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Getting Started With the Clicker
What you Will Need
Treats
 Horses are grazing animals with enormous appetities. That makes it easy to use food in the training. Use carrots, apples, anything your horse enjoys, and you feel safe feeding. Remember that as tough and strong as horses appear on the outside, their digestive system is really very delicate. Especially if your horse has any history of colic, it’s best to be conservative when it comes to treats. Start with food he is used to. His normal grain ration and chopped up carrots work great for most horses. To avoid over feeding measure out your horse’s total daily ration. Take out a portion for your clicker training.
If your horse gets only a small amount of grain, it’s fine for him to work for the entire amount. In fact it’s probably healthier for a horse to get his grain doled out a teaspoon at a time than all in one lump meal. In clicker training a little bit goes a long way. A tablespoon of grain, a sliver of carrot, a single sugar cube, that’s all you need for a great reward.
Fun
Fun is the fourth ingredient in clicker training, and one that’s easy to come by. When you see how eager your horse is to play the clicker game, you’ll find yourself laughing with delight!
Traditionally most of us have been taught that we have to “make” our horse behave. We have to “show him who is boss”. This kind of “do it or else” philosophy makes training anything but fun for many horses. Clicker training changes all that. Now both you and your horse are in this together. Your horse’s job is to figure out what makes you “click” literally. And your job is to chunk down each lesson into small steps so he can be successful. It sounds simple and it is, but the results can be amazing! With clicker training you are limited only by your imagination!
Part One: Getting Started with the Clicker
A Step-By-Step Guide
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