Love how well he's sniffing and that indication on the right container 👌
Thanks as always to Rum and @littlegreenstables
#clickertraininghorses #clickertraining #horsetraining #horsetrainer #odourdetection #scentwork #equinescentwork
Training dogs can be a great way to keep your timing razor-sharp for all training professionals. Dogs often offer faster, more dynamic behaviours that push you to refine your skills. Working at their pace is a crash course in timing and adaptation—qualities that translate beautifully back to equine work. It’s not just about keeping up; it’s about learning to stay one step ahead while staying fully present.
For horse trainers, these quick-fire moments with dogs sharpen your ability to deliver reinforcers with precision. It’s like cross-training for your brain, and the benefits ripple through every aspect of your training. Working with a different species can elevate your craft.
And, before anyone tells me dogs are different to horses, in many ways they really aren't!
Sherlock is playing with 2 different reward specific markers and a few random cues. Coz is my distraction 😁
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#clickertraining
#horsetrainer #dogtraining #horseclickertraining #havingfun
This session immediately followed a container odour search, Rum was chill but you can still see his moments of distraction. Dealing with those moments can be hard, we can cue too soon, try to rush the horse to pay attention. Working at their rate, respecting their need to wait and giving clear cues once they are ready will help them engage more.
We add a mini chain and some distance from me.
This calmness came from building a distant food reinforcement routine, for those who fear this...notice I'm wearing the food here.
What makes me tick?
Creating behaviour gives me such a buzz as does sharing that with others.
#clickertraininghorses #horsebehaviour #clickertraining #horsesofinstagram #horsetraining #clickertrainingequines #horseclickertraining #horsetrainer
Fireworks are incredibly stressful for horses, here in England bonfire night displays seemed to go on for days this year. It’s easy to misread horses. Here are Jo’s horses, Bob and Buddy, safely stabled for the evening—but despite appearing calm, they were showing some clear signs of stress.
At first glance, they might look relaxed but when we look closer their nostrils are flared, eyes tense and fixed, ears swivelling, an increased blink rate and heads moving repeatedly. Alongside these signs, Buddy had been weaving and Bob pooing excessively.
You don't need to be a behaviourist to take a closer look at the small signs. What some may interpret as "calmness" or "coping" can often mask underlying anxiety. Horses are individuals, and each will show stress in their unique way, it's our job to understand what they're telling us
A huge Thank You to Jo for allowing me to share Bob and Buddy’s experience—an important reminder to keep watching and listening to what our horses are really telling us and to move away from these noisy fireworks that create such stress of many animals.
#horsebehaviour #horsesofinstagram #horses #makefireworkssilent #equinebehaviourist
The question of how to motivate a horse to trot is one I'm asked a LOT!
🐴 Be CERTAIN he's not in pain (Prince here was and it took a lot of patience to figure it out)
🐴 Work on the basics in hand and then in ridden walk
🐴 Let him know he gets things right with a clear marker ('bucket' or a click in Prince's case)
🐴 Teach him how to balance and bend through his body
🐴 Work on 'lite' cues to give him control over his behaviour
🐴 One day when you feel the buzz in his walk moving from bucket to bucket, mark his enthusiasm to get more and more enthusiasm
🐴 Believe me Prince felt like a 'typical' steady boy who would get folks nagging with their legs but when you have more tools in your kit it's easy to be creative WITHOUT using force, fear or frustration.
Huge thanks to @littlegreenstables for trusting the process, you're amazing.
#clickertraininghorses #clickertraining #horsebehaviour #clickertrainingequines #horsetraining #horsesofinstagram #horseclickertraining #horsetrainer
Precision Training: or we don’t we pay attention to the detail but we should!
When we talk about precision in horse training, it's easy to imagine something rigid or tedious—endless drilling until every movement is flawless. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Precision isn't about perfection; it's about clarity, communication, and deepening the understanding between you and your horse.
What does precision look like? It's those subtle cues—a slight shift in your posture, a softly spoken word, a feel on a rein. It’s about the horse understanding exactly what you're asking because you've built a foundation on clear communication. But let’s not forget that precision also means patience, flexibility, and kindness, both towards your horse and yourself. Mistakes will happen, and they’re part of the learning process. Each error is just an opportunity to refine, to learn, and to connect more deeply. It shouldn’t be a big stick to beat yourself with that will make you less keen to train in future.
In the video I'm sharing, you'll see us working through some very light cues and engaging with the horse in a way that’s fluent and simple. There are some mistakes on my part—because hey, I’m only human—but what you'll really see is the honest process of training. We're fine tuning our walk cue when I'm in a different position, handy for long reining, free long reining and generalisation.
Precision awareness can bring joy and engagement to a training session, and it's in those small, successful moments that the real magic happens. This excites me.
So whether you’re fine-tuning a new behaviour or cleaning up an old one, remember that precision is part of the art of communication that turns everyday training into something extraordinary.
Want to transform your bond with your horse into something truly special! Unlock the potential in your horse-human connection. Maybe you feel deflated because training with food hasn’t worked for your horse, yet!
Have you ever wondered how positive reinforcement/clicker training can change the way you communicate with your equine partner? Whilst the themes of understanding, trust, and clarity are key, it’s not just about mastering technique but truly understanding the horse’s mind, how they learn and how to motivate them without force or pressure.
Learning should never take a one-size-fits-all approach and that’s why your training journey with me can be tailored to your unique goals, whether you're just starting out, have years of experience or are a coach. With a modern approach and insights from years of working with horses, this course is designed to help you and your horse achieve things together. With personalised feedback and a friendly community, you’re never alone as you learn.
If you’re curious about new approaches to training, it might be time to explore them.
#clickertraininghorses #clickertraining #horsetraining #horsebehaviour #horsesofinstagram #horseclickertraining
There are many ways to train. Many ways to clicker train. Would you like to explore with me?
#clickertrainingequines #clickertraininghorses #clickertraining #horsetraining
