He knows what that means, and he pushed forward, excited, then JUMPED SIDEWAYS. I halted. WTF?
She came BACK. With now, super riled up, stubborn horse. She started a lunge, again, lacking any control whatsoever. Her horse raced around, bucking wild while she nagged him, again, in that (I can still hear it) meakish voice (you know the one), asking, “Please trot. No. Go to the right…” Ugh.
Thankfully, she only stayed another 5-10 minutes. Had she been dragged back towards the barn a second time, I hoped she would have gotten the hint that MAYBE YOU SHOULD WORK ON YOUR LUNGING SKILLS BEFORE GOING OUT INTO AN OPEN FIELD.
This isn’t the first time I have run into problems with inexperienced horse people attempting to lunge a horse in the company of other riders. Even in a ring, if one doesn’t have complete control of the horse, no lunging should take place unless alone, and preferably, with supervision.
Lunging a horse takes more than standing in the center while a horse whirls around you. Here are some lunging requirements:
- Don’t allow the lunge line to drag on the ground
- If you can’t lunge while holding a lunge whip you shouldn’t be lunging
- Understand that where you stand helps communicate to your horse if you want them to go forward, stay the same, or slow down
- Body position will also keep the horse going in the correct direction (a lunge whip is useful for those belligerent horses)
- Don’t lunge in an open area if you aren’t in control
- Don’t lunge with others riding if you aren’t in control
- Always ask if there are other riders if they mind if you lunge
After this incident, the biggest question I had over the weekend was “why was this girl lunging anyway?” There was clearly no point to it. I felt as though the only reason to lunge this horse, let alone lunge out in the only area where someone else was riding, was to annoy me. Yes, some fight the agents of death; me, the agents of pester.
What else could it have been? Quick exercise? Why not throw him in the indoor and lunge him in there, or better yet, free lunge him? She didn’t ride afterwards, so the lunge was not to pre-empt a few bucks. Even then, walking all the way out back seems a little silly…
Luckily (for her) she was gone by the time I got done with my ride. Though I was annoyed by the stupidity involved, I still managed to have a great ride while entertaining my husband with my irritation.
I’m his little pistol.
Tags: lunging
Posted in etiquette, training | 3 Comments »
July 23rd, 2008
ride green to get better
No matter how long you have been riding or how many horses you have ridden, a green horse always has something new to teach you. While working with green horses you will inevitably run into some circumstance you have not dealt with before. But, most importantly, never underestimate the influence you have on a green horse’s education, even if you are only riding them one time. This goes for your education as well; what you can learn from one ride on a green horse is more than you can learn from riding a push button horse everyday for a year!
Citizen Horse Manifesto Issue #3: Ride Green to Get Better
It is unfortunate, however, that many riders shy away from a green horse. This goes for purchasing and riding. The average rider, especially in the Hunter/Jumper world, has little to no experience riding a “difficult” or “green” horse. Learning to ride, initially, on a school horse, then moving to a horse of their own that already has miles may help build confidence, but the rider isn’t REALLY learning how to ride. A green horse looks for direction from the rider and for the most part, the rider can’t just sit there.
Of course, you can do a light hack with a green horse, and depending on their balance, response to cues, and overall confidence, you can actually just sit there. But, where is the fun in that? The opportunity to help a horse understand the fundamentals of their job is exciting for the rider and the horse. Why, though, do so many people just want to do the light hack without even trying to RIDE the horse? The uniqueness of horseback riding comes from the enormous vocabulary between horse and rider with using cues from the hand, leg, seat, voice, and often (don’t freak out people, this isn’t meant as a beat-the-crap-out-of-the-horse) the whip. Yet, so many people don’t take advantage of this amazing communication, nor do they try to expand their vocabulary!
The opportunity to help a horse understand their job fundamentals is exciting for both horse and rider.
Unless a rider is a beginner or a very nervous intermediate rider, you don’t have to be a trainer to ride a green horse. Sure, a trainer is essential, depending on your level of riding, for a green horse to reach their potential. But, for a few rides a week, even having an intermediate rider take lessons will help both the horse AND the rider. People are always worried that they will ruin the green horse. Well, if the green horse ONLY ever has professionals ride them, they are going to have a hard time figuring out what it’s like to have an amateur make a bigger mistake. The horse will never understand how sometimes, they have to make decisions.
Green horses come in different “shades” of green. Not every green horse is a good candidate for the amateur rider. It doesn’t have as much to do with their “level” of greenness, more of the green horse’s history, breed, temperament, and personality. Here is a good table referencing the different shades and levels of green:
Army Green:
The horse that loves to work, uncomplicated, always looking for direction from their rider and/or handler. A great horse for any level rider to learn from no matter how long the horse has been under saddle. These are the horses everyone is looking for; totally honest, no baggage, all with a great work ethic.
Bright Green:
The horse that is excitable, but level headed. Lots of energy but not looking to be bad; this horse needs extra guidance and gets bored easily. A plain boring hack will offer too much brain time to come up with ways to expend their energy. A good horse for a rider looking to really focus on their flat work skills; take a lesson first or get some good exercises to work on from the trainer. Then, have fun because you can learn a lot from these green horses.
Camouflage Green:
The horse that isn’t what they seem. Sometimes it’s the horse that looks like a psycho, or acts like a chicken on the ground, but tack ‘em up and you have a true work horse under you. Then there is the stoic, quiet looking horse that just looks like a reasonable, happy-go lucky, uncomplicated, kind horse, then you get on them and they want to fight, they don’t want to listen, they might be spooky (not genuinely spooky) and most importantly, they don’t care who is on their back they are going to do everything in their power to find something OTHER than the rider to pay attention to. Not a horse for the amateur, this is a horse that needs to be pretty close to finishing before the amateur gets on. Even then, these are the horses that can have the talent to be great horses, but need a very good, consistent rider.
Emerald Green:
The emerald green horse is another one the amateur should be wary of. Mares are more often seen as the shade of emerald than geldings. Usually very sensitive, defensive, and domineering, they can often be very smart which makes all their downfalls even harder to deal with. But, with the right rider and trainer, their downfalls can often be turned into great assets. These greenies aren’t for the amateur until they are a little further along. Though, they don’t need to be finished, they do need a solid foundation. Once they understand the aids, the more different riders they have the better.
While there are many other shades of green horses, the above four groups are the most common. But, every horse has a different background from which they started their path with human interaction. No matter a horse’s history, their underlying personality and temperament (and often breed) will determine their shade of green.
While some horses, especially ex-racehorses, tend to be the emerald green, that is more inherent of their breed than their baggage from the track. I have met quite a few off the track Thoroughbreds that also fall under the army green color even if they didn’t have a great start on the track.
Surprisingly, I have worked with many horses that had the perfect upbringing. No abuse, no excessive force, started gently with a great amount of handling as youngsters, yet, they would still be unpredictable. I’m talking Warmbloods who had a good upbringing and great ground work but were still are somewhat explosive under saddle. This has more to do with their individual nature and sensitivity.
Fact: riding green horses will improve your riding skills.
No matter what your level of riding is, the green horse can improve your riding skills far beyond any school horse or fine tuned, push button schoolmaster. If you are a hunter, jumper, eventer, or dressage rider and you feel as though you are stagnant in your riding; find a green horse to ride; even if it’s just once a week. Even if you are just a pleasure rider but want to feel a sense of accomplishment and better understand OR appreciate your horse, getting on a green horse will not only help hone your communication skills, it will also make your horse seem like a dream!
How many times have you been frustrated because you couldn’t get your horse to do something? Do you think that was your horses fault? Sure, horses can be difficult and often times they can have selective hearing just like people. But, for the majority of problems involving horses not listening, it is because the person isn’t asking correctly. The question you ask your horse needs to be clear, and once the question is asked clearly, you will get the correct answer or response (of course only if the horse has already learned the answer).
The green horse will teach you effective communication. Especially the green horse that knows the basics and you are just refining those basics. Of course, much of this goes into a trainer’s role, but every time you ride a horse you are doing some level of training.
This is a responsibility as a rider that you must own, respect, and never take for granted. Riding a horse is a privilege and the more informed, educated, and experienced you are the better off each horse is that you ride. Rider errors happen and these errors are great learning tools for both horse and rider. But, the green horse that needs your guidance should keep you aware of every subtle cue you give that horse. The awareness you gain from riding a green horse will only amplify your communication skills and more importantly your awareness of different horse’s responses.
How To Find a Green Horse
Finding a green horse to ride might prove difficult. Your best bet is to get involved with a barn, and more accurately, a trainer. A trainer that has a whole string of either sale horses, or horses in training is always going to be happy to pass a hack off to someone else. Especially if you are looking for a project, one could take lessons on a green horse, the trainer can continually evaluate the horse’s progress from the ground, and the horse can gaining valuable experience by having a non-professional ride them.
You most likely aren’t going to just walk into a barn and tell a trainer you are looking to get some rides in; there is a long list of people looking to ride additional horses. Establish a relationship with a trainer, work with them, and prove you aren’t just some dumb girl “looking to ride horsies”.
Just remember, a green horse is a horse looking for answers. Your job, as the rider, is to provide clear questions and help guide the horse to the correct answer. The more questions you ask and the more guiding you do, the better rider you become.
Tags: green, tb
Posted in horses, training | 3 Comments »
July 2nd, 2008
American horse regions are more different than similar.
Hunter/Jumper horse care pressures and priorities take various shapes across America. I have lived in many states around the country and have always found the horse boarding, training, and showing communities so very different. Here are my observations:
Upper Midwest Horse World (Illinois & Wisconsin Vicinity)
Boarding here is straightforward. Priorities are very strange. The cost of board is relative to the amenities (indoor arena size and heat). Oddly, location doesn’t play much into the cost. Even if a barn is close in to a metro area, if they don’t have specific amenities or facilities, or a big show clientele, the cost of board is generally less.
Trainers here have very specific goals (or call them requirements). A shows, Open shows, no shows. Most of the time, you gotta fit within their regimen or else.
Big emphasis on coolness is the Midwest. Big thought that good riders are made by fancy tack. No, not just fancy tack, trendy, expensive tack. It’s gotta be an $800, brand new Edgewood bridle or the trendy saddle of the times (I think that’s Antares right now). One obviously can’t have that cool of a jumper if one doesn’t have cool jumper boots or the figure eight noseband. In the Midwest, “great” riders are not made by skill, talent, drive, or even major riding accomplishments (such as winning in Florida), it’s really about how cool you look.
Texas
Texas is a country onto itself, and though there is much to deservedly hate about Texas, they have a pretty well rounded, and large, Hunter/Jumper community. In Texas, there are many different boarding options depending on budget, and with trainers and barn, there is room for all different goals and budgets.
Texas, not just for cowboys or Western riding, has some really nice Hunter/Jumper barns. They don’t always LOOK that nice, in fact, some may even look quite scary, but overall the people and horses are more reflective of the actual Hunter/Jumper “quality” of the region.
Atmosphere is barn dependent. Super snobby, gossipy barns aren’t necessarily the bigger A show barns. Lots of room for the super laid back, do whatever, wear whatever, look however rider, and those aren’t even the backyard, Open show barns. When it comes to riding horses in Texas, there are lots of choices that don’t mean sacrificing quality for sanity.
So, good for Texas.
That being said, I hate Texas. Don’t move there.
The Rocky Mountains, or basically, Colorado
One of the most interesting areas of the American horse world. Actually more “cowboy” than Texas, it is also more laid back than anywhere else I have been.
The show community is unusually laid back with a very, very informal air. More of an emphasis on riding, having fun, and reaching goals than material objects, who you know, and talking bulls**t. Most importantly, even the well-to-do’s didn’t act as such and were always very respectful and helpful to those who weren’t.
That’s not to say there isn’t politics, backstabbing, and gossiping in Colorado. I mean, come on, we’re talking American women in the horse industry, right? But in Colorado, the great thing is one CAN actually stay out of snarky environments, where in many other areas it’s unavoidable on some levels.
One Rocky Mountain caveat though; lots of spoiled rotten California girls sent to Boulder for school with their “Colorado” horse. Yeah, I said “Colorado” horse. While not every one of these girls is intolerable, most of ‘em are not horse people, and more importantly, not riders. Simply the California influx into Colorado are good at sitting atop well schooled, very nice horses. Their numbers are growing exponentially.
All in all, the Rockies are a great place to ride and show horses. Outside of the West Coast transplants, the Colorado riding community is definitely a draw, but the drive to the barn is an absolute chore.
Pacific Northwest
Saddest state of American horse world. Completely divided quality, care, facilities, and amenities. No such thing as middle ground. Lots of money in hoity-toity A show barns, also lot’s of scary, backyard places. Middle places trade off amenities. 40 acres of great turnout, no ring. Huge indoor, terrible footing, scary turnout. Wonderful outdoor (six months a year), 80′x40′ indoor “arena”, no turnout.
Atmosphere in any case is completely intolerable.
Maybe it’s the influx of California blood. Yes, that is a huge negative. Even more-so than Colorado, The Pacific Northwest houses tons of spoiled California girls who suddenly aren’t in California anymore.
It rains a lot in this area, and older barns have not held up well. The strangest thing about the American Pacific Northwest is the amount of horses; they’re everywhere. Barns are everywhere, but, the knowledge is questionable at best. This poses a problem when you don’t mind being at a barn that isn’t “pretty”, the care isn’t all that pretty either. Not a good mix.
Can’t emphasize how much there is no middle ground in this region. You either are at THE Hunter/Jumper barn where you and your horse are only measured by your monthly budget (which better be large), or you are at a sh**hole.
New England Horse World
When I think of the east coast, I think HUNTER JUMPER CAPITAL USA! Barns here are very established, very limited new construction. Also like the Pacific Northwest, barns between A show crazy and backyard boarding are almost non-existent, but horse care and knowledge is much better.
Most all horse people in New England are nice, straightforward, and to the point (Citizen Horse doth appreciate highly!)
I see a lot of lower level Hunters with a bit of an uppity-tude. But generally, New England barns seem to lack a lot of personality, not in a bad way. There’s no air of anything in particular at most barns. The New England atmosphere is simple and uncomplicated, much like the people. There are horses, and barns, and people, and riders. Very little B.S. in this area.
Also, more part-time riders in New England; more leased horses.
Also, there is a FANTASTIC vet in Vermont. Lorie alone could make New England rule, but for the most part, the no-nonsense nature of the North East leaves it tops on my list.
As I said before, I’ve lived all over the place and shown competitively in even more spots. Based on my own personal observations on American horse boarding, showing, training, and environments across the country, your mileage may vary.
That’s YMMV in “intertube” speak.
Tags: equestrian
Posted in boarding, horse care, horse people, training | 4 Comments »
May 5th, 2008
Natural Horsemanship is not natural. Or horsemanship.
The true definition of Natural Horsemanship has always been:
- the philosophy of working with horses by appealing to their instincts and herd mentality.
Today, there is a whole new definition.
Natural Horsemanship
1. A fantastic label to attach to your training method to secure high profits, a large following, and unlimited branding opportunities.
2. A group or method to follow that feeds your insecurities, while giving you false security through gimmicks and hype.
3. An excuse to play games with your horse instead of riding because of your inexperience, inadequacy, and fear of failure.
4. Ignorance of true horse care, horsemanship, and horse behavior.
5. A trendy systems to follow instead of working with a horse’s true instincts and mentality.
Horses are herd animals; in a herd there is a “boss”, the boss is not playing games with the rest of the herd.
So, with that out of the way, let me first congratulate all the natural horsemanship groups, methods, and personalities out there who have struck it rich by feeding these ignorant, fear driven horse owners by telling them exactly what they want to hear. Hats off to the genius marketing and those catering to the insecure woman in the horse world, you know who you are.
Above all, when I work with a horse, I always try to communicate effectively by using what I know is instinctual for them and easy for them to learn from. With that being said, I do not play games with my horses. I do not have an orange stick that I run around with, I do not have a ball (though one horse is a big fan of the jolly ball), and most importantly, I do not beat my horses.
If one of my horses were to bite me, I would smack them. If one of my horses tried to drag me while walking them, I would put a chain over their nose and use whatever force is necessary to correct unsafe, unruly, disrespectful behavior. If one of my horses were to be scared of something (legitimate), I would encourage them to be brave by being soft, but also not allow them to over-react by being firm. All of the above examples are pieces of true natural horsemanship.
Horses are herd animals; in a herd there is a “boss”, the boss is not playing games with the rest of the herd. The boss is setting guidelines, boundaries, and rules. If one of the herd oversteps these boundaries, disobeys a rule, or doesn’t follow a guideline, that particular herd member is punished. Herd punishment comes in the form of chases (ears pinned of course), bitings, kickings, or otherwise physical reprimand. True natural horsemanship creates a relationship with you and your horse that mimics a herd relationship with you being the “boss” and your horse being one of the herd.
‘Natural Horsemanship’ is a marketing gimmick. True Natural Horsemanship doesn’t involve games, balls, or orange sticks.
They may test you, and depending on your horse, that may be once ever, or 10 times a day. It’s okay; you are not abusing your horse if you reprimand them for already set rules, guidelines, or boundaries. Now, if there are new rules, guidelines, or boundaries, you must first teach your horse to understand them before you reprimand them for not following. It’s very simple, and there are no books, equipment, kits, videos, or other marketing propaganda to spend your money on.
Natural horsemanship is not anything besides common sense through respecting your horse while commanding respect from them. Your horse will like you more if you have rules that you expect them to follow with both positive and negative reinforcements. Horses like order and clear expectations; this is natural horsemanship.
If you are afraid of your horse, find someone to help you understand horses. Don’t fall for the trendy gimmicks that will only help you play games with your horse. Learn about horses; learn about how they communicate with each other. This is practically free. Watch a heard of horses outside for a few days. You will learn who the boss is and who is the low man on the totem pole. From observation and analysis of herd behavior, you can develop a relationship with your horse and be the “boss” without buying an orange stick.
Learning about how horses operate naturally isn’t a straightforward formula. Each horse is unique, every horse behaves differently, and not every horse reacts to situations the same. But, having a basic understanding of how an average herd of horses interacts is the first step to real natural horsemanship.
Fearing horses isn’t a bad thing. They are big, but you must understand that a horse knows if you fear them, another step to real natural horsemanship. An orange stick, a big ball, or watching a million videos is NOT going to help you gain confidence with your horse or be a natural horseman. You need help from experienced people and if you can’t find an experienced person as a mentor (non natural horsemanship propaganda group), then spend as much time with as many different horses as you can to gain a true understanding of horses and how to effectively handle them and work with them.
It’s the no gimmick, old school natural horsemanship.
Tags: hoax, john lyons, monty roberts, natural, pat parelli, retards
Posted in training | 13 Comments »
April 21st, 2008
down with clicker training
A video of a horse running in the ocean “following” a person; so loyal, so majestic. Isn’t that what everyone wants from their horse, a true companion, a relationship, a bond?
Of course you want a relationship with your horse, you want your horse to respect you, trust you, and enjoy your company (both riding and on the ground). Are there “win-win” ways to create this “special” relationship with your equine through “totally positive” messages?
Well, there is a new wave of “natural” horsemanship that wants you to believe just that. You too can have a true bond with your horse, a “special” relationship - with clicker training. But in reality, what you are really creating with horse clicker training is a 1200 pound dog. Not a good dog either, a food motivated animal, who has no true respect for you, only an expectation of treats. And what else do you get with horse clicker training? BONUS! If you have a gelding, your “special” clicker training relationship may also includes erections every time you “work” with him.
Wow, now that is groundbreaking training!
No, not really. Every animal on the planet can be “trained”, or more accurately, “conditioned” with treats. You can even do this with people. Does that mean you have a trained, obedient animal? No, you have an animal that does not understand consequences (good or bad). Clicker training conditions your animal to follow food, not you. You have “bonded” your animal to treats, not you. There is nothing special, unique, or beneficial to this “training” (again, other than a giant dog with erections).
If you have a gelding, your “special” clicker training relationship may also include erections every time you “work” with him.
Now, let’s go back to that horse running in the ocean “following” a person. Not so loyal or majestic. This horse isn’t following a person; this horse is CHASING a person for FOOD. There is a huge difference between a horse following a person because of a bond, loyalty, herd status, or respect and a horse chasing a person for treats. The former can happen, but for safety of yourself and your horse, its just not a good idea. The latter is just downright stupid.
Clicker training a horse is only for that special horse. The horse you don’t want to actually do anything with besides, maybe trail ride and of course, do tricks. Don’t plan on the clicker trained horse being good for anyone else, and don’t plan on the clicker trained horse to have any respect for any kind of boundaries. If you are lucky and you don’t have a horse with any kind of brain, yes, clicker training horses with work for both retarded people and your retarded horse. With clicker training, you can absolutely create a large pet that is good for circus shows, and maybe, stupid pet tricks (”Here we come, Letterman!”)
A clicker trained horse is not going to excel in any athletic discipline. A clicker trained horse is not going to be a truly safe horse; the clicker trained horse is conditioned to do tricks for treats. The clicker trained horse is defined by its uncanny ability to distinguish humans by their food carrying (or not) presence and perform tricks (even if not asked) just to get that food.
If you have a horse that is inquisitive, perhaps even a horse who also suffers from little ADD, clicker training this horse would be suicide. With clicker training, you would wind up with a horse who will not only take your hand off, but who will also become severely aggressive with absolutely no respect for people. Because with clicker training, horses never, ever receive negative reinforcement (only “positive”, treat based reinforcement - the basis of clicker training), the “win-win relationship” coined by many clicker “trainers” would turn this once inquisitive horse into 1200 pounds of disrespect.
A clicker trained horse is not a truly safe horse; the clicker trained horse is conditioned to do tricks for treats.
Think about clicker training and why it was created. Clicker training started with dolphins in oceanariums and aquariums. The reason dolphins were clicker trained was not to build relationships with their “trainers” (or more accurately, their caretakers). Clicker “conditioning”, in its inception, was for a purpose. Clicker training was essential for dolphin husbandry. Researchers found out quickly caged dolphins needed routine vet care and daily health inspections. Putting stress on a dolphin in an already unnatural environment with uncooperative restraint, on a daily basis (just to care for them) was counterintuitive. Instead, handlers started “training” dolphins by using a clickers and treats to positively reinforce behaviors the dolphins where already performing. Conversely, clicker training also turned out to be helpful in exercise, to alleviate boredom, and to allow aquariums to increase revenue by putting on shows.
This method was not created to so trainers could enjoy a bond with the dolphin; it was created out of necessity by using already natural behaviors of the dolphins. Last time I checked, it was not natural for a horse to pose in positions, spanish walk, or sit. Horses do not need clicker training, nor is clicker training beneficial for the horse. Additionally, handlers of the clicker trained horse, outside of the clicker trainer, are not grateful of the said clicker training.
Clicker training was developed for dolphins in captivity, a proven way to help handlers manipulate these animals safely; it was not developed for horse training. If you are looking for a way to bond with your horse, create a trusting relationship, or overcome some training obstacles, there are many effective ways to do this without resorting to a treat based training system.
Please don’t treat your horse like a retard, and don’t sink to retard level yourself. Use common sense, treat your horse with respect, and always command respect from your horse. All this can be done without treats and also without cruelty; two extremes that are completely unnecessary.
Tags: clicker, clicker training, retards, treats
Posted in training | 46 Comments »
April 16th, 2008
I know that many people think that putting a chain over a horse’s nose is cruel. Well, you know what’s even crueler? Making someone walk your idiot horse in from the pasture when they are trying to jump on top of you, bite you, strike out, or otherwise dangerously misbehave!
A firm jerk on the nose chain effectively reminds a horse who’s calling the shots.
Although he is incredibly well mannered and trained, my horse can be a complete jerk at times. And here are two very important facts: he weighs over 1300 pounds, and he is a horse. When handling, this means a little nose chain “security” is okay. Every horse - I don’t care how docile you think your little angle is - can act like an idiot and at those times, a little extra restraint is very helpful.
There is nothing worse than a horse that has never had any discipline. Additionally, a horse that has been properly disciplined usually knows what achain over the nose means and you don’t even need to use it. This “discipline” doesn’t mean inflicting pain, causing bleeding, bruising, or any trauma at all. What this “discipline” does is simply remind the horse, “Hey, listen to ME!” A firm jerk on the chain effectively reminds a horse who’s calling the shots. Guess what? With nose chains, horses don’t even get hurt, and most importantly, neither does the person walking your horse.
Tags: behavior, equestrian, equine, ground manners, horse, nose chain
Posted in training | 18 Comments »
