Non-loading horses becomes self-loading horses

This is the end result of clicker-training our horses to load. The clicker isn't needed any longer... they just go. They like it. We started teaching them to load themselves after it once took us 9 hours (!) to load them. And of course, the trailer is fully blocked under the back -- that's essential -- it was left unconnected so that we could practice every day.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• problem loading
• trailer loading
• clicker training
• loading difficult horses
• how to load a horse
• self loading horses
• confident trailer loading
• horse trailer loading
• paard
• kliker
• loading a difficult horse
• better trailer loading
• horse
• horses
• building confidence
• riding
• palomino
• welsh cob

[Arryl2000]

Thats amazing! Have you worked with clicker training before? How can I learn that? Do you have any book recommendations for me?

[1990enzo]

@Arryl2000 Alexandra Kurland's book



[1990enzo]

And he was always given time to think, and to decide on his own. If it looked like it might stop being enjoyable, we'd go off and do stretches or faster / slow / super-slow / walks or touching a target or anything he already knew from the clicker. He's recently gone 'off' the trailer, since it seems always to take him to the vet, but I know we can get this back next summer, when I have the time.

[1990enzo]

You have to start where your horses *are*. With the palomino, he was rewarded first just for walking calmly by the side of the trailer, then for walking calmly by the back of the trailer, then for facing it squarely, then for moving his head to touch it... then one foot, then any forward progress. We always started well inside *his* comfort zone, so there was a steady stream of rewards before he got to anything he might have to think about. And he was always given the time to think. (see next).

[RedHyuuga]

How do you train them with a clicker?

[1990enzo]

@RedHyuuga First you have to connect the click to a reward, which for weight control reasons was just one or two pellets of their regular feed. Never click if they mug you. We had done all kinds of other things with the click before loading First loading goal was just passing quietly within *sight* of the trailer, and over many weeks, to get them to lead in. Going in alone was the palomino's idea.

[1990enzo]

For people who have asked me: no, I did not train this by putting food in the trailer. The palomino was a nonloader, and nonloaders can't be 'bought off' that way. Yes, we now put a little of their regular food in, but that's not how we trained this in the first place. We really did do this by shaping their behaviour with the clicker... and not both horses at the same time. First a few minutes with one, then a few minutes with the other, over a period of time.

[Chance2Click]

Yay for Clicker training! :D

[clairounette33201]

Alors là chapeau bas!! J'avais encore jamais vu ça XD

[georgiabates]

@Arryl2000 look up Georgia Bruce Click with Horses. Fantastic Australia clicker trainer who is also a para-Olympic dressage rider

[georgiabates]

Great job that is fantastic :) 

[Mikeandwendy74]

TOP NOTCH GOOD JOB

[akyramoto]

I'm teaching my donkeys to self load via clicker training too! I have two, and one always jumps in every chance she gets!! still teaching the second one, he's a few steps behind her. great vid!!