Brigid's Equine Care and Training

Bringing out the best in you and your equine partner through clicker training and natural horsemanship. 

Have you purchased or adopted a horse, mule, or donkey who is more than you can handle? Are you getting back into horses and finding it a lot more difficult than you remembered? Do you have issues with your horse such as pushiness or fear? Are you unable to trim your horse's feet or load him in a trailer? Proper application of natural horsemanship principles and clicker training can help you solve all of these problems and more. 

What is clicker training?

 Clicker training has its origins in marine mammal work. Dolphin trainers, frustrated by an animal who simply swam away when confused or disinterested, developed a method for “marking” desired behaviors. After teaching the dolphins that a whistle equals a treat, the trainers were able to give praise the moment a behavior was performed correctly. This new method had an amazing effect: not only did the animals learn faster and easier, they became self-motivated; they jumped higher, dived deeper, and even invented behaviors in an attempt to earn a reward.

How does it work? You simply teach your horse that the sound of the clicker, a small plastic object available at most pet stores, equals a treat. You ask him to do an easy behavior, such as touching a target, then you click and treat. Most horses understand the game in minutes. They become bright and eager, seeming to enjoy the challenge of doing the right thing as much as the food reward. When behaviors are well established, the click and treat are phased out and only used for teaching new behaviors or more complicated "chains" of behaviors.

See Brigid's series of articles in Natural Horse  and Mules and More to learn all about the practical applications of clicker training with horses and mules. 

How can clicker training help me?

Most problems with horses are caused by miscommunication. Clicker training combined with proper handling and body language helps bridge that gap and create understanding between horse and human. You will become more confident and clear, and your horse will become more eager and comfortable. When you become a better teacher, you horse will become a better student.

What can I learn at a clinic? 

Clinics can be held on numerous topics including: general introduction to clicker training, specific issues such as trailer loading or hoof handling, or starting under saddle with the clicker. Please visit my other pages for more info and feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or to set up a clinic or series of lessons at your barn.