subject: Clicker Training Horses [print this page] Clicker training is a method or process of training an animal using a clicking noise as a marker for desired behavior and rewarding it. Behavior of often rewarded with a indulgence. This practice is commonly called "click and treat" or "clicker training".
The clicker is typically a plastic box with a thin piece of metal that makes a short, distinct "click" that tells the horse they're performing the desired behavior. All you have to do is click and reward by giving a treat to the horse whenever he obeys to do whatever you are trying to teach him to do.
A clicker has a unique sound that most horses typically have not yet heard before. It is also more consistent than using the human voice. A clicker must be accompanied by a reward or a food that the horse loves to eat. Bring a treat that is convenient and not something that's too big. A treat that is delightful and fresh is very much recommended. Some typical treats for horses include: grains, carrots (small pieces), dry breakfast cereals, animal crackers, peppermints, hay stretchers and Valentine's sweetheart candies. There are also commercial horse treats available at your local co-op.
If possible, teach your animal in a place where there's no other horses around because if the other animal is aggressive and tries to take the food away from your hands, the two may become distracted from the mission at hand. You may choose to keep moist treats sealed inside a zippered bag. You can also place them inside your own pocket or vest if applicable.
To introduce the clicker to your horse; Click then give a treat. So whenever you make a click, the animal will learn to expect that the click means reward. The way to teach this is really simple - just click your clicker and then give a treat to your animal. Do this several times and soon enough whenever you make the noise, the animal will immediately look to you expecting a treat. Now, whenever the animal follows your command or performs the desired action then sound the click of your clicker. This sound tells the animal that he did something good and that he's going to get a treat for doing such.
One method involves beginning by teaching the animal to touch a target with their nose, aptly called the nose-touch. Target training is an easy way to know how quickly particular horses can be clicker trained. A target can be in the form of a piece of scrap wood or anything that is easy for your horse to see and is available when you begin training. Hold the object near the horse's face, make the click and treat the horse when it bumps the target. Do this technique several times.
Overall it is really very important to keep every training session short. Several quick sessions that last for about 5-10 minutes or shorter are ideal for this type of training. In the same way that humans get bored with long tasks, horses too find it strenuous to undergo prolonged clicker training sessions. Thus, please be effective with the time you spend in training your animals.
