Horse Care:
Applying the Principle of Operant Conditioning in Training Horses
Clicker training is a slang name which originally came from the scientific term operant conditioning. Formerly used to train aquatic mammals, clicker training has become progressively more popular in training horses using positive reinforcement.
Using the concept of operant conditioning in psychology, an animal learns a certain behavior or a task when positive reinforcement follows the action that the trainer wants the animal to repeat. Consequently, the undesirable behavior or actions done by the animal aren't rewarded and ignored. Thus, giving rewards for getting things right make horses more eager and quick to learn.
Clicker training is a great tool to compliment other training methods. All you need to get started is a clicker, some treats, and a container for the rewards. Once you have them, your horse is now on its way to obedience. There are no set rules to follow when using the clicker training but the following will guide you to use this method to your advantage.
•Condition your horse with the sound of the ‘click.’
Let your horse know that the sound ‘click’ means that a reward is coming. Try to click your clicker for several times and reward your horse with a treat every time it hears the sound. Then after about 10-15 minutes, repeat the sequence of clicking followed by treating. There are horses that easily get accustomed to the method after three sequences, but some horses may need more sessions.
•Don’t rush your horse.
It is important to consider that every horse differs in its readiness and ability to learn new tricks. It will be counterproductive to train for more than 10-15 minutes. Try to maintain short sessions broken into several days than having a long one in a day.
•Use a target.
Use a target for your horse to aim. Let this be the first task that your horse needs to accomplish when applying positive reinforcement. For example you can hang a plastic bottle and ask your horse to bump it using its head and reward it every time it does the right thing.
Timing is very important. Click each time the horse bumps the target then give a reward. Repeat it until the behavior is reinforced.
•Do the next step.
Once your horse learns to bump the target, move on to the next step. Let your horse follow the target then head bob it before giving a reward. This will test your previous training and will tell whether you have properly conditioned the horse to respond to the ‘click.’ But remember to be patient and to conduct each session in short periods. You also need to consider that not all horses will learn in the same manner.
As soon as you have completed this basic clicker training for your horse, you may proceed to more advance training. You can use this method to compliment your other trainings to make it easier for you to teach and your horse to learn.
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