"When can I stop using the clicker?"

One of the initial questions that many ask when thinking about or starting clicker training is ‘When can I stop using the clicker?’ or perhaps even ‘When can I stop using food treats?’  It is an interesting phenomenon that one of the first things we think about something new, is that this is a chore. Something to be added on to everything else, and dropped as quickly as possible.  Yes, we see the results and can see it will solve a certain problem but we'd like to get back to normal as quickly as possible please. I say this is a ...

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Posted by Viv at Monday, November 19. 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

Understanding Self Reinforcing Behaviours to Resolve Common Vices

Most vices just like all other behaviours are built up over time through reinforcement. Generally, these behaviours are very strongly embedded (learned) by the time we start thinking of them as vices.  In fact, I often wish I could capture the exact reinforcement schedule used when building vices in order to use it when building other behaviours! ...

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Posted by Viv at Saturday, May 05. 2007 | View Comments (1) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

Rider Confidence - Part 3, Dealing with SetBacks

In our first two parts of the Rider Confidence series we looked at goal setting and later at the practical 'tools' you can use when riding to boost your confidence. In part 3 of this series we are looking at how to deal with the consequences of bad experiences and complete this set of articles on rider confidence. No matter how thoroughly you plan your goals or practice your mantras there are going to be days when something unexpected happens that scares you, perhaps a fall or near fall or perhaps a bad comment from a judge or unkind remark ...

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Posted by Viv at Wednesday, February 21. 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

The Deadly Sins of Horse Training – Part Two

In our previous article we looked at the most basic of sins – not releasing correctly, releasing pressure too early and too little repetition, today we’ll take a look at some more extremely common training sins...

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Posted by Viv at Tuesday, January 16. 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

Using the clicker while riding

Happy New Year everyone, hope you are all having fun with your horses and coming up with great new training ideas and projects as part of your New Years resolutions. Thought I'd pop a link in to Karen Pryor's Click Flicks website. I found this nice little video clip of riders using the clicker while on their horses. It's often something that I get asked about - can you use the clicker while riding, and then immediately I'm asked 'How?!'. I hope you enjoy the clip and take a good look around Click Flicks - there ...

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Posted by Viv at Tuesday, January 09. 2007 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

The Deadly Sins of Horse Training – Part One

In this series we’ll take a look at the most common problems that afflict many horse trainers and horses whether they use negative or positive reinforcement or a mix of both. Of course horses are learning all the time, so when I say trainers I mean anyone who has any interaction with horses and especially riders. As riders it is important to consider what we are teaching each and every time we ride our horses. ...

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Posted by Viv at Wednesday, November 29. 2006 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

Discussion Forums changed to Google Group

I've swapped the discussion forums over to Google Groups to enable us to discuss clicker training (or equine behaviour) via email. These groups give us greater flexibility, you can choose to receive individual emails and replies, a digest of the days discussions or if your prefer no emails and view the group on the web only. I also have greater control over membership. ...

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Posted by Viv at Thursday, October 26. 2006 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

Back to Math Class – Understanding Positives and Negatives in Behavioural Training

In a previous article on Clicker Training we touched lightly on the terms positive and negative when referring to reinforcers and punishers. There is much general confusion about terminology of behavioural training and the number one issue is probably the use of the words negative and positive to describe consequences. In today’s article we’ll look at why it is necessary for us to really understand these concepts ...

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Posted by Viv at Thursday, October 05. 2006 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

Why Punishment doesn’t work

Punishments are meant to decrease behaviour, yet in all studies of punishers used in training animals (or humans) it has been found to be very unreliable at changing behaviour at all. So why do we punish and do we even understand what punishment is? ...

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Posted by Viv at Thursday, September 14. 2006 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)

Visual Training Journal

We've talked a little about training journals before in http://horseplay.playwithhorses.com/2006/06/16/training-journals.aspx but I've just seen a fantastic example of a visual training aid used by Steve White as part of his K9 training regime to ensure that trainers are getting reliability. ...

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Posted by Viv at Tuesday, September 05. 2006 | View Comments (0) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (0)