Evolution of Targeting- Clicker Train Lead, Lunge, Ride

[abirdslife]

Excellent Kali ! Great demonstration and training :o)

[anotherjosephine]

wow.

thank you so much!

this did help (:

[wolfydan121]

top vid, im sure she'll make some kind little boy or girl very happy one day!

you did really well with her, i'll be sure to try this method if the need ever arises!

[welcometopemberley]

I was really resistant to teaching targeting because I didn't see any practical application. As it turns out, it is probably the most useful thing I've taught. The important things is to get the word "target" on cue really well so you can transfer targets (your hand, halter, bridle, target stick, etc).

[welcometopemberley]

The amazing thing that happens is it totally bombproofs your horse because any time they're afraid of something, you just say "target" and they do a complete 180 and are suddenly genuinely interested in the spooky object.

[welcometopemberley]

The target stick ends up being really cool because in cases of really spooky or really clingy ponies, you can get them to make a conscious decision to move further away from you and conquer obstacles on their own. Then you can teach them about moving away from pressure without scaring them, because you just blend in a pressure cue as they're following the target stick. If you do it on a downhill, you can even get them to trot or canter without pressure. That makes the gaits SO nice!

[colormecoloryou]

Fun to see how far you can take targeting!

[westerncowgirl4life]

Aw this is so cute. Is it apony?

[welcometopemberley]

Thanks! Yes, Nina is a Section A Welsh Pony.

[westerncowgirl4life]

Awwh. shes ADORABLE!

[hcarrel26]

This is a great, informative, and well made video. Well done! :)

[welcometopemberley]

Thank you! Just let us know if you have any topic suggestions.

[evanswelsh]

I can't believe all that was accomplished in her first day with the target stick!

[changingtrains]

Awesome! It's great to see other people training in this way. Targeting is fantastic. I'll have some videos of mine up one day soon.

By the way, as you seem to work with a lot of ponies: any idea how much weight a 12.2HH pony can/should carry? What would be the maximum? I have a 6yo Australian Pony & want to train her under saddle, but don't want to hurt her. I've been on her, she was brilliant & carried me with no problem at all, but not sure if I should ride her regularly or find someone tiny.

[welcometopemberley]

The general rule of thumb is that horses and ponies shouldn't carry more than 20% of their body weight. Most 12'2h ponies weigh around 560-700lbs. Do you have a weight tape? That would mean you and your tack should be under 750lbs on the high end. That said, because your pony's spine is mature at 6, if you built her up to it, you could probably ask more of her. I've found that ponies are perfectly willing to carry a heavy load with good fitting tack and a strong bond with their rider.

[welcometopemberley]

PS You'll know if she isn't happy about it because her breath will be uneven and she'll kind of huff, or put a bunch of weight on her foreleg when she turns.

[lesfreeman3]

That's a really nice progression of targeting. I think the power of targeting in communication is really easy to underestimate. I like the idea that you can use this method to teach that speed/energy does not equal adrenaline.

What is your method for working from targeting on the circle to having a send cue and circling that way?

[welcometopemberley]

Blending in a send cue is SUPER easy. All you have to do is use both the target stick and your "pressue" cue (ie., a cue that tells the horse to move away from pressure, like spinning your lead rope, smacking your leg, or cracking a whip.)

[welcometopemberley]

Most people don't realize that you don't need such exaggerated cues. What we do is point while we're holding the target stick and lift our other hand, so that way they are getting all the cues at once. Then we alternate one circle with following the target stick to initiate movement, and one circle where we put the stick down and ask just by pointing and raising our other arm.

[welcometopemberley]

We wouldn't raise our other arm at all, were it not for the fact that that is a universal signal for "get moving" that a horse ought to know for. So, after you can get a circle where they respond just to the "send" cue without following the targeting stick, you can start doing 2 "send's" for every one target stick, then 3 "send's" for every one target stick, until as soon as you point and lift your other arm, the horse goes out on a circle.

[wobblegobdavid]

Fantastic, that was brill, i have a welsh pony too.

You have answered so many questions for me, thankyou so much :)

[welcometopemberley]

Great, I'm so glad you liked the video. Thanks for your comment! It really helps with getting higher up in the search results. Let me know if you have any training q's. We're always happy to help.