Clicker Training

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Connecting The Dots Between Children’s Books and Horse Training

I just published this week’s Equiosity podcast.

This is Part 3 of a three part conversation.

In Part 1 we talked about resets – what they are and how they can be used to help horses rebalance so they are more in sync with their handlers.

In Part 2 this led to a discussion of shaping on a point of contact, the WWYLM lesson and visualizing your horse as a marching band.

In part 3 explore some useful metaphors that help in understanding lateral work. We begin with Merry-Go-Rounds and then move on to railroad tracks.

At the very end of the podcast I talk about the connection between the horse training and my children’s books. Everything is connected to everything else. I hope you listen all the way to the end to understand the connections. Clicker training really is Modern Horse Training. It represents a shift in attitude towards horses.

When I’m thinking about Modern Horse training I’m thinking about the contrast between today and that time when horses were beasts of burden.

Our relationship with horses is different today. The reason why we have horses has changed. Our horses are our companions and our friends. They aren’t pit ponies down in the coal mines forced to haul coal out of the mines. They aren’t the London cab horses that were written about in Black Beauty. Thankfully, those days are behind us. We have the luxury to really examine our training and to update it to make sure that it really does work in the best interest of our horses.

When I’m sharing clicker training, I want to touch more than the lead rope you hold in your hands. I want to touch your heart because that’s how we truly, deeply connect to one another and change forever how people train horses.

The children’s books for me are part of that. So thank you for indulging me as I continue to talk about the Kenyon Bear Books. I encourage you to order them to see what they are about. (https://www.theclickercenter.com/bear-hollow-press)
Everything is connected to everything else.

Train well and have fun with clicker training.

To listen to the podcast go to equiosity.com or subscribe to it via your podcast provider.

https://soundcloud.com/user-398403643/episode-271-resets-pt-3-merry-go-rounds-and-railway-tracks

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Equiosity Podcast Episode #270

Now that Edgrr is published I can shift my focus back to horses. That means this week’s Equiosity podcast is now available.

Enjoy!

Equiosity Episode 270: Resets and Lateral Work Part 2: The Why Would You Leave Me? Lesson

This is Part 2 of a three part conversation that was sparked by the on-line coaching sessions that I host once a month for people in my on-line clinics. We were talking about balance, which is no surprise. We’re always talking about balance. Embedded in that conversation was a discussion of resets. In part 1 we defined resets, discussed their importance, described how they are taught and used.

In this episode we begin with the “Why Would You Leave Me?” Lesson. I describe what this lesson is, how it is taught and the relation to resets. We discuss how to help horses that tend to overflex and horses that are very crooked. I use the metaphor of a marching band to help visualize the process of teaching horses how to become better balanced.

Listen to the podcast at: Equiosity.com or subscribe to it via your podcast provider.

https://soundcloud.com/user-398403643/episode-270-resets-and-lateral-work-pt-2-the-why-would-you-leave-me-lesson

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Modern Horse Training: People Say The Nicest Things!

People Say the Nicest Things!

Now that my children’s book, “Teddies to the Rescue” is launched, I can pause for a moment to check in with my other new book, “Modern Horse Training”. I haven’t been keeping track of it on Amazon which has meant I missed seeing some wonderful reviews.

People have been saying the nicest things about the book.

I want to share! But first, I want to say a very public thank your for your amazing comments. They are hugely appreciated!

Carmen left this wonderful review in July.

“I have all of Alexandra’s other books and they are dog-eared with use. This book refines and builds on what she has written before. This lady is one dedicated teacher and researcher. She’s knows horses and she knows people through her many years of learning, applying and teaching clicker training. I’m 73, and I’m loving learning this gentle, intriguing way of horse training. Congratulations Alexandra, you have produced a masterpiece!”I have all of Alexandra’s other books and they are dog-eared with use. This book refines and builds on what she has written before. This lady is one dedicated teacher and researcher. She’s knows horses and she knows people through her many years of learning, applying and teaching clicker training. I’m 73, and I’m loving learning this gentle, intriguing way of horse training. Congratulations Alexandra, you have produced a masterpiece!”

From Coralie

“A truly excellent training guide! I am an enormous fan of Alex’s work and am very thankful to her for sharing her wonderful expertise over the years. She is an excellent horse trainer – compassionate, thoughtful and extremely knowledgeable – and her training methods have transformed my partnership with my lovely horse. I received this from a kind friend and have enjoyed it so much I have since bought several copies for other horse friends to enjoy. A wonderful book.”

Fron an anonymous reviewer:

“The Title Says It All!
Amazingly thorough and thoughtful book. There really is no better approach to becoming your horses’s best friend! Whether you want to trail ride, do performance work, have an easier time with husbandry procedures, or simply find ways for you and your horse to stay mentally and physically engaged, this book is the best guide. Thank you Alexandra Kurland for this gem!”

From Susanna

“A Must Have For Every Modern Horse Trainer

This book is filled with detailed instructions on how to build your horse’s repertoire from basic behaviours to complex performance. The author’s deep love of horses, expert understanding of science behind learning and years of experience with horses and their trainers shine from every page.”

From Jo

“Not Just For Horse Trainers!

I have been listening and learning from Alexandra Kurland for many years. She is one of my favorite voices in the training world and I have devoured hundreds of hours of her wonderful podcasts and classes. So much of my approach and philosophy to training I owe to her (and her mentors).

I initially bought this book to give to a friend because I neither own, ride or train horses. I train dogs.

BUT ….. when it arrived I wanted to peep at it myself so I carefully tried to turn the pages without curling or crinkling them so I could keep it looking nice. I rapidly realized that was just not going to work! I immediately wanted to read the whole thing cover to cover, I wanted to bookmark pages and to highlight sections of text. There was only one thing for it, I had to buy another copy for myself 😂

No matter what species you share your life with there is training gold waiting in these pages. I cannot recommend it enough!”

From Wendy:

“Buy this book! You Won’t be disappointed!

If you are thinking about starting positive reinforcement training or are in the midst of it, this is an amazingly useful book! A step by step guide for building the foundation of training and communicating with your equine partner organized in an easy to use and refer to format. The author is a decades long leading expert in the field of equine positive reinforcement training who keeps abreast of the science of how we all learn, human and equine alike. The lay out of the book optimizes how you will learn.”

Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews! Train well and have fun with your horses!

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“Modern Horse Training” Helps You To Become More Creative

I know many people think they aren’t very creative, especially when it comes to training. I’d like to suggest that being creative isn’t an intrinsic characteristic. One person isn’t born more creative than another. Creativity is something that is learned. Creativity can be developed. Maybe in school you got the message that you just weren’t creative. You heard that so often, you started to believe it. So sad.

Horses can help you change that view of yourself. Here’s how:

Add lots of stuff to your training environment. The more stuff you have, the more possibilities you’ll see for some fun training games.

An empty arena is a huge blank slate. It can be hard to think of new things to do. Put out a circle of cones with a mat in the middle, and you will begin to see more options for the day’s lesson.

If all your cones are orange, decorate them with colored duct tape. Now you have blue and green and red cones. The colors will help you see even more patterns you can play with. You can ride across the circle leaving through a red gate and returning via a blue gate. You can ask your horse to stop at every green cone.

Add more mats. You’ll see more possibilities. Creativity comes from having more options to play with. When you feel stuck, add stuff.

In the photo I’m using cones of different sizes, jump blocks, cardboard boxes and colored mats to create a colorful playground for Robin.

Modern Horse Training embraces the word “yet”

Yet is a wonderful word. Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck, reminds us to add yet to dead end statements.

Here’s what that means. If you find yourself saying you aren’t creative, that’s a dead end statement. Say it often enough and you will start to believe it. Add “yet” to the end of that sentence and everything changes.

You aren’t very creative – yet. That opens up the possibility for change. Modern Horse Training helps transform that sentence into you are becoming a very creative, inventive trainer.

Here’s a great way to begin. Pick a simple object your horse is comfortable with. Maybe it’s a plastic dog toy. Think of all the ways a clicker trained horse could interact with this toy. He could orient to it with his nose. He could follow it to the ground to help teach head lowering. He can learn to retrieve it. You can hang it from a fence and teach him to stand next to a stationary target. That’s just the beginning.

Pick a different object. Maybe it’s a wash cloth. You can ask for many of the same things that you taught with the dog toy. You can add some new things, as well.

He can stand on it so now you have a portable mat you can carry in your pocket.

He can stand still on one wash cloth while you groom him all over with another wash cloth.

You can hang it on your fence and teach him to go out to it. Put a ground pole in his path and that’s the beginning of jumping at liberty.

You can teach him to orient to the wash cloth with his ear, his shoulder, his hip, etc. This will help you with many husbandry skills including prepping him for medical care.

Each new object expands the possibilities and contributes to your becoming more creative.

Have fun!

You can order my new book, “Modern Horse Training” through my web site: theclickercenter.com or get it from Amazon and other booksellers. When you order through Amazon, do please leave a five star review. Your good reviews help others to find this work.

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Modern Horse Training Leads To Creative Training Solutions

(This series of posts were originally posted on instagram in June 2023. Find me at: #alexandra.kurland.5)

Robin is helping me demo the “touch the goblin” game. This is a targeting lesson that helps horses gain a lot of confidence interacting with novel objects.

As always, I am using a constructional approach, meaning this lesson uses skills that I have taught previously. I wouldn’t begin by asking an anxious horse to follow a target up to something that worries him.

That would be like having you touch a tarantula in exchange for a hundred dollars. You might do it. A hundred dollars can buy a lot of hay for your horse. You’ll touch the tarantula – really fast and maybe you’ll be flinching while you do it. You’re still afraid of the tarantula, but you touched the goblin and got your hundred dollars.

That’s not what we want for our horses, so the game begins by having them orient first to lots of objects that they are already familiar with and don’t worry them. You’ll also begin in environments where your horse feels comfortable.

I’ve added a toboggan and some cardboard boxes to the barnyard. Robin is reminding us that turning your back on a goblin and walking calmly away is just as important as approaching a goblin. I remember years ago watching a very bold rider force her nervous horse to stand facing a scary mailbox. As soon as the horse had his back turned to it, he shot off like a rocket. She was lucky she didn’t fall off. Horses show us how important it is to listen to them and to adjust our training to meet their needs.

Things I like about this photo: Robin is working at liberty which means he has the option to leave at any time. Choice is an important part of Modern Horse Training.

I love how relaxed he looks as he walks away from the goblins. He’s following both the target and my body orientation. He may be at liberty, but this is also very much a lesson on leading.

Everything is connected to everything else.

Modern Horse Training – Be Creative!

Good training doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of money on training equipment.

I’m teaching Robin to put his nose into a loop formed from a vacuum cleaner hose. The hose can be swapped out for cardboard boxes of different sizes and depths, pool noodles held in a loop, and many other objects.

How does this help you? Think about all the “clothes” we ask our horses to wear. This turns into haltering, bridling, putting on an over-the-head blanket, accepting a grazing muzzle, etc.

The fun of constructional training is you are teaching component skills that can then be used for many different behaviors. It’s a very fun and efficient way to teach.

Modern Horse Training: Be Creative!

Robin has learned to put his nose down into many different objects, including cardboard boxes.

Now I’m using backchaining to teach him to come to me from a distance to put his nose into a cardboard box. Backchaining means I begin by standing very close to him so it is easy for him to put his nose into the box. Then I gradually move further away from him so he has to take several steps to get to the box.

Right now this is a cardboard box. Later it could be a halter I hold out to him. Think about how you can use this lesson to help a horse who is anxious about being haltered. You’re using objects that don’t have the previous associations that a halter has for that horse to teach him the basic skills that will help him to be comfortable with halters.

The cardboard box will be swapped out for other objects such as pool noodles held in a loop until eventually the horse is ready for halters. You’ll now have a horse who sees you holding a halter in your hand. Instead of turning away, he will come from a distance to put his nose into the halter.

You’ve been framed!”

Modern Horse Training leads to creative solutions and lots of fun games!

Robin is putting his whole head and neck into this cardboard frame.

Think about all the ways this simple game can be transformed into useful skills. It’s a great prep for putting a blanket over your horse’s head. Is your horse worried about a halter or bridle going up over his ears? Games like this are a great prep. Maybe you’d like to ride in a neck ring. Again this is great prep.

Games like this are fun for both the horse and the handler. And they smooth the way for many other handling requests we make of our horses.

Want to learn more? My new book, Modern Horse Training, is available through my web site: theclickercenter.com and from Amazon and other booksellers.

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Modern Horse Training: My Horse Really Likes Me

Earlier in the year it was vaccination day for all the horses. We did the big horses first, then I drove over to Ann’s house to hold Panda for the vet. I was first to arrive. Panda greeted me with a small hello. Her response to the vet was to pretend she wasn’t there.

We had arrived a few minutes before Ann was expecting us. We went ahead and Panda her shots. All was well. We left Panda in her stall and stepped outside her little barn. And that’s when Ann came out of her house onto her back deck.

Panda erupted in song. “You’re here! My person is coming!” She whinnied her greeting.

Ann wanted to pause and talk to us, but that kind of enthusiastic greeting was not to be ignored! She went first to say hello to Panda, and then she could ask her questions.

Our clicker trained horses show us in so many ways that they like us. In this photo Panda is “helping” Ann during a scrabble game. Guide work isn’t all work. It includes a lot of social, play time that Panda clearly enjoys. It’s no wonder they have a great relationship!

Modern Horse Training Is About Sharing With Friends

Modern Horse Training isn’t something you want to keep to yourself. It’s too much fun. Laughter and love are meant to be shared, and so is good training.

I love working with other clicker trainers and I am always honored when they let me have a play with their horses. This is Graya, one of Michaela Hempen’s horses (clickertrainingferde.com). We were having a rope handling discussion in which Graya was very much an active participant.

Good training needs to be shared!

You can help me share it by sharing these posts with your friends.

These posts are from my instagram posts. You can find me at: alexandra.kurland.5

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Modern Horse Training: My horse is so SMART!!!!”

I always love seeing the posts that begin with this enthusiastic discovery. Someone has given clicker training a try and discovered how smart their horse really is.

I’ve heard the opposite said all too many times. “Horses are such stupid animals.” This is often followed by: “That’s why you need to use force to train them. But don’t worry. They don’t feel pain the way we do.” Go to any tack store in the country and you will see evidence of this very old-fashioned way in which people view horses.

One of the reasons I wanted to train Panda was to help people see horses in a different light. I’ve heard people talk about guide dogs in such glowing terms. “Isn’t that wonderful! That dog is so smart.”

When we started with Panda, many horse people believed a horse could never be trained to guide. They simply weren’t smart enough. And yet here Panda is, twenty years on, still guiding! Horses are indeed so very smart!

Modern Horse Training: My Horse Is So Brave!

Panda is guiding her blind owner through a construction zone. This was their daily walk home from work. Every day there was a different puzzle to figure out. One day there would be a sidewalk that ended in construction fencing. The next day the entire sidewalk would be gone and Panda would have to find a path forward through the construction zone. She was always unflappable.

Panda’s good decisions were reinforced by her handler. Together they developed into a confident team. Twenty years on and they are still a great team. Modern Horse Training is for the long haul.

If you want to see a short video clip of Panda guiding, visit my instagram posts at #Alexandra.Kurland.5

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Modern Horse Training Builds Great Relationships.

This is Panda, the mini I trained to be a guide for her blind owner.

Ann is a fiendishly good scrabble player. While she was teaching me the basics of the game, Panda had my back. She provided lots of physical and moral support. And yes – she is housebroken, just like a dog.

One of the great things about training is it creates more freedom for the individual. A horse who is easy to handle gets to go more places. It’s a lot more fun to go on a trail ride with a horse who enjoys the adventure rather than one who just wants to go home.

You might not want to bring your horse into your house. For Panda it is part of her job. And because she is house broken, time inside means more social time with her human “herd”.

This is one of my favorite photos of Panda, the mini I trained to be a guide for her blind handler. I have many more “dramatic” images showing Panda successfully negotiating challenging environments. In fact on this walk they have just gone through a construction zone in which all the sidewalks were torn up and Panda had to find a safe way past bulldozers and other construction equipment. I may share some of those images, but this is my favorite because it shows such harmony between Panda and Ann. There’s no tension in either of them. Panda guides without pulling so there’s no strain on either her body or Ann’s.

Balance and the clear communication this photo represents is a central pillar of Modern Horse Training.

June marks the 20th Anniversary of Panda going into full work as her guide. Panda still loves her job. Think about that. How many people can say that after twenty years they still love going to work. Panda can!

To learn more visit my web site: theclickercenter.com

Instagram: alexandra.kurland.5
Podcast: equiosity.com

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Modern Horse Training Connects Ground Work to Riding

One of my favorite expressions is: “Ground work is riding where you get to stand up and riding is ground work where you get to sit down.”

Everything is connected. The beautiful balance that Robin shows as he trots beside me at liberty is the same balance that I want to ride. The cues that I use on the ground carry over and become cues he understands when I ride.

The use of the lead as a communication tool works in the same way as the reins. When I teach Robin how to respond to tactile cues beginning on the ground, that understanding carries over to riding. Leads and reins work in the same way. Body language cues taught first on the ground carry over into riding.

This means the training is wonderfully efficient. I don’t have to teach one set of cues and behaviors for ground work and an entirely new set for riding. The components that I use to work with Robin at liberty are the same components that I’ll use for work in-hand and for riding. Modern Horse Training makes a deliberate, thoughtful connection between everything you teach. Lessons are not separate and random. The more your horse knows, the faster he will learn because many of the components you’ll need for a new lesson will already be in place.

Modern Horse Training Focuses on Balance

This has long been a favorite photo. I am asking Robin to lift his knee into my waiting hand. I love the quiet elegance that is expressed in this gesture. Note the solid support we see in his left front as he lifts his right leg.

I could easily turn this into foot cleaning, or I could expand the gesture so he extends his leg forward in preparation for Spanish Walk.

Or I could use it, as I am here, as a gymnastic exercise that prepares Robin for the day’s ride.

Once again we see the foundation lessons in action. Robin is standing on a mat. The mat provides a context for the leg lifts and helps to keep them from becoming a nuisance behavior. His beautiful balance has evolved out of the foundation lessons.

Modern Horse Training reminds us that everything is connected.

To learn more visit my web site: theclickercenter.com
Instagram: alexandra.kurland.5
Podcast: equiosity.com

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Modern Horse Training Builds Great Relationships

I love giving clinics. I love sharing clicker training with others, and I am always honored when someone lets me have a play with their horse. Over time I have come to know many of the clinic horses well, and I consider them to be part of my extended equine family. I always get a chuckle when a horse I haven’t seen for months gets excited when I turn up at the barn. “You’re here! We’re going to play!”

I love this photo because this horse began by actively warning me to stay out of his space. His body was covered with “No Trespassing” signs. Teaching him to give hugs changed all that.

The hug begins as simple body part targeting. The horse learns to bring his nose to your hand. With your palm over his nostril you can feel the horse breathing in, breathing out. Click as he exhales and pretty soon you are clicking as the horse relaxes and melts into your waiting hand.

Adding in your second hand gives him two target points to orient around. This can become an exercise in body awareness and balance. Or you can turn it into a social hug.

It’s hard to tell who enjoys the hug more – horse or human. I suspect the best answer is we both do.

This is very much a case of we both enjoy a good bear hug.


Modern Horse Training is wonderfully sneaky. Simple behaviors such as basic targeting transform into so much more.

This image shows the beginning steps of teaching the Awareness Hug.

This is one of my favorite before and after comparisons. The changes in the way this horse is holding himself occurred after three sessions held over a day and a half. The Awareness Hug very much contributed to the changes you’re seeing.

“Before” he’s in a higgledy-piggledy stance with his balance pitching forward. He looks stuck. Under saddle you could imagine it might be a chore to get him to go forward with enthusiasm.

“After” he’s lifting up. He’s standing much more over the support columns of his legs. He looks so much more athletic, as though it would be easy to go forward.

The Awareness Hug is taught in detail through my on-line clinics. I’m tempted to say it is part of Clinic #6: Connecting the Dots since I have a unit that is specifically on The Hug in that clinic. But everything is connected to everything else. To truly understand the details that helped change this horse’s balance you need to connect the dots through all the clinics.

To learn more about my on-line clinics visit my web site: theclickercenter.com