In Praise of Clicker Training

Wed Jun 8, 2005

I REALLY am impressed with the clicker training for the horse...just subbed to an Equine clicker training Yahoogroup, get even more info. But last night I went out to the pasture to catch Himself, he walked right up to me all cute and adorable...got a click and a carrot piece, some scritches, I started walking away, he tagged right along at my elbow without rope or halter! We got around 20 feet when he got distracted by a very attractive pile of poop he just HAD to sniff...turned away from me...I started to walk off, calling him...he casts me this sideways sexy through-the-forelock look (think "Prince")...and the little shit swishes his tail and starts to rapidly hike off back to the open pasture!!

But...I clicked the clicker! He stopped in his tracks, turned around, and came right back to me!! Oh, you bet he got a carrot piece (or two!), allowed me to put his halter on, and to the barn we went!

(There's a nice unmarried gentleman boarder who has an awful time catching his horse...next time I see him, I might recommend clicker training, heh heh)

Usual brush-up (we did some target training with a white water bottle and the clicker, he's got that down pat as well!), tack up, out to the round pen, free-lunge the horse until he acts tired and cries "Uncle" (little knowing he had his fingers crossed behind his back when he said it!). Rode him in the horribly dusty outdoor arena...there were three other adults and one toddler riding (or rather, sitting around on horses, blabbing), but we managed to avoid them. Quzqo did PRETTY well, once he settled in and concentrated on being a balanced horse (if he's out of sync or distracted, we're all over the place...once he gets his mind on business, he's very nice). Lot of trotting, lot of NICE cantering (now we have to work on refining that to something a bit slower...he's still slow as dirt compared to Tezlu, LOL). After a while, one of the other ladies asked if we'd like to go on a trail ride around the fences with them...sure! Quzqo was soaking wet by then (well, it was in the 80's out with high humidity), and it'd take a while to cool him down.

Well, the tiny child (the barn owner's granddaughter) was on this adorable ANCIENT black horse (he looked like the Yummi resin, I kid you not!), and the kid wanted to GO GO GO! So the old fella gamely trotted (his name was "Henry") on ahead. Quzqo then stowed his brain in a corner of his stall and started to act like a MORON...jiggyjoggy I wanna trot I wanna run I wanna be by Henry!! Happily I WAS able to keep Himself at a walk, considering I had his fat useless snaffle (w/no noseband or martingale), and the fact he payed attention to me was noteworthy.

That was pretty much the whole ride...the kid and her Aunt would get waaay ahead, Quzqo would go apeshit, they'd wait for everyone to catch up, then the kid would take off again on Henry, Quzqo would go apeshit, etc etc etc. Yeah, I know I could have let Quzqo trot along with Henry, but I figure *I* am driving, not him, thank you, and he's bad enough on group rides without encouraging that behavior.

We were on the last leg heading back to the barn, the kid was cantering up ahead of us...Quzqo was out of his gourd, never mind we were riding right beside the Aunt (for the record, Quzqo isn't even in the same pasture as Henry, he doesn't know Henry from Adam!)...Henry goes off, Quzqo throws his head up and starts to run! Oh Noooooooooo you don't! Watching all those Clinton Anderson shows on RFD-TV paid off, I grabbed one rein and HAULED his face around to the left...the bit slid through his open mouth, I lost hold of the right rein, AND he tripped all at the same time!! Somehow I got ahold of the right rein again (split reins, crossed over the withers though), and we went roundy roundy round round round in the hayfield 'til he stopped. A GOOD kick to the sides and back on the straight and narrow...and the last few yards to the barn parking lot were full of spooks and high-wired Arabian Antics for NO good reason other than Henry got him all worked up!

The others went into the barn...Quzqo got to go back to the outdoor arena, where he put up another amazing display of Drama Queen Defiance at even going through the gate...Spinning, rearing, head-tossing...but a little gentle encouragement from Mr. Whip on his behind got him
through the gate, and I tried riding him in there...but he kept veering towards the gate, veering towards the gate...so I cantered him across the arena to...THE ROUND PEN OF DOOM!

BWAHAHA! He would NOT go in...he balked, he tossed his head, he would NOT go in that gate to Hell! I did get him in, he DID get a click and a carrot piece for the effort, unhooked the reins from the bit, and then with the carrot stick & rag, CHASED HIS ASS FOR HALF AN HOUR! HooHOOOO! He knew he was in trouble too, LOL...I SMACKED the stick on the ground, I beat the shit out of that dirt...and a tidy by-product was the horse galloping circles around me! Oh, he needed it, you better believe it! I'd then just stand, leaning on the stick, and Quzqo just kept galloping and galloping and galloping...not wanting (or daring?) to slow down...round and round and round...he was dark grey from poll to croup with sweat, LOL! If he did slow down to a trot, out came the stick and the dirt got another beating, and awaaaay he went again!

Finally we got to the point where I said "Trot" he immediately slowed to a trot...when I said "Wallllk" he jammed on the brakes and walked...when I said "Ho" he stood still, lowered his head and puffed for breath...it's an achievement to get that boy out of breath!!

Dragged him back out of the round pen, got on his back, and we did one of each gait in the arena...little shit tried to bolt for the gate, which earned him some tight circles outside the gate, then back INto the arena, a rest period IN the arena, then we walked quietly out of the gate...and off on ANOTHER trail ride! LOL...I did feel sorry for him, but by God, I can't let him get away with that junk (it's obvious his previous owners DID!!). We just went maybe a mile, if that...enough that his breathing returned to normal and the sweat started to dry...he acted a lot more pleasant that time (because we were alone I'm sure). Back to the barn, and BATH TIME! That poor horse, I bet he won't have anything to do with me tonight!

But I've been using the clicker training in the wash rack as well, and he's really improved...if he gets tense or a little high-headed, I wait 'til he lowers his head and relaxes (for whatever reason), then a click/carrot...which also distracts him, so he didn't care WHAT I was spraying with cold water, he stayed calm and low-headed, ready to enjoy any clicks/carrots that came his way!

When I left him around 9:30 last night, he was stuffing hay in his face in his nice, cool stall...(Oh, and he now backs through the indoor arena gates like a pro!)...we'll see what kind of reception I
get tonight (no riding tonight, that'll be his reward!)