This message is from: GAIL RUSSELL <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
See below, Ceacy's excellent discussion of the benefits of clicker training.
Is there any serious interest in a clicker clinic on the West Coast
somewhere, like maybe in the Bay Area? Particularly including some more
advanced demonstrations/practice regarding collection/under saddle work, as
well as the introductory stuff? Fjords are perfect for clicker training.
They learn extremely fast, they are highly motivated by food(!) AND they are
not so easy to just muscle around as the wimpier breeds. ("Give to pressure
and bend? Me? With this neck? You gotta be kidding!") Would love to hear
if there is interest. What we really should do is have a clinic in
connection with Libby sometime, or maybe the Turlock show or.... - something
to work toward. Anyone interested?
Gail
Ceacy wrote:
I have read a>few references to clicker training on this list so I thought I
would post a
>notice about an upcoming 5 day clinic I am hosting at my farm. Aug.9-13
>Alexandra Kurland, the author of the book Clicker Training For Horses ,
>will be
>conducting a hands on clinic using clicker training. The first two days
>will be an introduction on how clicker training works, shaping behavior,
>applications of this method, and skill improvement. The last three days
>will be under saddle and combines clicker with John Lyons one rein method
>of training. I have been working with Alex for awhile and have found this
>method to be very ,very useful with Fjords.
>
>I gave a demo at the Mass. Equine Expo. with Alex last April and we used my
>stallion Konggard at liberty in the arena. We showed the attention getting
>stuff like fetching and retrieving stuff, and playing tag, but we also
>demonstrated what I think is particularly useful for Fjords, which is what
>I refer to as therapeutic gymnastics. These are ways in which you can use
>clicker training to teach your horse exercises that will improve their
>muscle tone, flexibility, and balance. For example, I used this method to
>teach Konggard to raise the base of his neck which is an important part of
>collection and self carriage. I have been using it to teach him how to rock
>his weight back onto his hindlegs in the halt, and doing exercises to free
>up his shoulders. The best part is that you can do this kind of work almost
>anywhere and at anytime, despite the weather!
Gail Russell
Forestville CA
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
