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CLICK and Connect Join Blöndal & I on our journey of +R -positive reinforcement & clicker training - see About for info Amazing! So what is positive reinforcement? A lot. So.
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Using +R (positive reinforcement), targets and clicker training from the ground to build trust and understanding with your horse. Remove the pressure avoidance triggers and find enthusiastic cooperation in its place. It is the opposite of negative reinforcement which is our usual way of training horses. Let me explain……

In a previous life, I trained to be an AI because I owned a tricky Anglo-Arab

, Blaze, who was better than me. He was scary and it was either sell him or improve. So he was my inspiration. I then owned a beautiful BHS registered Livery Yard, taught, trained, rode, judged and backed many different horses over decades. However, injuries and a new, imported, young Icelandic horse that didn’t speak English, made me realise that I needed to change my perspective. I had to learn, to be able to teach. I used Monty Roberts’ methods for years and years, and successfully backed our two amazing Arabians, lots of ponies and schooling many others, the classical dressage way. It never occurred to me that maybe those wonderful horses were giving me the behaviours I was asking for because they were just relieved to stop the pressure they were under. So, negative reinforcement teaches a horse to obey and respond through release from pressure or discomfort. The ending of what the horse finds aversive, becomes the reward. Worse is when we don’t release the pressure IMMEDIATELY the horse gives the response we want. Impeccable timing is essential or we continue to punish the horse when it is giving us what we asked for. Consider join-up... Horses have a very strong fear response. They are flight not fight animals. Taking a horse into a round pen and pretending to be heard leader, thereby putting it under immense pressure to submit, isn’t necessarily the best way to go to create a trusting and mutually respectful bond. Your horse may not show it, but the relief of coming to you having been “joined up” is “thank goodness it’s over”. Not “I trust my mum/dad and I want this to continue”. Simply that the pressure’s off. How about jumping? The horse does an amazing jump. Tries really hard to get it juuuust right. However, the rider’s balance, for whatever reason, is out and the horse gets a good yank in the mouth on landing. If this goes on, several jumps or sessions on, the horse has been effectively trained, by the pain in his mouth, to want to avoid jumping altogether. And guess what? Gets punished for that too. There are times, of course, that negative reinforcement enforcement has its place- gently. It’s not all bad. For instance, a gentle pull on a rope or rein on the road will always play a part. I have taught Blöndal to leave eating grass on our walks out in hand together by using a specific noise - a cue- that he recognises. He then will happily come away with me having given him a reward which is of higher value than the grass. But if a car is in the offing, and Blöndal and I are partners in this, don’t forget; I then become the senior partner with a gentle pull on the rope saying right we need to move now, please. He still gets his reward as he won’t argue- because he knows he will still get food. There is an alternative way of training horses. This is what I would like to explain. Positive reinforcement, using a reward system (and especially when combined with clicker training), causes chemical changes of dopamine and oxytocin in your horse’s brain, releasing pleasure hormones rather than stimulating the fear response. The horse then learns to cooperate enthusiastically and enjoy the stuff you do together. The idea is that your horse begins to feel motivated. We aim for the horse to want to work. To want to try harder and to want to learn. The horse eventually realizes that he won’t be forced to obey through pain or pressure - he has a choice to say yes or no without being punished. He is empowered- to do fun and exciting stuff where he looks forward to being with you and around you. Using a clicker is a really strong way for the horse to associate when he is doing the right thing and will then be rewarded. He will know exactly when it’s right. For instance I am teaching Blöndal Spanish Walk. It is easy for him to lift a leg with the right cue and click, but I don’t want pawing. I want just one, clean lift. How does he understand that? Well, I click on ONE lift and say ‘One’. He then gets a reward. If he does more, I ignore it. Wait and ask again. Then the time he does just one, he gets the click IMMEDIATELY he does it and then his reward. We can take this into the ridden work. Teach how to lunge without whip and line. Here, though, I am simply concentrating on ground work and getting the relationship between handler and horse RIGHT. I use targeting and clicks, rewards and respect to get the kind of relationship I have dreamed of. My horses love to play and enjoy learning something new every week. Liberty work is just the icing on the cake. It’s not rocket science. It’s about treating an animal how you would like to be treated. About taking away gadgets, simplifying stuff and working things out with the horse. Dogs love us unconditionally and we love them for their loyalty. Cats come to us when they please and we love them for their independence. But the relationship we can have with our horse - who combine a bit of both dog and cat- is nothing short of magical when we get it right. We just need to listen……..

11/08/2024
Sunday stroll with Logi and Aurora stopping off at the stunning fields of borage 🐝 🐝 🌞 💜💜💜
21/07/2024

Sunday stroll with Logi and Aurora stopping off at the stunning fields of borage 🐝 🐝 🌞 💜💜💜

16/07/2024
On guard…….. 🌑 🐈‍⬛
04/07/2024

On guard…….. 🌑 🐈‍⬛

Happy Fathers Day to the best dad and husband in the world! 🥰
16/06/2024

Happy Fathers Day to the best dad and husband in the world! 🥰

15/06/2024
22/05/2024

🐿️ 🥜

Clivers, Cleavers, goose grass or sticky buds- call it what you will- Logi loves it! A really wonderful herb that’s good...
20/05/2024

Clivers, Cleavers, goose grass or sticky buds- call it what you will- Logi loves it! A really wonderful herb that’s good for joints, skin and wee wee 🤭

20/05/2024

Guess she’s had some babies 🦡🦡🦡

Not just horses like carrots 🥕… Peanut enjoying his 😍
06/05/2024

Not just horses like carrots 🥕… Peanut enjoying his 😍

But I didn’t like the orange, mom 🫣😱😂
01/05/2024

But I didn’t like the orange, mom 🫣😱😂

18/04/2024

Slight falter at the scary wheelbarrow… then like the amazing boy he is, he goes and touches it as I click to him and then comes over to me. 🥰🤩🥹

And another…. I think Moose was a cheatah in a former life- his legs go everywhere….. 🫢
09/04/2024

And another…. I think Moose was a cheatah in a former life- his legs go everywhere….. 🫢

Isabella Falabella who is sick of the rain 😞☔️
09/04/2024

Isabella Falabella who is sick of the rain 😞☔️

Peaches the kitten (the Washer Kitten) love her colouring with green 🥹😍
09/04/2024

Peaches the kitten (the Washer Kitten) love her colouring with green 🥹😍

Mr Blöndal - life 🥹❤️😘
09/04/2024

Mr Blöndal - life 🥹❤️😘

Mr Suave. Moose the cat about town….☺️
09/04/2024

Mr Suave. Moose the cat about town….☺️

31/03/2024

Another image to clearly underline the enormous contrast between the way people treat their pets compared with the one they treat their horses, justifying for them so many horrible things that just would be never accepted for the animals they love...But then they say to love their horses too and here is a concept that just cannot be ever accepted: if you really love someone you make him happy, you don't use him against his will and you don't hurt him. Simple like that.

Picture credit: Horse Racing Exposed

Easter Sunday hack. First time out since Christmas 👍🏻😳
31/03/2024

Easter Sunday hack. First time out since Christmas 👍🏻😳

Logi says Happy Easter! 🐣
31/03/2024

Logi says Happy Easter! 🐣

Been a bit quiet of late due to weather and winter-itis. Putting up a few pics and reels tonight. The cat is Moose, d...
29/03/2024

Been a bit quiet of late due to weather and winter-itis. Putting up a few pics and reels tonight. The cat is Moose, doggo is Peanut and the kitten is Peaches. She should have been called Pestilence…..
This photo is Aurora giving our farrier the once over… zoom in on that eye 😂

Moose channelling his inner Meerkat…😆 brilliant photo taken by Gabi Tamasin
23/03/2024

Moose channelling his inner Meerkat…😆 brilliant photo taken by Gabi Tamasin

Chilli - having just had £516 spent on her teeth…. 😳 looking quite smug 🤣
23/03/2024

Chilli - having just had £516 spent on her teeth…. 😳 looking quite smug 🤣

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Logi and kisses this afternoon 😍

Squizzer 🥜
Squizzer 🥜

#moonthetalkingcat Moon is our ex feral Romanian rescue cat who likes to talk whilst she helps/hinders me in the field, especially poo picking!

Off for an early morning carrot…. 🥕 🙌🤍💛🤍

My heart, Mr Blöndal, bringing me up the track for his carrot 🥕

Peanuts r us 🫣🥜🐿️

Another wild one to feed!
Another wild one to feed!

🐿️ 🥜

#Badgerheaven
#Badgerheaven

Guess she’s had some babies 🦡🦡🦡

Can’t beat a bit of Cow Parsley for breakfast 🙌

Slight falter at the scary wheelbarrow… then like the amazing boy he is, he goes and touches it as I click to him and then comes over to me. 🥰🤩🥹

So the birds have started to snatch the badgers’ 🦡 peanuts 🥜 if the badgers come for snax when it’s still light. So I have to hide them under saucers and such like - this is Brenda enjoying her dinner off a plate 😂💪🏻🙌

Happy Easter from Click & Connect!

Isabella, our Falabella, is 23 and has bad arthritis. She is on Bute (painkiller) and our vet suggested putting her on paracetamol as well. She has not been good over winter due to the weather being so wet. Note the mud as she splashes through it. She’s turned out into the field during the day. She now has 4 paracetamols a day. This is how she now feels… she was excited because it’s farrier day…. 🤪😍😆

Sparring partners Part II

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