JOY Full Horses
In 2014 I surprised myself by writing a book. This is by no means the first book I have written, so perhaps some of you will be surprised that I was surprised, but I had just finished the monster-sized project of writing and launching my new on-line course. I wasn’t expecting to take on another big project quite so soon on the heels of that endeavor.
Once the book was written, there remained the question of what to do with it. The normal answer is you publish it as a hold-in-your-hand actual book, but somehow that didn’t seem the right answer for this particular project. I sat with it for a year while I considered what I wanted to do. In the end I decided to share it here.
The first installment was published January 2, 2016. I suggest you begin with that post. You can use the calendar in the side menu to navigate through the book.
Because I know we all have a lot to read, I have broken the book up not into chapter-sized units, but into smaller chunks. To help you navigate through the book and to find sections you want to reference, I am including the Contents here. As each new blog is published, I will activate a link to the sections it covers.
Enjoy!
Alexandra Kurland
Joy Full Horses – Contents
Published Jan 2, 2016
Introduction: How the book came to be written
Published Jan 12, 2016
Published Jan. 14, 2016
PART ONE: WHY PLAY?
Chapter 1: Mammals Play
Airplane Reading
Why Do Animals Play?
Chapter 2 Animal Emotions
Is Your Training Fun?
Animal Wise
Outdated Belief Systems
Published Jan. 17, 2016
Affective Neuroscience
The Seven Affective Emotional Systems
The SEEKER System
A Courageous Mouse
The Cat Dilemma
Published Jan. 20, 2016
RAGE
FEAR
LUST, CARE, and PANIC
Published Jan. 24, 2016
Chapter 3: What Neuroscience Teaches Us About Play
The Archeological Dig Through The Brain
Clicker Training and the Seven Affective Systems
Chapter 4: Inside the Trainer’s Brain
The Neuroscience of Training
Published Jan. 27, 2016
Chapter 5: What is Play?
Defining Play
Published Jan. 31, 2016
Chapter 6: Being PLAY FULL
Play Full
Playing with Horses
Playing with Behavior
Playing with Play
Published Feb. 3, 2016
Chapter 7: Training Playfully Mixed with a Little Science
The ABC’s of Training
Reinforcement Variety
Antecedents
Published Feb. 7, 2016
Chapter 8: Cues and Their Connection to Play
What are Cues?
Explaining Cues to a Beginner – Your List
Explaining Cues to a Beginner – My List
Published Feb. 10, 2016
PART 2: PLAYING WITH CUES:
Ten Things You Should Know About Cues
Published Feb. 10, 2016
Number 1: Cues are not Commands
Chapter 1: Asking Versus Telling
Commands
Cues
Paradigm Shifts
Playing with Cues
Published Feb. 14, 2016
Number 2: Non Verbal Cues
Chapter 1: Shh. Don’t Talk. I’m Listening To Your Body
Clever Hans
Unintended Cues
Published Feb. 16, 2016
Chapter 2: Turning being PLAY FULL into a Habit
The Power of Habits
The Effect of Cues
Unexpected Habits
Emotional Habits
Traveling Outside Your Habits
Published Feb. 18, 2016
Microhabits
The Structure of Habits
Changing Habits
Bad Habits
Published Feb. 21, 2016
Forming Habits – Good or Bad
Focus
Cravings
Published Feb. 24, 2016
Changing Your Habits
Do You Believe?
The Power of Community
Published Feb. 26, 2016
Keystone Habits
Small Wins or Big Fights – You Choose
Brick Walls
Published Feb. 28, 2016
Dismantling The Brick Walls
Patience and Persistence
Published March 2, 2016
“They Don’t Feel Pain the Way We Do”
The Evolution of Belief
Balance – The Core of Everything
My “Salt Box”
Published March 5, 2016
Learned Helplessness
Standing Up For Our Horses
Force-Based Training
What Good Trainers Have In Common
Speaking Out For Our Horses
Published March 7, 2016
Chapter 3: TagTeaching – You Can’t Train My Child Like a Dog!
TagTeaching
Tag Points
WOOF Criteria
Published March 8, 2016
The Focus Funnel
The Focus Funnel Applied to Horse Training
Constructive Feedback
Published March 10, 2016
Tag Teaching and Keystone Habits
Journals
Forming The Record Keeping Habit
Forming a Journaling Community
KeyStone Habits for Life
Published March 27, 2016
Number 3: The Environment is a Cue
Chapter 1: Emotions and Environmental Triggers
Environmental Cues
Guide Horses
Published March 30, 2016
Goose Neck Trailers
A Trainer’s Play Ground
The Herd Horse Advantage
Published April 3, 2016
My Cue Trumps Your Cue
Intelligent Disobedience
Horses as Guides
Evidence in Support of Intelligent Disobedience
Trusting Intelligent Disobedience
Teaching Traffic Checks
Testing the Training – How Strong are your Habits?
Published April 6, 2016
Guide Work: Yes She Can!
But, But, You MUST Need to Correct Her
Published May 2, 2016
Chapter 2: Using Environmental Cues
Every Day Environmental Cues
Published May 6, 2016
Using Environmental Cues: A Multiple Mat Lesson
Published June 9, 2016
Chapter 3: The Time Has Come the Walrus Said to Talk of Many Things
The Time Has Come
Behaviors as Reinforcers
Turning Mats Into Tractor Beams
Feldenkrais Work
Asking Questions
The Translation to Horses
The “Black Box” of Emotions
The Lead Tells A Story
Published June 21, 2016
The Runway
Give Them What They Want
Stopping on Mats
Constructional Training
Published June 25, 2016
Mat Manners
101 Things
The Opposite of Flooding
Playing with Language
Published June 28, 2016
Transforming Horse Training Into Play
Using Props
Playing with Images
Creativity
Published July 24, 2016
Chapter 1: Dr. DooLittle Knew How To Listen
Everything You Need to Know About Cues
Cue Communication
Everyday Conversations
Animal Trainers – The Ones to Really Learn From!
A Well-Trained Human
Published July 26, 2016
Behaviors Become Cues
Mounting Blocks as Cue Communication
Trust Your Horse, Trust the Process
Published July 27, 2016
Capture the Saddle
The Why Would You Leave Me? Game
Expectations
Walking Off Casually and the Why Would You Leave Me? Game
Published Aug. 2, 2016
Constructional Training
Capture the Saddle – A Targeting Game
Published Aug. 3, 2016
Pre-Ride Safety Check List
“Grand Prix” Mounting Block Behavior
“Grand Prix” Behaviors
Published Aug. 6, 2016
Listen To Your Horse
Detective Work
“Just Tell Me How You Feel”
Saying “No”
The Horse As Teacher
The Conversation
Fixing the “Fixers”
Published Aug. 17, 2016
Chapter 1: Cues Evolve Out Of The Shaping Process
Review
Head Lowering
Keeping Things in Balance
There’s Always More Than One Way To Teach A Behavior
Published Aug. 18, 2016
Not A Forward-Moving Exercise
Moving the Hips
Backing in a Square
“Walking and Chewing Gum”
Dynamic Food Delivery
Mapping Out The Dance
Reading Your Dance Partner
Cues Evolve – Adding the Lead
Cues Evolve: How Light Can Light Be?
Who’s Not Showing Respect?
Published Aug. 19, 2016
Starter Button and Constant On Cues
The Horse’s Perspective
Soap Box Time
Backing with Starter Button Cues
A Change in the Game
More “Being the Horse”
Heating Up a Behavior
Published Aug. 20, 2016
Priming The Head Lowering Pump
Head Lowering from Backing in a Square
Calm Down NOW!
Heading Toward Lighter Than Light Cues
Playing with Cues
“How’d you do that?”
Published Aug. 20, 2016
Number 6: Getting What You Want When You Want It: Stimulus Control
Getting What You Want
More About Cues
Cues and Our Eager Clicker Horses
Stimulus Control Version 1.0
The Four Criteria of Stimulus Control
Speed Bump: Teaching with Extinction
Through “the Wardrobe”
Published Aug. 28, 2016
Number 7: Stimulus Control and Play
Chapter 1: Even Play Has Rules
Reminders
Balancing Cues
Building a Repertoire of Behaviors
Base Behaviors
An Equine Ostrich
Clicker “Drill Sergeants”
Laughing with our Horses
Playing Safe
Remember To Laugh
Published Aug. 31, 2016
Number 8: Cues Can Change and Be Changed
Chapter 1: Cues Evolve
Change Happens
What Comes Before What Comes Before
How Light is Too Light?
Wait
Published Sept. 1, 2016
Chapter 2: The Cue Transfer Process
Changing Cues
Basic Manners
Tap Root Behaviors
Published Sept. 2, 2016
Saying Please and Thank You
Good Manners are a Good Habit
The Grown-ups Really Are Talking
Great Service
Published Sept. 3, 2016
Consistency
Over-eager Students
Chapter 3: New Cue – Old Cue
Creating New Cues
Sleight of Hand Magic Tricks
Understanding Pressure
Play and the Transferred Cue
The Transfer Continues
Sleight of Hand Magic – The Trick Revealed
Published Sept. 8, 2016
Number 9: You Can’t Not Cue
Chapter 1: Using The Cues Your Horse Discovers
Collecting Gems
Clever Hans
Working WITH Your Own Clever Hans
Canine Teachers
Selecting from the Menu
Use Your Cues
Published Sept. 10, 2016
An Accident Waiting To Happen
All Work and No Play . . .
Published Sept. 11, 2016
Chapter 2: What is Clicker Training?
Labels
What Clicker Training Means To Me
Defining Clicker Training
Creating Stepping Stones
Published Sept. 12, 2016
Chapter 3: Are You A Clicker Trainer or a User of Clicker Training?
Are You a Clicker Trainer?
Why Clicker Train? The Science Foundation
Three Blind Men and the Elephant
Modern Animal Training
Published Sept. 13, 2016
Relationship
Using Clicker Training
Published Sept. 14, 2016
The Clicker Super Glue
Science
Relationship
Repertoire
Persistence
Published Sept. 15, 2016
Using Clicker Training
The Clicker Umbrella
Just Because You Can . . .
Published Sept. 16, 2016
More Questions
Levels of Analysis
Adding a Question Mark – Feldenkrais Work
Asking Not Telling
The Questions
Published Sept. 17, 2016
Chapter 4: What is the lesson? – Playing with Cues
The Teachers We Get Are The Teachers We Need
Stories
One Day At A Time
TTEAM
Innovations Come From the Outside In
Following Antennae
The Joy of Discovery
Ready To Teach
Change Makers
Change Our Beliefs, Change the World
Detective Work
Published Sept. 18, 2016
Chapter 5: Stepping Stones
More To Learn
Remembering Play
Getting “Yes” Answers
Training Choices
Building Clean Loops
Scritching
Sequence Matters
You Never Know What You’ve Taught. You Only Know What You’ve Presented
Using Your Head
Breath
Celebration!
Published Sept. 19, 2016
Moving On
What Could You Find? What Could You Release?
Posing the Questions
Adding the Click
Published Sept. 19, 2016
Tactile Communication
Cues Evolve
Cue Communication
Adding in Lateral Flexions
Do Not Enter Signs
Microrhythms
Published Oct. 9, 2016
Number 10: Playing with Chains
Chapter 1: Cues Evolve into Chains
The List of Ten
Creating Change Through Chains
The Story for Poco
Poco’s Learning Loop
Published Oct. 10, 2016
What We Say
The Meaning of Words
Negative Reinforcement
Published Oct. 11, 2016
Procedure versus The Emotional Effect
History Matters
The Emotional Spectrum
It’s Not Your Fault
Changing Expectations
Published Oct. 11, 2016
Hidden Motivators
What Triggers Change?
Published Oct. 11, 2016
The Fluid Nature of Language
How Words Are Used
The Power of Play
PART 3: GOING MICRO
Published Nov. 10, 2016
Chapter 1: The Many Forms of Micro
Why Micro
MicroShaping
Outcome Versus Reaction Pattern
Published Nov. 11, 2016
Base Behaviors
Tossing Treats
Precision
Dynamic Food Delivery
Precision and Play Go Together
Published Nov. 12, 2016
Published Nov. 16, 2016
Chapter 2: How Clicker Trainers Play
Five Go To Sea
“Riding” the Ocean
The Conference
Reaction Patterns
Extinction
Published Nov. 17, 2016
Chapter 2: Regression
Reverting to Past Behaviors
Extinction Reveals Your Horse’s Past
Well Behaved or Shut Down?
Published Nov. 18, 2016
Emitted and Permitted Behaviors
Data Collecting
Tuning Up the Handler’s Skills
Building Your Repertoire
Published Nov. 19, 2016
The Animal Emotions
The Emotions of Extinction
Extinctions Emotional Pattern
Grief
Published Dec. 1, 2016
Chapter 3: Understanding Extinction
Extinction and Shaping
Published Dec. 2, 2016
Regression and Resurgence
Extinction History
The Catalyst, Not the Cause
Published Dec. 3, 2016
Extinction Reveals the Past
The Equine Version
Published Dec. 4, 2016
Accidental Extinction
Mini versus Maxi Extinctions
Training Game Mishaps
Micro Extinctions
Published Dec. 5, 2016
The Measure of Success
Click For What You Already Have
Published Dec. 7, 2016
Cues and Extinction
Teaching “Chill”
Published Dec. 8, 2016
The Training Game
Genabacab
PORTL
Published Dec. 9, 2016
Mastering Extinction
Experiment One: Resurgence
Experiment Two: Regression
Mind Games
Published Dec. 10, 2016
Using resurgence – Insight
What is Creativity?
Persistence
Published Dec. 11, 2016
Degrees of Freedom
Expanding Repertoires
Published Dec. 12, 2016
Being Emotional Is Being Alive
Published Dec. 13, 2016
Mastering Micro: Building Unlikely Behaviors with Resurgence
Resurgence and Dog “Yoga”
Generalization and Creativity
Published Dec. 14, 2016
Puzzle Solving
The “Pose”
Seeing Familiar Landscapes with Fresh Eyes
Published Dec. 15, 2016
Our Creative Horses
The Creative Process
Mastering Micro
Micro Masters
Coming Soon
Doorways
I Can’t Do What You Want
Finding Joy
Epilogue: To Love A Horse
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