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Clicker Myths and Realities
There are all sorts of interesting myths and half-truths told
about Clicker Training and especially using food treats for training.
Here's a few debunked.
Using Food Treats Makes Your Horse Bite\Nip
 This is possibly the number one myth that people who have
never used, seen or often even read about Clicker Training like to spout. The
food - nipping relationship seems to be one that is deeply embedded in horsey
folk lore. Strangely, it doesn't seem to occur to people that some horses
and ponies that have never been fed treats also nip and many that have been fed
treats without any particular training method never nip.
Using food as a reinforcer does not encourage nipping.
The very first lesson that any horse or pony must learn is that food mugging and
bad behaviour DO NOT earn rewards. This lesson is repeated throughout the
process and the horse quickly accepts that the clicker is the gatekeeper to all
goodies.
I want my horse to work for me, not food
Well, strictly speaking your horse isn't working for you now.
He is working to avoid the aversives you are using to train. You horse is
learning to do the least amount of work possible to avoid a leg aid, tap of the
whip etc.
With positive reinforcement you can turn this 'least possible'
effort into 'how much do you want?'
Horses only understand
Negative Reinforcement
Simply not true. Nor is it true that they prefer negative
reinforcement. Horses respond to all types of consequences to modify
behaviour when they interact amongst themselves.
Clicker Trainers use no punishment - or
Clicker Trainers are 'airey-fairey'
Not true. Clicker trainers do in fact use negative
punishment. However the issue here is that clicker trainers understand
what punishment is, its potential side-effects and why punishment is so
ineffective that it should be used only very sparingly.
Clicker Training is not about 'being nicey-nicey' to the horse
(although it is a very pleasant and wonderful training method) it is about
understanding the science and psychology involved in behavioural modification
and using it to extract the best training effects.
Its a fad
Its not a fad, it is science. The same science as
currently controls the effective use of negative reinforcement. Clicker Training itself
has been studied and used for over 50 years. It's simply about time that horse
trainers started using all of the sensible training methods at their disposal.
“Clicker trained
animals will work only when food or the clicker is present.” or
“You have to use the clicker and food treats forever\everywhere.”
Like any training method - training is NOT competition.
You aren't allowed to have your coach, or running reins or lunging gear in a
competition either but the things you train are carried into the
competition ring - clicker is the same.
Use of the clicker itself is phased out as the animal's
training is completed in each behaviour. The manner in which it is phased
out means that the behaviours are deeply embedded in the animal even when the
food rewards cease.
Clicker Training is
easy\too hard to learn
Clicker, like other training methods, does require some study.
It is not simply a case of picking up a noisemaker and randomly clicking nor is
it so difficult that the average person can't understand the science behind it.
You can't use Positive
Reinforcement on its own
Actually you can. All marine mammals are trained purely using
positive reinforcement, as are many other animals. The originators of
clicker training, the Bailey-Brelands used it on hundreds of species to great
effect.
However, Clicker is also ideal to use in
addition to your current training method - whether traditional or Natural
Horsemanship. Positive Reinforcement and Negative Reinforcement techniques
can easily go hand-in-hand and the use of both can rapidly increase your horse's
learning.
Do
you have a question about Clicker Training?
Visit our discussion forums to ask about clicker training or
equine behaviour...
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