| When are you going to stop bribing that horse with | | | | pieces. I reward approximations towards the end goal |
| treats? | | | | that I want, so the horse is learning the process of |
| With my treat pouches packed full of low calorie | | | | how to get to the end goal. They are learning how to |
| treats, and usually a few tasty mints as well, I head out | | | | problem solve. It's a bit like setting a math challenge for |
| to the barn to play with the horses. My horses see the | | | | a child. We could set them the task of 1473 x 381. Will |
| full pouches and recognise their cue that it's training | | | | they get the right answer? If this is the first time they |
| time. They are already eager to show me what new | | | | have encountered this sort of problem, without some |
| things they want to offer today. Am I bribing them to | | | | guidance through the calculation process they will |
| perform for me, or are they working because they | | | | never get the right answer. However, if we teach |
| enjoy the learning the process (the mental stimulation)? | | | | them the process of problem solving for math |
| A few years ago a horse clicker trainer, whom I hold in | | | | equations they will not only be able to solve this |
| very high regard, said to me; 'go to people for opinions | | | | problem themselves, but they also have the math |
| and the horses for answers'. That sounded so | | | | problem solving tools to apply to other equations as |
| innocent and simple to me at the time and as time has | | | | well. |
| gone by, and as I hear her say it more often and in | | | | What we do with clicker training is teach the horses |
| more situations, it has turned in to a bigger and bigger | | | | the process of problem solving. One of my horses is |
| concept to me. So what did she mean? | | | | taught to work in collection at liberty. I only had to |
| Each of us will interpret her statement slightly | | | | teach this at walk, he used his problem solving abilities |
| differently, what it meant to me was; we can surmise | | | | to apply this behaviour to his trot and canter as well. |
| what the horse thinks of something, we think we can | | | | "Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime", |
| see if they are happy or not and we can make | | | | simply this means; provide him with the problem solving |
| educated guesses about what it is in a new | | | | tools rather than just giving him the right answer. |
| movement they might be struggling with however, only | | | | As a result of understanding the process, I see some |
| the horse can tell us what they really think of what we | | | | spectacular things from clicker trained horses. They |
| bring to them. So when I arrive at the barn with my | | | | practice the behaviours I have taught them, on their |
| treat pouches and my horse comes over to stand | | | | own, when they think no-one is watching! What!? It's |
| with me and offers me behaviours that have earned | | | | hard to believe, but true. My favourite example of this |
| him treats in the past, I have to wonder if he is staying | | | | was when I bought a new field-shelter. It is one of the |
| with me because I have treats or because he is | | | | arch style ones that have a plastic cover over it that |
| enjoying the learning he is doing. Horse, do you think I | | | | can make quite a bit of noise in the wind. So I had to |
| bring you good things; do you enjoy spending time with | | | | teach the horse about this new shelter and how to |
| me? | | | | use it. |
| When the horses see me arrive and come trotting up | | | | We built this up slowly and in approximations to the |
| the field, or when they are in the middle of eating | | | | point where we could walk in to the shelter, stop, the |
| dinner and they chooses to leave dinner to come and | | | | horse would touch the side wall with his nose and we |
| play with me to earn treats (that are not nearly as | | | | would walk out the other side. It only took us about 20 |
| tasty as dinner!), or they work in collection at liberty | | | | mins to get to this point, but I needed to re-stock my |
| right next to me as I walk casually, are they telling me | | | | treats. I went back to the barn and left the horses out |
| they are enjoying the process or not. They could leave | | | | in the field and re-stocked my treat pouches. When I |
| if they wanted, but they choose to stay. If they | | | | came back out, my jaw dropped as I saw my stallion |
| weren't enjoying what I bring to them, they would not | | | | on his own, no-one there (just his field-mates), walk |
| leave their dinner (free food) to come and work to | | | | through the field-shelter, stop, touch the side wall with |
| earn treats from me. | | | | his nose and walk out the other end. Coincidence? No! |
| Who owns the behaviour? | | | | He walked right back round and repeated it again! |
| A really interesting phenomenon has come out of the | | | | This is what I mean by; clicker trained animals own the |
| clicker training process that is sometimes a hard | | | | behaviour. They understand the process, the meaning, |
| concept to grasp. However, it is what makes clicker | | | | how to apply it, they make it their own. |
| training unique for me; the horses own the behaviours | | | | Karen Pryor tells a wonderful story of a pod of |
| they learn. Let me see if I can explain what I mean. | | | | dolphins that some researchers came across. They |
| If I were to bribe the horse, I own the behaviour and | | | | saw a number of the dolphins perform a behaviour |
| there is no learning going on with the horse. Will the | | | | that was never seen in the wild before. So they |
| horse perform that behaviour again? Not when they | | | | researched this. They discovered that this was a |
| are bribed. If they have been reinforced for the | | | | behaviour that was taught in captivity for displays, so |
| behaviour (given a reward for doing the behaviour) | | | | how did a pod of wild dolphins learn this? It turns out |
| then they are more likely to repeat the behaviour | | | | that one of the male dolphins had been released from |
| again. | | | | an aquarium, he had been taught the behaviour as part |
| When I watch traditionally trained horses I don't see | | | | of a show he used to do. When he teamed up with |
| them use the movements and the behaviours they | | | | his new wild family he taught them this fun behaviour; |
| have been taught any other time than when the | | | | he owned that behaviour well enough to not only |
| handler or rider is asking for them. Is this because they | | | | perform it without guidance, but to teach it to others as |
| are not going through the learning process to | | | | well. Amazing! |
| understand how the behaviour was put together? | | | | Still think clicker training is bribery? |
| With clicker training, I break things down into small | | | | |