Advanced Equine Clicker Training: here's how
When I started horse riding and clicker training I wanted to become "advanced" right after I started. I was enthusiastic and wanted to learn more! "When will we do fun and advanced dressage"?
“You’re not ready for advanced stuff”, they said. Of they told me: “ Learn this first”. I felt I was 'kept small' in many ways.
Mastering a Skill
Now I understand (after 27 years of intens studying positive reinforcement and horse behaviour) that “advanced stuff”, the fancy things is nothing more than Mastering The Basics really, really well.
When I started to understand that, I was a bit disappointed: I was expecting fireworks and … I don’t know what else. Something… BIG. When I joined an “advanced class” and I got the basics… Disappointing…
Basics are Your Best Friend in Training
However, it’s just true! Mastering a Skill is Mastering the Basics. Every struggle, every roadblock is often solved by revising which of the basics you’ve skipped.
When I started to accept that, mainly because I developed a framework for clicker training horses and teaching horse owners, I started to embrace the idea. It wasn’t hard to train “very advanced” movements for dressage, as long as I was able to narrow it down into basics steps. That’s when it becomes easy for the horse, and easy for thee trainer (owner of the horse).
Now I love learning (more) basics when I’m learning a new skill. I consider it another building block in my tool box. And as the Dutch LEGO slogan*) goes: “You can make anything with LEGO” [Met LEGO kun je alles maken]
*) the English versions of their slogans are very different So don’t think it’s weird you never hear of this slogan if you didn’t grew up in The Netherlands. ;-))
Mastering the Basics
When people come to me for advanced clicker training, I make sure to make a connection between the basics they need, to accomplish their advanced, complex goal. When you know you are learning or practising the basics with the end goal in mind, the basics suddenly become way more interesting.
Super Powers
This is for everyone who (some days) feel disappointed that they are “not there yet”. Consistency and knowing what your goal is, are tow super powers!
Happy Horse training: You are the trainer!
Sandra
Train with Kindness