Clicker Training 101: How to train horses with love and respect

April 7, 12:39 PMClicker Training ExaminerEve Alexander

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Winter's Jubilee (Jubee) is an American Saddlebred Horse

In my early twenties, after 14 years of dedication, I stopped riding horses. Always an empathetic person, I felt the pain of the horses around me, and when I could no longer bear the cruelty I witnessed in the horse industry, I quit.

But the love of horses and the desire to have one of my own never left me. Two decades later, after a year of horseback riding lessons to ‘get back in the saddle,’ I purchased a beautiful, spirited horse. Jubilee’s first trainer, though a successful competitor and well-regarded trainer in the community, was rough and harsh, to my horse and to me! I felt her methods were inhumane and her horses appeared robotic. The time my horse and I spent together was stressful. For me to continue training that way would require a change in my beliefs and my personality.

So I moved to another barn and decided not to have a trainer. I suspect other boarders at the new barn were taking bets on how soon I would be hurt. After seeing my difficulties two wonderful women approached me separately to talk to me about training. But it was more than training - they were talking about building a relationship with my horse.

Patty Symonds introduced me to Parelli Natural Horsemanship, an easy-to-follow program that teaches people how to think like a horse and use psychology, rather than fear, intimidation, punishment or pain. Liz Mark, a zookeeper at the Oakland Zoo, showed me how to use a clicker and taught me about positive reinforcement and operant conditioning.

Finally, there were ways for me to train my animals that didn't require me to become aggressive, loud or physically abusive - like the conventional training I had seen. I could just be me using gentle, positive techniques to build a trusting relationship with my horses. Once the communication was established, training became easy, or as Pat Parelli calls it, a game!

It’s an amazing feeling when you ask your horse for something, he understands, and performs for you freely by his own choice! No conventional training technique will give you that kind of partnership, and it’s exactly what we all dreamed of as little girls and boys. If you love animals, if you have a gentle personality, or if you’re afraid of your horse, try clicker training. It won’t just change your relationship with your horse, it will change your life!

Please join me in my journey and check back for more articles about clicker training. Email eve@tricknclick.com with your questions and comments.

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Parelli Natural Horsemanship
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