Horse clicker training tools - training sticks

April 11, 8:04 AMClicker Training ExaminerEve Alexander

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Training sticks extend your reach and help you stay safe.

We’ve discussed the basics - clickers and treats - and that’s all you need to start clicker training, but there are other tools and toys that can greatly enhance your training experience. Today let’s talk about training sticks.

• Pat Parelli calls his a ‘carrot stick’.
• Clinton Anderson calls his a ‘handy stick’.
• Dennis Reis calls his a ‘horse flag’. Dennis’ horse flag was cleverly designed with a little hook on the end to use as a tool – for instance, to catch hold of your cinch and pull it under your horse to you.
• Frank Bell sells a stainless steel extendable 'training wand' that you can hang from a belt loop and has a loop at the end to attach to a flag or plastic bag.
• Blocker Ranch sells one with a cane handle which makes it easy to hang on a fence rail or your arm, and you can use it to hold a horse’s hoof too. Blocker also has a new shorter, lighter 'Pink Lady' stick, with proceeds donated towards breast cancer prevention and cure.
• Chelsie Kallestad sells high-quality purple natural horsemanship sticks.
• Allen Pogue of Imagine a Horse offers the innovative 'Horse Friendly Combo Whip' which is stiffer than normal whips and yet possesses 'life' and most importantly balance. The ball and snap give the handler different modes of communication. The extra thick "Horse Friendly" snap makes it impossible to inflict pain and the ball cushions any real contact while giving a precision touch unlike any whip on the market.
• There are lots of other clinicians selling training sticks, and knock-offs are available on eBay.

Sometimes it's safer to use a stick.

The idea of the training stick is to extend your reach. For instance, if you are near your horse’s head and want to put pressure on his hindquarters, you can easily reach there with a stick. When dealing with a horse that is prone to kicking or biting, you can work with your horse from a safe distance. If your horse is crowding your personal space, use the stick to shoo him away. The stick is helpful for teaching your horse to lift his feet. If you were to bend over and touch his foot with your hand, you’d put yourself in a very vulnerable position. It’s much better to be able to stand erect and tap the hoof with your stick.

All the training sticks also come with a string attachment. The Parellis call theirs a ‘savvy string’ and Dennis Reis calls his a ‘progress string’. The string extends your reach even further. It can be used assertively to slap the ground or gently to caress your horse. The training stick can be used with or without the string. Since I have more than one stick, I keep the string on one and off the other so I can quickly switch my sticks as needed. Some trainers attach cloth flags or plastic bags to their training sticks for added emphasis or to desensitize horses.

If you can’t afford to go out and buy a training stick today, you can improvise. I have a bamboo cane that I use with both my horses and dogs. I cut the bamboo myself so it was free! Lunge or dressage whips are a suitable stand-in for a training stick. Maybe you have an old fishing pole or other item you can recycle and adapt as a training stick.

Have questions? Email me! 

More Information
Imagine a Horse
Blocker Ranch Horsemanship Equipment
Chelsie Kallestad Natural Horsemanship
Downunder Horsemanship
Frank Bell Gentle Solutions
Parelli Natural Horsemanship
Reis Ranch Universal Horsemanship 
SNAPP
 

SNAPP uses the carrot stick in their logo.