This post is the second part of my notes about a horse clicker training clinic that I audited with Alexandra Kurland in Texas in February. Click here for part one. On the first morning of the clinic, we had a lengthy and interesting discussion about cues. Alexandra Kurland had recently returned from Karen Pryor’s ClickerExpo, [...]
Clicker Training Clinic Notes: Balance
Two weeks ago I audited an awesome clicker training clinic with horse trainer Alexandra Kurland. If you are not familiar with Alexandra Kurland, I highly recommend checking out her website, The Clicker Center, as well as the books and DVDs that are available on her site. Alexandra has developed a comprehensive training program for using [...]
Ella finds a home and a new best friend
I am nearly done editing my notes from the clinic I audited with Alexandra Kurland two weeks ago. It’s taken awhile because there was lots of good information I wanted to include! I plan to publish the first post of notes tomorrow (Tuesday) and the second and third parts later in the week. So stay [...]
Wordless Wednesday: Blossom Goes Home
On (almost) Wordless Wednesdays, I feature a rescue animal in north Texas. This past weekend was a great weekend because we took Blossom to her new adoptive home! Blossom’s new mom is looking forward to lots of fun times with this sweet little mare. Some of you probably remember Blossom from past articles on the [...]
Conversations and Two Happy Ponies
I’m in Houston this weekend to audit a clinic with horse clicker trainer Alexandra Kurland. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to one of Alexandra’s clinics, so I’m excited. I’m sure it will be an action packed weekend with lots of good clicker training conversations and demonstrations. I’ll be sure to post my thoughts and [...]
Does your horse “have to?”
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 [...]
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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