CONTENTS
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Before You Begin - Author’s Foreword
Part 1: Getting Started with Horse Training
Ch. 1: Sharing Your Life with Your Horse
Training Creates More Freed
Let’s Get Started By Saying Whoa Nellie!
Building Safety Nets Under Horses
The WHAT and HOW of Training
Photos
Ch. 2: Knowing Why Training Works
The Three Layers of All Training Systems
The First Layer: The Core Belief
The Second Layer: The Guiding Principles
The Third Layer: HOW a Lesson is Taught
No Matter His Age Begin By Treating Your Horse Like A Foal
Tune-up or Major Servicing
Choosing Your Training Approach
Cues Versus Commands
Determining If Your Signals are Cues or Commands
What it Means to be a Positive Reinforcement Trainer
The Old Focus: Command-based Training Puts the Focus on Behavior You Want to Stop
The New Focus: Cue-based Positive Reinforcement Training Focuses on what You Want
Your Horse TO DO
Part 2: Positive Reinforcement Training
Ch. 3: An Introduction to Positive Reinforcement Training.
Using Treats with Horses
Warnings From Others About Treats
Myth Busting: How to Handle the Naysayers
Adding a Marker Signal
The Two Sides of the Click
Shaping Behavior
Teaching Strategies
Lumping Versus Splitting: How to Have a Happy Horse
Ch. 4: Errorless Learning: The Constructional Approach
Constructional Training Identifying Component Skills Record Your Progress
A Study of One
What’s in a Name: Training Approach or Training Principle
Ch. 5: Loopy Training: A Strategy for Training Success
Flipping the Funnel
Shaping with a “Broad Brush” or a “Fine Brush”
Movement Cycles and Loopy Training
Putting Horse and Handler Together to Create Loopy Training The Parts of the Loop
Reinforce Means to Strengthen
Minimizing Errors - Knowing When To Ask for More
The Loopy Training Mantra
The Beginner’s Guide to Changing Criteria
Changing Behavior Within a Loop
Swinging a Pendulum Between the Two Sides of the Click
The Huge Advantage Using Treats Gives You When Building New Skills Changing the
Environment: Distractions, Duration, and Distance Building Clean Loops
Reading your Horse’s Body Language
Choosing Loopy Training
Part 3: A Guide to Clicker Training
Ch. 6: Clicker Training Basics
Choosing Clicker Training
Your Horse’s Personality
More than Positive Reinforcement - It’s Constructional Clicker Training The Training
Layers
Pairing a Marker Signal with Treats
Verbal Signals What The Click Is The Click is a Cue
The Click is a Cue for TWO Individuals The Click is a Gatekeeper
Saying “No” to Treatless Clicks
Understanding Reinforcement Consequences: Good and Bad
Observing the Effect of your Training Choices
Escape and Avoidance
Reinforcement is Seen from the Learner’s Point of View
Reinforcers are not always Food
Food versus Fear
Reinforcement is a Process Not a Thing
The Reinforcement Process
Reinforce the Behavior - Not the Individual
Your Horse’s Emotional Response to Clicker Training
Ch. 7: Know Your Learner
Building a Behavior - Begin with “Yes” Answers
The Meaning of Body Language - Context Matters
Enthusiasm! Get Ready for a Happy Horse
Going from Shut-Down Grump to Star Pupil: Managing Emotions
Finding a Starting Place for Your Study-Of-One Learner
Ch. 8: Protective Contact: Safety Always Comes First
Protective Contact
What Protective Contact Looks Like - Some Easy Options
The Key Question
My Horse Loves Me. Do I Still Need to Start with Protective Contact?
Choice and Control
Ch. 9: Using Food as a Reinforcer
Choosing Safe Reinforcers: A Quick Guide to Horse Nutrition
Guidelines for Choosing What Treats to Use
Choosing Treats for Older Horses
High Value Versus Low Value Treats
Food Delivery: By Hand or in a Bowl
Using a Food Bowl
Hand Feeding
Use Treats to Monitor Your Horse’s Emotional State Early Warning Signals
Loopy Training Keeps Your Training Clean
Ch. 10: Teaching Your First Behavior
Some Reminders Before You Head out to the Barn Video!!!!
Teach an Exit Strategy First
Your First Lesson - Targeting
Why Start with Targeting
Light Bulb Moments
Choosing a Good Target
Preparation for a Successful First Lesson
Dress Rehearsals
Avoiding Frustration with Dress Rehearsals
Pairing Protective Contact with the Twenty-Treat Strategy
The Twenty-Treat Strategy
Breaks are Good for Learning
Targeting Instructions
Mugging
Food Delivery Details
Feed Where the Perfect Horse Would Be
You Can Never Do One Thing – Adding Good Balance to Your Training
Find a Look That Pleases YOUR Eye
You Can Give Yourself a Riding Lesson by Feeding Your Horse!
Balance Matters
The Perfect Horse Will Change Over Time
The Power of Language
Moving On: Remember the Loopy Training Mantra
Dynamic Food Delivery: Introduce Backing to Get the Treat
Puzzle Solving
Very Sneaky! You’ve Just Taught your Horse the Basics of Leading!
Opening and Closing the “Front Door”
Focus on What You Want
Leading; Lunging; Liberty Work;
Classical Work In-Hand; Riding
Reasons your Horse Might Not Back Up
Cues and Behavior Evolve Together
Cues Evolve Through the Shaping Process
Transferring to a Different Cue: The New Cue/Old Cue Process
Verbal Cues
Environmental Cues
Matching What you Think You’re Teaching with What Your Horse Is Learning
Part 4: The Six Foundation Lessons Every Horse Should Know
Ch. 11: What These Foundation Lessons Will Do for You
The Six Foundation Lessons
What the Handler Will Learn
What the Horse Will Learn
Choose With Care the First Behaviors You Teach
Ch. 12: Teaching Stillness: The Grown-ups Are Talking, Please Don’t Interrupt
Teaching Stillness Begins with the Four Questions of Constructional Training
How Did You Get to Where You Are Now?
The Dead Horse Rule
Be Patient!
The Teaching Steps for the Grown-ups are Talking
Feeding In Balance
The Duct Tape is a Target for You
When a Loop is Clean, You Get to Move On
Prompt versus Fast
Extend the Distance
Adding Distractions
The Four Second Rule
Ch. 13: A Constructional Approach to Teaching Leading
Building Go-forward and Stop Cues using the Grown-ups Lesson
Adding the Lead to your Folding/Unfolding Dance
Choosing the Right Length for your Lead
Punctuation - Pauses and Full Stops
You’ve Got Forward – Now it’s Time to Teach Backing
Change the Environment
Adding in an Active Lead Cue
T’ai Chi Rope Handling
“I Want Something” Backing
The Snap as a Tactile Target
Tense versus Soft
Ch. 14: Happy Faces
Making the Case for a Happy Face
The Connection Between Physical Expressions and Internal Emotional States
The Four Constructional Questions
Establish Baselines - Test the Conditions
Opportunistic Capturing
Freeshaping Ears Forward
Cueing Ears Forward
Transferring Cues Using the New Cue-Old Cue Process
Training by Priority
Priming the Pump
Ch. 15: Head Lowering
The Four Constructional Questions
Using One Foundation Lesson to Teach Another
Deciding When to End Protective Contact
Generalizing to Different Targets and Cues
Separating Yourself From the Target
Teaching New Head Lowering Cues
Sneaky Training
Five out of the Six Foundation Lessons
Ch. 16: Going to a Mat - What Mat Work Will Do for You
The Value of Mats
Keeping your Training in Balance
Teaching the First Brave Step Onto the Mat
Teaching the Opposite Behavior
Great Mat Manners
Stabilizing with Base Positions
Teaching Your Horse to Step on a Mat
Using your Building Blocks to Create New Building Block Behaviors
Balancing Behaviors
Backing is the Balancer
What Comes Before
More Core Principles
Teaching your Horse to Step on a Mat
What To Use for a Mat
The Runway Lesson
Working on a Release
Why Working on a Release Matters
It’s Not About the Mat
Walking Off Casually Defined
Training Wheels for Building your Horse’s Confidence Around Mats
Getting a Foot on the Mat
Assessing your Horse’s Response and Adjusting your Training
Remember - Keep Mats in Balance
Adding Both Feet to the Mat
Training Tip - Assess How Your Horse is Standing
Multiple Mats
You Have Taught All Six Foundation Lessons
Ch. 17: Expanding Your Training
What you can Teach
Moving on with Loopy Training
Moving on by Expanding a Skill
Moving On By Changing the Environment
Making Change One Element at a Time
Generalization
Expanding with the Three Ds: Distance, Duration, and Distraction
Adding Distance
Extending the Duration
Adding Distractions
Using the Four Second Rule
Understanding Labels: The Distinction Between Emotions and Emotional
Behavior
Emotions Track Contingencies
Exploring Practical Applications and Important Concepts
Using the Foundation Lessons
Turning “The Grown-ups are Talking” into Ground Tying
Defining Ground Tying
Turning Basic Targeting into Trail Manners
Teaching Leading Using Targeting
Assessing What is Already in Repertoire
Creating a Great Trail Horse
Turning Head Lowering into Easy Bridling
Turning Happy Faces into your Horse’s Way of Saying Hello
Assessing What is Already in Repertoire
Defining Default Behaviors
Picking the “Something” You Want Your Horse TO DO When He Is Doing
“Nothing”
Transforming Happy Faces into a Default Behavior
Turning the “Pose” into a Default Behavior
Avoiding the Extinction Trap
Turning Backing into Space Management
Assessing What is Already in Repertoire
Asking Nicely for your Horse to Move Out of Your Space
Understanding Respect
Expanding Beyond Training Sessions
Testing Your Horse’s Understanding of Your Space Management Cues
Use Mat Work for Grooming and Medical Care
Assessing What is Already in Repertoire
Building a Strong Stationing Behavior by Asking Questions
Use Different Stations for Different Questions
It’s Okay for Your Horse To Say No
Discovering What “NO” Looks Like
Treats Reveal Your Horse’s Emotions
Understanding Why Your Horse is Saying “NO” — Today
Accepting No
Making “No” Part of the Job
Ch. 18: Establishing Baselines and Measuring Progress
Establishing Baselines and Tracking Progress Measuring Progress to Prevent Glass
Ceilings
Strategy One: Put the Behavior to Work for You
Strategy Two: Link Two Behaviors Together
Playing a PORTL Game
Transferring the PORTL Lesson to Your Horse
Ch. 19: Chaining Behaviors Together
Cues Bind Behaviors Together
Forward Chaining and Back Chaining
Building a Sequence with Forward Chaining
Building a Sequence with Back Chaining
Using Back Chaining to Build Distance Behaviors
Change the Environment
Building Sequences Using a Third Option: Reversibility
Reversing to Learn New Skills
Finding Practical Applications for Reversibility
Experimenting with Reversibility
Choosing Which Teaching Strategy to Use: Reversibility, Back Chaining,
or Forward Chaining
The Case for Reversibility
Using the Foundation Lessons to Chain Behaviors Together
Part 5: Teaching the Universals – Lessons For Every Horse
Ch. 20: Teaching the Universals Using the Constructional Approach
Taking Stock
Taking an Indirect Approach - Don’t Fight Extinction Transferring Actions
Grand Prix Level Universals
Grand-Prix Level Haltering
Giving Your Horse Active Agency
Tying Safely
Teaching Your Horse to Tie - The Constructional Way
Picking up the Feet for Cleaning
Body-Part Targeting
Fading Cues
Transforming One Behavior into Another
The Click is a Thank You
Getting Dressed: Blankets, Fly Masks and Other Tack
Body Part Targeting
Fly Masks
Wearing “Clothes”
Blanketing
Accepting Girths
An Added Bonus: Wrapping your Horse’s Legs
Bridling
Bits or Bitless? – That is the Question
Bathing
What Do You Do If Your Horse Says “No”?
Medical Care
Do It Differently
Shots
Oral Meds
Restraint
Helping Your Vet Help Your Horse
Stall Rest
Clicker Games in a Stall
Your Support Team: Vets, Farriers, and Other Health Care Providers
Ch. 21: More Universals For Your Superstar Performer
Where Are You Now?
Working on Grass
Bone Rotations
Setting up the Environment for Success – Using Cones and Mats
Setting Out a Cone Circle
The “Why Would You Leave Me?” Lesson
Feed Where the Perfect Horse Would Be
Exaggerate to Teach
Clover Leaf Patterns
Working on Both Sides of Your Horse
Walking Off Casually
The Contact Trap and How to Get Out Of It
Constant-On Versus Starter-Button Cues
Adding Backing to the Clover-Leaf Pattern
Using Barricades Effectively
Rituals and End of Session Routines
Ending the Party
Lunging
Free Jumping
Teaching Go-Outs
Trailering: The Constructional Approach
The Direct Approach to Loading
The Non-Linear Approach
Ramps and Step Ups
Backing off platforms
Archways
Going out to a Stationary Target Going into Squeezes
Combine the Elements to Create a Trailer
Wash your Trailer and Let “Mother’s Little Helper” Help
Make it Different
Make it the Same
Part 6: Clicker Training Fun
Ch. 22: From the Universals to Performance Goals
Taking Stock
The First Phase – Learning the Basics
The Second Phase – Teaching the Universals
The Third Phase - Performance
The Three Training Questions
Question 1: Can my horse physically do what I am asking?
Question 2: Does My Horse Understand What I Want?
Question 3: Does My Horse Want To Do What I Am Asking?
Reach For The Next Simple Step
Ch. 23: Trick Training
The Many Benefits of Trick Training
Trick Training Changes How We View Horses
Defining Tricks
Stimulus control
Language Matters
Choosing The Right Tricks for Your Horse
Target-Based Tricks
Doing “Nothing”
Setting the Stage: The Line of Trash Lesson
Teaching your Horse to Target his “Name”
Working With More Than One Horse
Moving On to the Next Object
Water Bottles
Color Discrimination
The Clever Hans Effect
Following Games: Weave Poles Spins
Retrieving
Trick or Practical Skill
Practical skills that Use Retrieving as a Component Skill Having Fun!
Create your Own Farmyard Band
Train Your Own Basketball Champion
Teach “Rhythmic Gymnastics” with Hula Hoops
Let Your Horse Deliver the Mail
Discover your Barnyard Picasso
Design your Unique Trail Class
More Challenging Tricks
Umbrellas
Teaching Overhead Obstacles
Lawn Chairs
A to B Targeting Game
Transferring Actions to Create More Games
Ch. 24: Lunging
Lunging: Past and Present
Your Horse’s Opinion About Lunging
Teaching your Horse to Lunge
Beginning with a Multiple Mat Game
Working with Multiple Horses
Setting Out a Circle of Cones and Mats
Pacing Out a Circle
The Lunging Lesson
101 Things a Handler Can Do While a Horse Stands on a Mat
Changing Sides
Fading Out Away From Your Horse
Expanding the Cone Circle
Fading out the Mats
Balance Matters - Quantity or Quality
The Walk is the Mother of All Gaits
Adding Obstacles
So Much More Than Just Lunging
Ch. 25: Dancing with your Horse - Lateral Work
Going Sideways to go Straight
Bend
Your Horse as a Drill Team
How in Sync is Your Drill Team?
Walking on Two Tracks, Three Tracks, and Four Tracks
Shoulder-In, Haunches-In and Half-Pass
Walk the Patterns Without Your Horse
Shoulder-in
Haunches-in
Counter shoulder-in
Counter Changes of Hand
Safety First – Then Performance
Popping Out Lateral Flexions
More Places to Look for Lateral Flexions
Click for the Initiation of Movement
A Canoe Without a Paddle, a Raging Whirlpool, and a Nimble Gymnast
Get Help!
Ch. 26: T’ai Chi Rope Handling
A Handler with “Good Feel”
Protective Contact Without Barriers
Shaping on a Point of Contact Revisited
A “Give” Defined
A Point of Contact Defined
Two “Yes Answers”
Starter-Button Versus Constant-On Cues
Building a Longer Daisy Chain of Gives
You Can Never Do One Thing
Collecting Data Turns You into a Selective Sifter
The Fine Art of Sliding Down a Lead
What’s in a Name?
Bone Rotations
A Riding Lesson Without Your Horse
Bone Rotations Give You Power
Sliding Along a Lead Using Bone Rotations
Folding and Unfolding
An Awareness Exploration
Test Your Balance
The Balance Point of your Foot
Safety First - The Rope Becomes a Wall
Setting Up the T’ai Chi Wall
Changing the Strength of your T’ai Chi Wall
Learning New Skills - Reversibility
Letting Go and Popping Out Lateral Work
Three-Flip-Three
Dancing with your Horse
The Connection to Riding
Part 7: Riding
Ch. 27: Riding Safely
Riding Skills
Stopping and Going
Going
Stopping
An Awareness Exploration
Hairpin Turns
The Lead as a Tactile Target
Prepping for Riding
Mounting Blocks
Capture the Saddle
Starting a Young Horse Under Saddle
Prepping your Horse for Success
Delivering the Treat for Riding
Your First “Trail Ride”
You’re Riding!
You Can’t Not Cue
Riding is Just Ground Work Where You Get to Sit Down
Restarting an Older Horse
Building Confidence in Horses and Riders
Managing “Tractor Beams”
Trust the Process
Ride Where You Can, When You Can
Generalizing Riding Conditions
Generalizing Locations
When In Doubt Make It Easier
Damaged Cues and Past History
Confusing Cues
Solving the Damaged-Cue Dilemma
The Case for Single-Rein Riding
Steering with Just a Lead Rope for Reins
Safety First
Bits or Bitless?
What The Reins Do
The Inside Rein
The Outside Rein
Changing Leg Speed
The Leg Speed Puzzle
The Solution to the Puzzle
Ch. 28: Teaching Riding Universals
Riding on a Triangle
Judging the Length of your Reins
Creating the Triangle
Practice First Without Your Horse
Lifting your Buckle Hand
Lifting your Inside Hand
Saying “Hello” with the Reins
Steering
Connect your Ground-Work Prep to Riding
It is NOT About the Cone
Following his Nose – 3-Flip-3 and Lateral Flexions Staying Out on the Circle
Avoiding the Contact Trap
Riding a “Filmstrip”
Your Horse Moves First
Stopping - Tacking Like a Sailboat
Cues Evolve Out of the Shaping Process
The Walk is the Mother of All Gaits
Generalizing the Halt to Different Markers
Generalizing the Halt to New Environments
Let go!
Going Forward
Stuck Horses
Physical Issues
Get Off and Teach Go Forward From the Ground
Ch. 29: From Basic Safety to High Performance
Always Know Where Your Horse’s Hip Is
Disengaging your Horse’s “Engine”
Taking your Horse’s Hip in a Single Stride
Be Polite
Good, Better, Best, Bestest
Backing
Hip-Shoulder-Shoulder
Managing Energy
Teaching the School Figures of Half Turns and Half-Turns in Reverse
Half Turns and Half-Turns in Reverse
Changing Rein
An Awareness Exploration
Using Mats to Map out the Turns
Following Mats into a Half Turn
Following Mats into a Half-Turn in Reverse
Activating the Outside Rein
Finding the Perfect Moment to Activate the Outside Rein
Floating on a Point of Contact
Managing Hips and Shoulders When Things Go Wrong
Over Flexing
Straightening Out an Over-Flexed Horse
More Problem Solving: Connecting the Bend to Hips and Shoulders
Riding for Geography Versus Riding for Balance
Riding for Geography – the Long-Term Consequences
Riding for Balance – the Many Good Things It Gives You
Working with a Trainer or a Riding Coach
Stopping After the Click
Extending the Canter
Taking Lessons
Giving Feedback
Riding Summary
Ch. 30: Dealing with Common Behavior Problems
Solving YOUR Problem
Go Back To Go Forward
Resistance
Video!!!
Resolving Inconsistency
Ask the Key Question: What is the Function of the Behavior?
Grooming and Handling Issues
Your Horse Is Not a Label Stories
Learning to Listen
What is the Function?
The Problem with Punishment
The Key Training Questions
1.) Does your horse understand what you are asking him to do?
2.) Is your horse physically able to do what you are asking?
3.) Does your horse want to do what you are asking?
Other Examples – Difficulties Leaving the Barn
Choice
Degrees of Freedom
Control and Active Agency
Pawing: Applying the Problem-Solving Process
Start with the Three Training Questions
Consider the Function the Behavior Serves
Different Functions, Different Forms, Different Answers
Train Where You Can — Train What You Can
Melting Away Problems
Get Help
Selecting a Trainer
Small Steps Add Up
About the Author
Resources
Meet the Horses in this Book
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