Clicker Training a Pony to Have a Good Stop/Good Whoa

Sabino Lace (Nina) is a 6 year old, 11'1 1/2h Section A Welsh Pony. In this video, we are clicker training her for a good stop. We use a few pre-cues for the stop - a subtle shift of the weight backwards, lifting the reins, and holding the reins back. We are not using any pulling, just maintaining the same level of pressure until she stops. The idea here is that Nina will learn to stop just from a shift of weight, and she does, after just 3 minutes of riding.

The good stop learned at the walk with an 11 year old bareback rider also almost immediately transfers to stopping from the trot with an adult rider riding with a saddle. Normally a pony's surprise at such a different riding situation would cause them to temporarily forget their training and become fussy but Nina shows that the added distractions are not a problem. She retains the training under new conditions.

The best thing about clicker training is that when you get something you want, you don't have to just stop and get off. You click and your horse goes right back to wanting to offer the behavior again. When you use a food reward (in Nina's case, a small slice of carrot), you don't have to use a break or getting to quit for the day as a reward. Clicker training allows you to do considerably more in the same amount of time and it can also be more fun because the horse then wants to ride, so she can earn more treats, instead of always looking for when she will get to quit. In this way, clicker training is more of a symbiotic relationship benefiting both individuals, than a commensal relationship benefiting only one individual, though not harming the other.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• clicker+training
• section+a
• welsh
• pony
• horseback
• riding
• training
• horse+training
• pony+training
• equine+clicker+training

[morganmares]

Good video lesson. What treats are you using? We have a 13.3 Welsh-Canadian Cob ..just starting. Hope you post more lessons. Judy

[welcometopemberley]

Thanks! I was using safe choice grain. Nina has since found a home with 2 children, ages 4 and 5. She progressed very well in her training.

[evanswelsh]

Teehee, makes me laugh when I think of all the 5'7 female trainers who won't ride a small :) Good job Nina and Les!

[welcometopemberley]

Nina is a good girl. Those Welsh Mountain Ponies are strong!

[colormecoloryou]

It's hard to treat from the saddle bareback. That rider does a good job.