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Does Clicker Training make your horse a treat monger?

12K views 55 replies 22 participants last post by  SRCM16 
#1 ·
Heya,

I am interested in clicker training for my horse, but I am worried that it will make him a frantic treat hound (more so than he already is!!)

Has anyone tried this method?

Thanks in advance!
 
#3 ·
I don't clicker train but I do give treats (usually a carrot or a piece of alfalfa cube). Only one horse in the many years of treating was a problem and she came with it - after I discovered the problem, I stopped giving treats from my hand.
 
#4 ·
It depends on the horse, but I think with clicker training you're suppose to slowly decrease the treats after a while, and only click and praise with a pat instead, so they learn they don't always get something yummy when they do a good job, just a little love. :)

One of the horses I sometimes ride is too bossy and a treat hound, (but only when he knows I have some), so I don't give him any. If we had a good ride I'll put it in his bucket.
I always give treats though to the mare I am now riding because she behaves. I don't give her the treat if she is nosing me, only when she respectfully pulls her head away and waits. She caught on so fast that now she always waits for me to hand her the treats, and doesn't bombard me.
The gelding doesn't seem to get it. Maybe with some more work. :/
 
#5 ·
Actually, in my experience, Clicker Training can be especially useful with food orientated horses.

My mare absolutely LOVES treats but she's learnt, through clicker training, that mugging me gets her no where. Its part of the training process, teaching horses to be polite and look away if they want to get rewarded.

I can see my mare looking away but watching me out of the corner of her eye, she knows she has to wait till I click before she'll get her reward.
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#6 ·
Oh, on one more note, I don't decrease the treats as my horse is not one to be motivated by pats. Instead, you increase what they have to do for the reward.

For example, when using clicker training for lunging, when asking a horse to drop its head on the lunge, initially you click and reward the moment the horse drops its head, then you extend it to asking them to drop their head for half a circle for example, before clicking and treating.

I'd be glad to try and help if you have any other questions about Clicker Training.
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#7 ·
I was going to ask about moving rewards, actually. :) So do you just stretch it out to 1/2 a circle, full circle, etc?

We started today and he got the target down very quickly, then the 'Touch' command. :) He is a smart guy.

What treats do you use?
 
#8 ·
I use chopped up carrots and apples. Pony nuts are easier but my mare loves them a little too much and since she doesn't normally get concentrates, I prefer the apples and carrots.

As for moving rewards, you mean asking them for more before treating? I'm going to assume that's what you mean :)

I can't give you a set number as it varies, I think I used immediately, 3 strides, 5 strides, half circle, full circle. If they seem to be struggling to extend it and made the connection, then only ask for a little more before rewarding. You have to keep them motivated :)
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#9 ·
Yes, sorry, I meant while lunging and eventually riding.
My horse is an adoption horse who was an abuse case. :( I am working on getting him 'rewired' to be ridden and handled gently.

I used a riding crop as my target because he was afraid of it. It took about two bumps into the crop and he was no longer afraid. :)

I was using GiddyUp Girls sugar free treats, but they go fast!

I am really excited about starting this with him, he seemed to have a lot of fun.

He did try to mug me a few times, but I just stood there and ignored him.

He also seems to want to go for the treat dispensing hand...
 
#10 ·
Well if you chop up carrots and apples into bite sized chunks, they last a long time! Just not too small!

Well done on ignoring him for mugging, that's a good idea! If you can, have a training session just about correct treat handling.

My mare likes to extend her nose and nuzzle for treats but I wait for her to look away, which is usually an accident at first, before treating. As for going for the treat dispensing hand, as long as he doesn't nip you, just keep ignoring him until he looks away and then treat and reward. The key is consistency! As long as you never reward for going for your treat hand, he will eventually stop doing it. Horses, like all animals, do what works for them.

I'm so glad you're doing clicker training, it really is a wonderful training method to add to all other methods.
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#11 ·
Thank you so much for the advice on this...I am excited to do this! Brandon seemed to really enjoy it.

It was 'click' and he'd go for my hand. I should stop that then and make him look away?

I will chop up carrots/apples then, and see how that goes.

Thanks again! I am so proud of how smart he is.
 
#12 ·
He must not get the reward if he goes for your hand. My mare is allowed to ***** her ears for the treat when she hears the click, that's all. Its always good to have a 'how to take treats'/pretty face (think that's how they refer to it online) session. If my mare forgets, which she seldom does now, I simply wait for her to back away and then dispense the treat. But, please, do look online and search for other techniques, as mine is by far not the only one! And though I've done a lot of research on Clicker training, I'm by no means an expert!
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#17 ·
He has stopped mugging already, for the most part.
Funny story, we had a training session where I was getting him to touch his bit, take it in his mouth (he has bit issues, long story). It was a pretty long, successful session. I turned him out afterward and was just standing on the fence watching him and the other horses. He came over to me and was looking for a target, when he didn't see that, he tried giving me kisses. No reward because I didn't ask. Then he BOWED. I sure didn't teach him to bow, someone else must have. It was very cute. I ran and got the clicker and treats and reinforced it. :)
 
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#18 ·
I'm not a fan personally. My horse was taught it as a young stallion and he is incredibly treat grabby, even after a year of consistant work with it. He only gets treats after I'm completely done with him because he gets so distracted by it. He is instead rewarded with praise. It is only this way because the clicker training wasn't done right. As long as you make him respect your space and yourself, you should be fine.
 
#19 ·
What an interesting post!!! I am a dog trainer and I have just started using clicker training for the first time with a client and it is going fine. Of course I am sure there are things I could be doing better. I really want to start clicker training 'my' (I hope she will finally be mine, she had her pre purchase exam today, waiting for blood test results) mare Yapa. Any advice on how and where to start would be great. I know a lot about dog behaviour but I am new in the 'horse world', so I am not that confident about how to go about it.

Thanks in advance!
 
#20 ·
This would be the first time i've heard of using a cricket to train with..... not sure its safe.

As far as horse cookies for reward treats they work unless you over reward the treats, the horse can understand different levels of reward. A stop and rest is a reward, a pet or pat on the neck or forehead is a reward and top reward would be a cookie.

mostly cookies here are when they are at leisure in the pasture we feed them the treats in the evening when setting out by the fence in lawn chairs in the barn.
 
#21 ·
spoetryinmotion, sorry to hear that your horse got that way. I have sen incredibly treat spoiled horses being trained (as strange as it sounds) to be 'treat-safe' again by clicker training, using experienced trainers who had great timing. I have never had nearly as bad a case, my mare got a little treat grabby in the beginning (my own fault as I was in the beginning stages of learning) but since then, and by clicker training, she is now incredibly polite about treats and knows to 'look away' before she will get a treat.

Marybonus, clicker training for horses is really a fantastic aspect of training that combines wonderfully with other types of training. To get started, I would do some research, both on the internet and in books if you have access to them. Karen Pryor and Alexandra Kurland are great clicker trainers and I know there are many more. Then I would start with the four (five) basic lessons. The first, charging the clicker may or may not work, depending on the horse (my mare only made the association when I started the next lesson), then there's target training, happy face/politeness, matwork and backing. Whilst I'm no expert at all, I'd be happy to try answer any questions you might have.

Ledge, I'm curious as to why you would think that clicker training could be unsafe? And, just to point out, there are also different levels of treat rewards. My mare works much harder for pony nuts then apples or carrots so I reserve them for teaching a new behaviour.
 
#22 ·
I should update...my horse is doing great with Clicker Training. He was a bit enthusiastic and tried to mug me at first, but he has finally 'got it' and seems to love it. I bought one of those little orange caution cones and I am teaching him to pick it up and hand it to me. We are also working on backing up and head lowering. It's a great communication tool.
 
#24 ·
That is kind of a far fetched situation.

However the worst case scenario is that the horse thought he did something good/nice and expects a treat. I don't see how that is dangerous at all.

The click is really the equivalent of 'yes', and that is all. Using the clicker specifically just incorporates a consistent noise that doesn't vary.
 
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