Some of the horses I go to I really have a soft spot for, and Nugget is one of them! 🫢
Nugget had some anxiety with loading especially when it came to turning into the box, and would choose to reverse off the ramp instead. (Nugget has been checked for stiffness previous to our loading sessions).
This video was taken at the end of Nuggets second session and just goes to show how much your horses emotional state can change with consistent practise, knowing what calming signals to look for, when to take the next step and knowing exactly when and how to reward. Nugget now choses to stay on the box. (you can see when his owner asks if he wants to come back out he actually goes back to his food 😆) and even felt comfortable enough for us to practise shutting the partition.
I'm so proud of these two!! 😍 Keep your eyes peeled for more Nugget updates.
#PositiveReinforcement
#positivereinforcementtraining
Tom (The coloured) and his owner are now reaching the final stages of their confidence building lessons with me. This was a great test for them both as we were in company, hacked on roads, narrow paths and met a herd of deer when hacking around the fields, just look at those nice relaxed reins and smiley faces 😁. The improvement I've seen in both of them is amazing and her way of riding in situations she would have previously found worrying has drastically improved!
So proud of you both! 👏👏
#positivereinforcementtraining
#positivereinforcement
Such a beautiful video and write up from Billi's owner of her first session with me yesterday, I really enjoyed helping this mare. 🤩
'Billi had a lovely visit from Millie today. She LOVED her session! Got to see some interesting things and feel her way around some different arena obstacles. So fun to see her getting introduced to new things and for her little brain to be engaging with games whilst I’m out of action. This type of training and positive fun (reinforcement) is going to be so beneficial for our loading session (Which is next on the list). So grateful for your time and expertise today Millie!'
Billi is wearing one of the beautifully made halters from Freespirit Horse Art 🤩
Video coming soon: how recognise low level calming signals, keep your horse below threshold and successfully load using ethical training/ positive reinforcement without the need for aversive pressure.
#positivereinforcement
#clickertraining
#horses
It's been almost a year since I last did a 'day in the life' video...where has the time gone! And I've had lots of new followers the last few months. so I thought I'd give you all a little snippet of the type of behavioural training I do and type of horses I see on a day to day basis...
Hope you all enjoy!! 😁
#positivereinforcementtraining #clickertraining
Manzi doing so well with his loading using positive reinforcement. 🤩
These two have accomplished so much using positive reinforcement and Manzi is a totally different horse to the one I was asked to help with 6 months ago. Each problem they have faced together we have tackled using clicker training. Manzi now looks forward to training sessions with his owner 🥰 very proud of these two, they have come a long way and it really shows. 🫶
#positivereinforcementtraining #clickertraining #horses
After my interview for Your Horse Magazine on horses that are strong to lead, I had some lovely messages from those of you that read my article, I’m so glad so many of you found the interview informative and helpful with your own horses.🤩
Its important to understand, that a horse who is strong to lead or bolts when being lead can be a complex issue. There is always a reason for the behaviour and there isn’t a one solution to fix all. To understand the behaviour you first need to find the Root cause. is it the stimulus of the field? Is there pain or a medical issue? Is the horse having limited turnout? Are they suffering from separation anxiety? The list goes on… Try and look at the possible reason from your horse’s perspective not your own.
The most common reason I see undesirable or dangerous behaviour escalating when leading is because the owner has resorted to punishment, using control headcollars, Chiffney bits or bridles. It may interest you to know that a Hartpury University produced a study on the effectiveness of control headcollars. This study was measured using The horses Core temperature and Equine Grimace scale to measure discomfort. The study found that control headcollars did not result in more compliant behaviour but did result in significantly higher Grimace scale scores which indicated a negative impact on the horses welfare. (Doherty et al., 2017; McGreevy et al., 2012)
But what if I told you it doesn’t have to be like this? That there is a way for both your horse and you to feel relaxed and happy when leading to the field without the use of punishment or control headcollars? In my article I discussed the steps using positive reinforcement, teaching your horse that they will be rewarded for staying with you. I wanted to show you all the results of this method of training and how effective it really is. Below is a video of Magic who I was asked to help after his owner stopped being able to safely walk him to and from the field witho
Murphys progress:
For those of you that have seen my previous video will know that my new boy, Murphy had quite a severe fear of the farrier that we are still working on. As his owner had already told me he wasn't comfortable near the farrier, his first farrier visit was spent just getting used to the sounds and smells whilst my old boy Woody was being shod, this was done slowly with lots of praise and positive reinforcement for being calm around the smells and sounds . If Murphy gave me any calming signals we went back to a distance he felt comfortable and tried again once settled. The first visit was a success with my farrier, Toby was able to stroke all down murphys legs and Murphy was happy to stay when given the choice. If you haven't seen this video, scroll back a few weeks and you can see for yourself how together we've been helping him overcome his fear.😄
Since then I've put in lots of time to get Murphy happy with a rasp, I started with him untied so he was able to move away and if he snatched his leg or leant back away from me we stopped till he felt settled and tried again, starting with short bursts and getting longer the more comfortable he felt.
A few weeks on and Murphy will allow me to tie him up and rasp all 4 legs for as long as I need (I've kept the video short so that you can see all 4 feet being done). He is tied in a loose knot so that if he does feel uncomfortable and want to step back, the knot will loosen and not give pressure behind his poll.
I have been to help a lot of horses lately that have come from Ireland with similar fears to Murphy, fear of farrier, vet and mounting block. If you are someone struggling with the same issues, take your time, have your horse watch your farrier and allow them to gain trust again. Positive reinforcement has helped Murphy come a long way and I'm hopeful that with myself and farrier working together, he will feel settled and confident for his trim in a couple of weeks time. 😁💪
#positiver
The importance of observation - why force is never the answer.
As horse owners, there is so much conflicting information on different training methods and trainers using different techniques that it can often feel overwhelming, and you may feel confused looking at these methods when it comes to training you own horse. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of misinformation about positive reinforcement and the science behind Equine Behaviour. So to help you all I have explained what I feel are some of the most important points to look at and understand when retraining a fearful horse, from a Behavioural science perspective.
Trigger Stacking-
It’s important to understand that horses cannot learn effectively when they are stressed. And many training methods go against the ethology and learning theory of the horse.
Trigger stacking Is the exposure to numerous negative stimuli which increases reactivity and lowers the horses threshold of what they can cope with.
Understanding trigger stacking and understanding that a horse who is giving you really reactive behaviours is a horse that has come to the end of what it can cope with and has reached the end of its threshold. So, anything you try to teach the horse at that point, is not going to help them learn something positive about changing its emotional state or able to fix any issues that’s causing them to be stressed or frightened in the long term.
It is important when training your horse with a fear to recognise early calming signals and avoid your horse feeling like they need to shout louder to get you to listen. This will really help you and your relationship with your horse when training.
Flight responses in horses can often be seen as a “naughty behaviour” which is where we often see positive punishment. Where the horse is punished for giving a fear or flight response such as the addition of a flag, whip or pressure halter. Unfortunately this is seen in a lot of trainers that don’t understand beh
Murphy has been with me for a month now and during that time I've concentrated on building trust and a solid relationship with him.
I started out teaching him simple targets and what the clicker means. Then went on to learn touch and wait at a cone. Tonight I thought let's give two cones a try and he was absolutely fantastic! He's really enjoy target work and I love teaching him. 🤩
#clickertraining #clickertraininghorses #positivereinforcement
Long lining and how it can help to build a horses confidence:
Crystal was having some confidence issues taking the lead when hacking in company, her owner found that she would hack alone with no problems but when another horse was added to the mix she would plant and wait for the companion horse to go infront.
To help crystals confidence grow, we spent our session using a mix of long lining and positive reinforcement. This short clip shows crystal happily leading the way with her pal Rosco behind. 🤩
Long lining is a powerful tool and can bridge the gap between groundwork and riding. I find it helps my clients not only improve their significance of positioning and intricate movements. But also strengthens the communication between horse and rider which, if done well, will drastically improve both the horse and riders trust and confidence.
If you have a horse who lacks confidence leading the way or if you as a rider feel nervous about the concept of being upfront, give long lining a go!
