Is Clicker Training hard?

Clicker Training is actually very easy. The most challenging part is learning to time the click just right. Practice makes perfect!

Really all you need is a clicker and a handful of treats. Once you start training you might want to get some props. These can be things you already have around your house, such as a door mat or a tree stump. We get most of our props at the Dollar General store!

Where can I get a clicker?

PetsMart stores have clickers near the cash register. Last time I checked they were 99 cents.

You can also order them online. If you do a lot of training you might want to buy a quantity. That way you never have to wonder where you left your clicker. I keep them in my tack room, in the car, on the kitchen table … anywhere I might need one. And I always have a few to give away to people who are interested in taking their training to a higher level.

Here’s a source for ordering clickers online:
https://www.ssl-serve.org/lcadvertising/shop/lockdown.asp

Just an FYI – I think the translucent clickers are prettier, but in the end I like the feel of the white ones better.

How do I carry and hold the clicker?

I like my clickers on carabiners which I hang on the belt loops of my jeans. I have found I like to have one clicker on each side. That way if I’m cueing the horse with my right hand, I can click with the left hand, and vice versa.

I have a friend who works at the Oakland Zoo and she likes to carry her clicker on her wrist from a springy coil bracelet. I have also seen people carry clickers on lanyards around their necks. Some people like retractable key chains.

You’ll find what works best for you.

Do I always give the horse a treat after a click?

Yes, you must always give a treat after the click. That’s what makes this training method so powerful. If you fail to treat, you will be break the bond of trust between you and your horse, and the training won’t work.

Where do I carry the treats?

The best place to carry treats is in your pocket – pants, vest or jacket. Some people find it uncomfortable or unpleasant to have treats in their pocket but it really is the best place. Otherwise it takes too long to fiddle around with a pouch or other container you might have with you.

If you’re wearing English style riding pants, you can make cut-off shorts from an old pair of jeans and wear those on top of your riding pants so you can use the pockets and belt loops while keeping your riding pants clean and neat.

I’ve also used a chef type apron with pockets.

What kind of treats should I use?

The more variety of treats the better. Soon your horse will come to regard you as a treat-dispenser and it makes it more enjoyable for your horse if s/he is surprised by different treats. It also ensures s/he doesn’t get burned out on one type of treat. Extra special treats can be used to reward extraordinary performance.

I usually have a combination of carrot or apple slices, or those baby peeled carrots, store-bought treats like Nicker Makers, and licorice or peppermint candy. I keep the candy in a different pocket and use those for special treats.

Will I always have to click?

At first you’ll do a lot of clicking. As your horse learns the tricks and behavior you want her/him to learn, you can stop clicking the old tricks every time, because you’ll be teaching your horse new things and clicking those. As your horse performs tricks s/he already knows, you will want to click every once in a while, particularly if the horse does an exceptional job. You’ll also want to keep clicking the same behavior or trick in order to refine or perfect it.

Can I use the clicker while riding?

Yes you can! Carrying a clicker and treats with you on the trail can help you overcome the anxiety of crossing creeks or fear of strange objects. You will never have to worry about a clicker trained horse running away with you. Just click and s/he will stop to receive her paycheck! When arena riding you can click for good performance.

Where should a beginner start with Clicker Training?

One of the easiest first tricks to do is called targeting. You can just be there watching your horse and thinking to yourself, “I wish s/he would touch the orange cone I put in her pasture.” As your horse approaches the cone, go ahead and click and treat. Then as she gets closer and even puts her nose on it, click and treat. It’s kinda’ like the game you played as a kid, where one kid is blindfolded and has to find something hidden. As they get closer you tell them, “Warm” and when they move away from it you tell them “Cold”, and when they’re practically touching it you say “Hot”. Use the clicker to tell your horse s/he’s Hot!

Any behavior problem is a good place to start. For instance, when I got Beau he would not pick up his feet. He’s half Percheron and a very big horse. There’s no point trying to pick his foot up if he won’t cooperate. So I would touch his foot with my carrot stick (Parelli training tool – you can use a short whip instead. I sometimes use a bamboo cane.) When he lifted it he got a click and a treat. Well, it didn’t take long for him to be happily lifting any of his feet on command!

When my horse does something really great, do I click more than once?

Nope, one click is all it takes! Reward your horse with an extra special treat, or a jackpot, meaning a big handful of treats.

What if I mess up?

Clicker Training is very forgiving! Remember how I was teaching Beau to lift his feet? After I got him lifting his feet when I tapped with the stick, I needed to teach him to hold his feet for picking and trimming. I would hold a hoof, count to 5 or 10 or 20 as the days passed, put his foot down, and click. Well, pretty soon he started jerking his hoof out of my hand. One day a sharp part of his hoof sliced the palm of my hand like a razor.

What was I doing wrong? I was waiting to put his foot down to click and treat. In his mind he thought he was being rewarded for putting his foot down and therefore tried to do it faster every time.

So, I started holding his hoof and clicking while his foot was still in my hand. Then I put it down and treated. It only took a few days for the revised training to take effect.

How fast do I need to treat after the click?

As long as you always treat after a click, your horse will be pretty patient waiting for her/his “paycheck”. It does sometimes take a few seconds to dig that last treat out of the bottom of your pocket.

What if my horse starts crowding me and demanding treats?

Sometimes this will happen at first, especially if your horse was frequently given treats by hand for no reason. But once the horse realizes that s/he controls the treats by her/his behavior, s/he will work hard to please you and earn their treat.

Horse trainer Allen Pogue has a great way to stop mugging. Slip a piece of citrus (lemon, orange or grapefruit) peel in your pocket. When your horse tries to get your treats, give the citrus peel a little squeeze. He’ll be very surprised and more hesitant to try to grab treats from you in the future!

It gives the horse power over their own destiny, which makes them smarter and happier in the process. Clicker training is truly a win-win training solution.

I’m not very creative. How will I ever teach my horse tricks?

You will be surprised at how creative you are, even if you think you’re not. One of the fantastic things about clicker training is it makes you more creative and resourceful while it’s making your horse smarter!

Every horse and situation are different. You’ll need to find what works for you and your horse. And you will!

How long does it take to teach a trick?

Some tricks, like targeting, can be taught in one session. Other more complicated tricks may take longer. In general, any new behavior takes 21 days to become fully understood and properly performed.

It took three weeks for my horses to learn “smile”. The main issue with “smile” is that they need to learn how to use the muscles in their lips to “smile” on command. Usually that facial expression called “smile” results from smelling something, either unpleasant or very pleasant. In that case, the lips move as a reflex to the smell. Learning to “smile” on command, requires the horse to deliberately make the expression.

Have you ever tried to lift one eyebrow or wiggle your ears? If so, you probably moved every muscle on your face except the one you wanted to move. Same with horses learning to “smile”. Be patient and allow them the time it takes to learn to control those muscles.

Other tricks, such as Spanish Walk, may take a year to fully accomplish. Tricks like the Spanish Walk may require many stages to arrive at the end goal. For instance, first you would teach your horse to lift a leg on cue. Next you’ll want to teach the horse to stretch the leg out in front. Then you’ll want to teach the horse to lift alternating legs. Finally, the hardest part, is teaching the horse to walk while lifting those alternating legs stretched out in front

You will feel a great sense of accomplishment at every stage of the trick training and you’ll hardly realize how many months have passed. Every moment of Clicker Training is fun and rewarding!

Do I have to follow some other type of training course to Clicker Train?

No. You can just Clicker Train. However, I also follow the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program. We are currently in Level 2.

Alexandra Kurland, the leading authority of equine Clicker Training, follows the John Lyons program.

I think it helps to follow some type of Natural Horsemanship training program to give your overall training program some structure. But it’s not required or necessary.

What if my horse is on stall rest?

You wouldn’t believe how many people get into Clicker Training because their horse is on stall rest! Horses stuck in stalls day after day get bored and sometimes get into trouble. Channel that energy into learning tricks. One of the best ways to teach “smile” is standing outside the stall. You can also teach your horse to touch things, lift their feet, move backward and forward, etc. Clicker Training is one of the best gifts you can give a horse on stall rest to exercise their minds and keep them content.

What if I have a question that is not on this page?

Email me! eve@tricknclick.com