Chewie and I are starting to work on foundational behaviors that will help Chewie for riding, horse agility, hiking, and lots of other activities that we might do in the future.
One behavior we have started working on is a “go forward” cue. I would like for Chewie to walk forward independently, even if I am not walking with her.
However, Chewie is similar to many horses who are trained with positive reinforcement and clicker training. She comes right up to me and follows me around. She is usually right next to me, eager to see what we are about to do next. She doesn’t want to leave my side!
I wanted to teach a “go forward” behavior in a way that would not be frustrating or confusing to her. As well, I didn’t want to use any force, fear, pressure, or pain to teach this behavior. Traditionally, people often teach horses to move forward by waving a whip or something else scary behind the horse.
So, I started thinking, “What behaviors does Chewie already know? And, how could I use these behaviors to teach her to walk forward?”
Chewie loves touching a target. She knows how to target objects with her nose. (And, she also knows how to target her forehead to my hand.)
I decided to take advantage of her targeting skills to teach this behavior.
What you will see in the video below is that I toss a yellow object in front of Chewie. Chewie already had lots of experience touching this object with her nose in exchange for treats (hay pellets) or for scratches.
When I toss the object, Chewie walks to it and touches it. Then, I follow behind her. She figured out this behavior almost immediately!
Currently, the cue for Chewie to walk forward is when I toss the object. Later, we will transfer this behavior to another cue, such as a hand signal.
We have been working on this behavior for about a week, and we’ve made a lot of progress, already.
In the video, you will see two repetitions from one of our first sessions. I’m throwing the object just a short distance. I don’t want to be greedy! If I threw the toy too far, she would be more likely to hesitate or to not go, at all.
In the second half of the video, you’ll see several repetitions from a more recent session. I am now throwing the object farther. Also, sometimes, I walk with her.
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