Clicker training is a nice and effective method to train your horse. By means of a positive reward you will stimulate the desired behavior of your horse. Because timing is essential here, you will use a bridge …
Operant conditioning
Try by learning. It keeps doing things that make a horse better. He will stop doing things that he doesn’t like or that don’t work out. So each action is followed by one ratification (reward) or correction (punishment). We can also distinguish between negative and positive.
- positive reward: the action is followed by a positive stimulus (e.g. feed)
- negative reward: the action is followed by a negative stimulus that disappears (for example, relieving pressure)
- positive correction: the action is followed by a negative stimulus (for example a tap)
- negative correction: the action is followed by a positive stimulus that disappears (for example, depriving a horse with aversion to feed)
In clicker training you therefore use positive reinforcement. The horse is doing something right and receives a reward for this. You will stimulate the desired behavior by administering a positive stimulus, namely feed. Despite the fact that horses are grazers and therefore always have food available (a blade of grass has never run away), they are nevertheless enthusiastic for a treat.
Timing – Bridge
Only a short period of time is available between the desired behavior and the giving of the reward. This time span is only 3 seconds for a horse. If the reward comes later, the horse will no longer associate it with the desired behavior. Timing is therefore very important and that is why you make use of a so-called bridge. Literally this means a bridging signal and that explains the term equally. This allows you to bridge the time span of 3 seconds. A bridge is generally a sound that you can easily produce.
- Click of a clicker
- Voice command
- Sound
The advantage of a self-produced sound or voice command is that you have your hands free.
You teach your horse that after the bridge a reward follows (in the form of food). He will quickly understand this and know that the reward will follow. He will also hear from the bridge that that was precisely the desired behavior. This way you can explain to him exercises in small steps to eventually come to one big whole.
Always feed after the bridge?
Some people think that ultimately the bridge in itself is seen as a reward. This is not the case. The bridge only serves to mark the desired behavior. Just take yourself as an example: every month you receive a payslip stating how many hard-earned euros you will receive that month. Imagine catching that letter, but not the money. Would you be happy with this?
Or would you like that letter and the fact that your boss says, “Good job, keep it up!” For the same reason, a food reward should take place after each bridge. In between you can encourage with your voice and a tickle of course. You can also eventually expand the bridge, known exercises should not always receive a bridge and reward. Use them regularly to keep your horse motivated!
It is nice to think that your horse is doing the exercises for you, but unfortunately. A horse only acts on what it thinks is good or what benefits it. Attention, feed, …
Feed and leadership
As a leader you manage the feed. You decide where and when to eat. Clicker training is therefore not an undermining of leadership, but you should be consistent with the food reward. Any venture of the horse to get the feed on its own must be interrupted and certainly not successful!
Schooi
Many people fear a horse that shrugs when it comes to food reward. Be consistent, let the horse work for its food. Make sure he treats you and the food with respect. In this article you can learn more about exercises related to food politeness.