Clippety Clop Clicker Training

16/08/2025

Lesson 2 😄

15/05/2025

3 on the ramp…and one in the trailer 🥳🤩🐴

Magic moments happen in micro steps!

Today, my brave horse took another tiny but mighty step toward loading into the trailer!!
We’re not rushing. We’re shaping trust, not just behavior. One micro-approximation at a time, and today, he showed me again how powerful patience and positive reinforcement can be.
So proud of him!

25/04/2025

https://www.linkedin.com/events/understandclickertrainingforhor7318247839015333888

6-WEEK INSTRUCTOR-LED ONLINE COURSE Would you like to learn how to clicker train your horse? Or refine your clicker training skills? Whether you would like to start clicker training your horse, train new behaviours or you would like one-on-one coaching to troubleshoot or refine your clicker training...

27/10/2023

Raise your hand if you’ve cringed watching someone training forcefully ✋😬😖⁣
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Often missing—or explicitly ignoring—the horse’s plea for safety.⁣
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This is why we spread the word about ethical training practices: they feel safe and engaging for the horse…AND are actually more effective 🧠⁣
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While some just *prefer* to use excessive pressure, force, and coercion (which they will justify in a myriad of ways)…⁣
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Many, many people only operate this way because they have no idea there’s an alternative option 💔⁣
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They’ve either never been exposed to ethical practices, or they’ve heard people bashing it so much they won’t touch it with a ten foot pole.⁣
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But when they see something online, or at an expo/clinic, that gives them permission to really reflect on how they FEEL when they interact with horses in a harsh way… ⁣
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They realize that something is off 🤔⁣
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So, we post here, week after week, opening the conversation to another way.⁣
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We want to see the industry shift into ethical, science-based, connection-centered practices being the norm—rather than a strange, “extreme” outlier.⁣
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… and it’s already happening 👀⁣
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You are an essential part of this movement, too 🩵⁣
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While we cringe and avert our eyes when we have no control over how others treat their horses (to a point, of course we can report legally recognized abuse)…⁣
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We can use that suffering as fuel to the flame of our passion for these pure animal souls 🌬️🔥⁣
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Keep educating yourself on how to be the best owner/handler/trainer you can be.⁣
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Keep having compassion for yourself and others along the journey.⁣
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Keep your consistency and devotion to your training practice.⁣
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You’re changing the horse industry—and the world—from the inside out 🌀⁣
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Thank you for being here.⁣
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Thank you for the work you’re doing 🙏🏼⁣
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We keep going. Together ♥️⁣
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— MM team 💫

27/08/2023

A dislike of water 🐴💦
It would be a shame for Anjo not to enjoy a cool shower 🚿 in this heat and then baste himself after in dirt to naturally protect him from the insects.

Working with counter conditioning and positive reinforcement we have to be inventive and think outside the box! 📦

Anjo really enjoys targeting…a lot of reinforcement history there - sponge 🧽 ✔️
He is used to being covered all over in insect repellent with a sponge 🧽 ✔️
I start at the place I know he minds the least - lower front legs - after he gives a small nod of consent 🐴✔️
Slowly but surely he has a full body sponge bath! 🛁🐴🤩

17/06/2023

If using food rewards and other ethical methods in front of people is embarrassing…⁣
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If people around you are covertly judging you, or outright telling you to your face that what you’re doing is ridiculous… ⁣
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If you don’t feel respected or understood by peers in the equine space… ⁣
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Thank you 🙏🏼⁣
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Thank you for taking the lead in a shift of industry, culture, mindset, and way of life. ⁣
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Thank you for sacrificing your self image (by some people’s standards) to do better by horses.⁣
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And please know, it won’t be like this forever.⁣
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For example, food rewards were once frowned upon in dog training… and look where we are now. ⁣
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And as a gentle reminder:⁣
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You don’t have to be perfect to represent ethical, compassionate, science based training.⁣
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You can be honest and humble, explaining to others, “I am still learning, but this is proven to be effective, and aligns with my values.”⁣
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It’s okay to mess up, even when others are watching. People mess up with harsh methods, too. People often create dangerous behavioral issues with harsh methods.⁣
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You may as well make mistakes while aiming for something that feeds your soul ♥️⁣
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Let the naysayers resist the movement.⁣
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Keep sharing your excitement with the world. You are being the change you want to see.⁣
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We’re going to look back in 10 years and see a completely different horse industry, because of trailblazers like you 🔥⁣
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Thank you 🦋⁣
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— MM team 💫

11/02/2023

By asking "WTF”, What’s The Function?, Dr. Susan Friedman is encouraging us to consider the underlying function or purpose of a particular behavior in order to better understand or work with it.

In behavior analysis, the term "function" refers to the purpose or intended effect of a behavior. In other words, it refers to why a behavior is being performed.

Understanding the function of a behavior is key in training and can be extremely helpful in addressing and resolving behavior issues.

Behavior is a key aspect of all living things on Earth. To change behavior we look at the antecedents (circumstances surrounding the behavior) and consequences (results of the behavior) of the behavior.

When looking at behavior, it's important to ask, "What is the Function?"

The function of a behavior can be determined by examining the consequences of the behavior. Dr. Friedman advocates for using the least intrusive method first when working to change behavior and to first have a look at the environment where the behavior happens.

When it comes to changing behavior, it's important to ask what the we want the animal to DO and instead of focusing on what we DON’T want them to do.

Have a look at her website: behaviorworks.org You’ll find loads of useful information!

Think in both our training and teaching asking this question was one of the more revolutionary things to bring our training forward , but more importantly: to understand our horses better 🙌

Follow for more reward based training:

🧩 for creating a strong reward based foundation.

🎠 for balance in movement and dressage

🐴 for reward based husbandry training and cooperative care.

We have a lot of education coming up this year. Sign up for our mailing-list.

31/12/2022

Equine New Year’s Resolutions! ⭐️🐴⭐️🐴⭐️

25/12/2022

Activity for another rainy day! 🤓
Guaranteed high reinforcement! 😋🐴🌧

12/11/2022

Something different 🤩

🐴☀️🌱 Sometimes an enrichment activity can be so easy!

🐴☀️🌱 Hay pillows are a simple way to promote the horses natural grazing position.

🐴☀️🌱 To keep things safe the pillows are best suited for barefoot and halter-less horses.

04/09/2022

Start / End Session Cue
Positive reinforcement training in my experience has always left the learner wanting more.
I learned early on that it is really important to add a clear “start” and “end” signal to each session as well as taking regular breaks during a session to avoid frustration and confusion.

Sometimes I might also need to pause the session if I need to refill my treat pouch, have a rethink about the current training plan, give my horse a short break or simply just to take a breather myself.

Start…So my general start of the session signal is a target so that can be a hand target or my target stick.

End…My general “go to” end of session signal is say “No more”, gesture (waving) with my hands that they’re empty and simply place some treats - haycobs - (so I’m talking at least 4 or 5 as normally I will only give one treat when I reinforce) on the ground or on a specific surface or in a feed bucket depending on what I have around me and then I walk away.

Now something I’ve noticed is that when I end the session and place the treats in the area of my choice the horses have gotten frustrated because they couldn’t immediately find the treats on the ground right away. So I now snap my fingers and they have made the connection that the treats are where my hand is making the snapping sound 😋

22/02/2022

Tarp (Training)
Anjo is a fast and confident learner and does not frighten easily. If something does concern him he will assess the situation and then quickly come to realise that it doesn’t pose a threat.
Habituation in this instance had been happening all day. The wind had blown this tarp into the field and the horses had been inspecting it as it moved around. Initially they raised their heads every time it moved. Eventually, over time, their reaction to the stimulus decreased. So much so that when it was time to put the tarp away…well the pictures speak for themselves 🙂 (no reinforcements were given in the making of this impromptu exercise! 😄)