24/07/2024
Being the change and what it means for me….
Jul 24, 2024spencehorsesense
In 1999 I was shown how to use a clicker and positive reinforcement to train horses. It was a revelation to me and made me question everything I had previously been taught. Over the following years I learned to apply all the theory I had covered in my Psychology degree to real world training situations.
I was full of enthusiasm, eager to share what I’d learned and by 2003 I had started delivering workshops, coaching riders and aspiring trainers, and starting youngsters with an emphasis on reward and the emotional well being of the horse. I wasn’t alone, at that time there were a few of us starting out and sharing our knowledge and experience, but we were very much in the minority.
However, I firmly believed that this was the future of horse training and that we were going to see significant changes in the horse world.
Since then there has been a growing body of trainers working along the same lines. There has been an increase in awareness of the impact that different training methods have on the horse.
People have gone from asking me ‘what on earth is a behaviourist’ and ‘how can you train horses with food/ scratches/ without ‘normal’ training aids? to ‘what type of training do you do’ to just accepting my role as fairly normal.
But has the horse world actually changed?
The answer is yes and no . I think for sure that awareness has shifted. And we know that public opinion has changed. But if we were to be a fly on the wall at various yards across the country, at training sessions, lessons and competitions, I think we would still see many practices that I know make me intensely uncomfortable.
This saddens me immensely. Surely with our very famous ‘love for the horse’ both in the UK and Ireland, we should be doing a better job?
It is absolutely possible to keep horses, care for them, train them, even ride them, in a way that takes account of physical and mental wellbeing, that recognises their emotional needs and provides good quality of life. Those of us that have had the academic training and practical experience are more than happy to share our knowledge and practical skills with everyone else.
Do we need to ban competition with horses? Maybe? Maybe not? I think that perhaps the focus should be on showing people the alternative.
If you can’t train using a whip, spurs etc as aversive stimuli, how can you train? You need to know and understand the possibilities in order to begin to change. I (and my colleagues!) know that it is absolutely possible to work in a different way, one that in my opinion results in much happier horses.
How do we change the world? I believe we need to highlight the alternatives, to showcase the best approaches in terms of positive mental and physical wellbeing for our horses, to demonstrate that horses can be willing partners in the process.
Just to be clear, I’m not perfect, I’m not always as patient as I should be, but I do try hard to keep improving, evolving, learning, growing and to keep sharing what I’ve developed with my clients. I’m not here to judge anyone on their practices. I’m just here to share what I’ve learned. For me, that’s how to positively be the change.
Because of this I’ve decided for the next month to make my Getting Started with the Clicker Course available for just £1, along with big reductions for those who sign up on my Reading the Horse, Practical Skills with the Clicker and Learning Theory in Context courses.
Just go to the link in the below 😊 to get the course for just £1.
https://helenspence.podia.com/getting-started-with-the-clicker
Sign up and you will be offered the other three courses at discount prices at checkout 😊, up to you whether you choose to add any or all of them!
My way of doing what I can to be positive and show that there are lots of us out there doing our best for our horses.
Will you join us?
Helen xo
Perhaps the most important thing you can do is build a solid foundation for your training. Learn how essential these foundations are, how to build a solid foundation and points you need to consider when working with the clicker. Even if you have already been working with the clicker for a while, you...
