5 Things You Can Teach a Horse Using Clicker Training

With clicker training you can teach a horse so many things. In this post I will share 5 things you can teach your horse using clicker training. The clicker signal is a very powerful communication tool.

When used properly you will get outstanding results that last. Using clicker training you can have a horse that  actively participates in the learning process and looks forward to the training session everyday. It has been used by Olympic riders as well as other professional trainers.

5 things you can teach your horse using clicker training

• To accept the bridle – this can be such a challenge with some horses as they can raise their head higher than we can reach and be hard to bridle. When using positive reinforcement training they will offer to put the bridle on themselves by lowering their head and you can get them to take the bit on their own too.

 

• Ground Tie – teaching a horse this will come in handy for so many things. When saddling my horse’s I like to have them ground tie if possible instead of tying them up. If you show in ridden trail or In-hand trail most of the time you will be asked to ground tie your horse. If the horse leaves during the ground tie you could be disqualified. It does not take long with clicker training to teach them how to ground tie.

 

• Loping slow – yes you can teach this using clicker training from the ground and it transfers to when you are in the saddle. I worked with a clients gelding a couple of years ago and got him loping slow enough that he was almost doing a pirouette. He offered this on his own and when my client rode him he loped slow for her.

 

• Loading into the Trailer – this task can be so easy with clicker training. They offer to load in the trailer and gain confidence in the process.

 

• Trotting beside you – when you use clicker training to teach this they catch on so fast. I love how it doesn’t take long for them to understand what you want when using clicker training. Before I used clicker training it was a chore and took awhile for them to understand this and at times it was stressful on them. There were times when I had to have someone help me, but now it is so much easier and the horse understands quickly.  

 

With all of the above tasks I always break things down into simple steps to set the horse up for success. I also take the time that is needed for the horse, no rushing! Have a plan when starting these tasks, go slow let the lesson be adsorbed and you will get outstanding results.

Want to get started using clicker training with your horse? I offer an introductory course that will get you started in the right direction.

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