Many traditional training methods rely on force and pressure. The animal has little choice and if the animal does not perform a command, the trainer asserts her leadership and shows the animal who’s the boss. Clicker training and other positive training methods try to give the horse a voice and a choice. I want my [...]
Going Backward with Cheyenne
Cheyenne is a young paint mare at our rescue who I have recently started riding. She had about three rides last fall and a handful more during my winter break. Just recently we’ve had two short, but great, rides working on backing up with a rider. Up to now, Cheyenne and I have worked on [...]
Letting Curiosity Work For You
These are some pictures from last summer that I just ran across. I know they are old, but I’m still posting them because I LOVE them! Most horses are naturally VERY curious. Especially if they are given the time and space to explore something new. Horses get scared when we force them to interact with [...]
Great New Year’s Clicker Training Coupon!
The Karen Pryor Clicker Store has some great coupons and deals for the New Year. Currently, they have two coupons listed on the home page of the store. You can get $5 off any purchase of $25 or more or you can get $10 off any purchase when you spend $50 or more. I love [...]
Luna Is An Awesome Pony!
I’ve known Luna for awhile now. She’s an adorable little fuzzy pony, almost entirely black, except for a small star (which is usually completely covered by her bushy forelock). She’s what people picture when they call the rescue, looking for a horse for their kids or grandkids. However, while she’s as cute as a button, [...]
How long does it take to train a horse? pt. 2
You might also like to read part 1, when I first discussed this topic. This is a question that I often hear people ask. How long does it take to train a horse? Or, how long should it take a horse to learn a certain skill? Or, how much should a colt know after 30 [...]
Are Riding Helmets Necessary? Pt. 2
Okay, one more soapbox post about helmets, then I promise that we’ll get back to talking about training. I posted at the end of July about my opinion of riding helmets. I shared an article, including this quote: “If you think you don’t need a helmet then you should look your son, daughter, spouse, or [...]
What’s the best way to train an animal?
Stale Cheerios will help you learn new knowledge and techniques to take your training skills to the next level. So stick around, your animals will be grateful!
I'm a graduate student studying the science of behavior and training. On this blog I share stories of my animal training adventures, as well as tips, techniques and tricks to help you improve your training. Although most of this blog centers around training rescue horses, the ideas discussed apply equally to all species. The other animals I work with, including dogs and rats, also appear occasionally on the blog.
Mary Hunter
cheeriotrainer@gmail.com
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