Whew! After months of planning and stressful anticipation it is now OVER!
:-( ...another few days would have been ideal!... When we first decided to
hold the clinic we *thought* we could get 20 attendees and if we did we'd
consider it a big success. Well the final count was ***43***! Wow!! Alex
was GREAT! Her knowledge, sense of fun, and creativity run deeeeeeeeeep!!
A BUNCH of people came uncertain about how clicker training fit into the
grand scheme of dressage and went away with a big aHA! Which is totally
wonderful. I think more than a few had life changing experiences. (VBG)
I hope that those on the list that came will write me privately to give me
feedback about what worked as well as what could have been better. For the
next time! We are already planning an advanced clickfest that will go even
DEEPER into developing dressage work. We only had time for an enticing
TASTE this weekend! Hopefully enough though to get folks thinking and
preparing for the next clinic. (G)
It was SO COOL to meet people from clickryder!! Mundi took a group photo
which will be posted soon. I am STILL astounded that some people thought
this event important enough to get on an AIRPLANE and fly in. I am
delighted that they came and most important that they thought it worth the
trip. Special thanks to Henry Prins, Elizabeth Frederichs, Kate
Fulkerson, and Jan Leitschuh for taking the risk.
AAAAAAAAND, Fran Teuscher from Switzerland!! (sorry Fran!)
Big thanks to NEDA as well for taking a risk too. When the clicker clinic
was first proposed there was some resistance but thankfully some inspired
souls helped to push it through. We had about 12 NEDA members attend which
may be the beginnings of something new and wonderful for dressage horses in
New England.
Oh!! Karen Pryor came by for a little while on Sunday afternoon. What a
treat! She's got some great ideas cooking for clicker trainers in 2000.
I got her to sign my copy of the new revised version of her book "Don't
Shoot the Dog."
Sharon
WOW! What a phenomenal clinic! Both Nikki (my daughter) and I had
the best time..meeting everyone and trying to absorb all that we could
in such a short weekend. There was so much great information , lots of
hands on experience and all under the inspiring direction of Alexandra
Kurland! I didn't get a chance to write until now because I had to get
to the barn and work on so many things...I had to control myself so as
not to confuse poor Cookie!!! She did great though and we accomplished
alot.
It was all so very cool to talk to everybody and get there ideas on
clicker training and to hear there own success stories as well as their
challenges. I think everyone was sad to see it end. A huge THANK YOU to
Sharon and Sarah and Laurie for all that they did..it was a great
success !! When's the next one, ladies??? This has been one of the
highlights of my riding/training learning experiences! Also a special
thank you to Sarah for working with Nikki and Jenna (our two youngest
clicker trainers) you really made it an AWESOME experience!!!!
Connie & Nikki & Cookie
Thank you so much for all the work you did to put on the clinic, and
thankyou Alex for the very informative and enlightening weekend. I
had the most fun I've ever had at a clinic or seminar of any kind. I
enjoyed seeing how my training compared, seeing what I was not doing
right, and also seeing what I was doing right. My colt is rambuctious
but really pretty well behaved most of the time and it was neat to
see other people handling the same playful misbehaviors the same way.
To focus on good behaviors, lighten up, and have fun.
I've been spending all my time since getting home arranging Eli's
trip home and he's finally in my back yard again, where he belongs.
He's so happy! Me too. I've been C/T all afternoon.
We are playing with the head down cue with the halter, which I never
understood before or taught properly and leading without forging, as
well as playing with all the neat things he does well like lifting
his feet, yielding lightly, standing for grooming and of course
fetching, his favorite.
I was moved to tears to see Gregor learn to enjoy life again. Bless
you Sarah for the skill and patience to take on such a project. Some
horses have such a hard time, to have a tool to begin to communicate
with them with understanding and empathy is wonderful beyond words.
I am now going to be confident in using C/T. No more unobtrusive
sneaky clicks. This is so awesome.
Keep clicking
Patti and Eli
I want to add my sincere thanks to Sharon, Sarah
and Laurie - and Alexandra - and all who attended
this past weekend's clinic. It was WONDERFUL.
The only disappointment, for me, was that it was too
short and there wasn't enough time to get acquianted
with everyone. We'll have to do it again - right gang?
It was good news to hear that another clinic is being
planned to pick up where this one left off.
I look forward to hearing more about shaping a
performance horse in the gentle, fun-for-the-horse
way that Alex started opening windows for us to see.
Head lowering is that sort of exercise. I didn't realize
how important it was - and for all the reasons Alex started
to give us. I learned that 2" off the ground isn't low
enough - the full "touch" is necessary to get all the
benefits of the exercise - including getting all the
joints from tail to poll to open and align. Alex seemed
to say that the relaxation this exercise gives positively
affects leg joints, too. So doing head lowering more
than once or twice during a riding session sounds
like a good idea for our horses, who try so hard to
please us, regardless weather they are chasing cows,
walking along a trail or performing a dressage test.
Gregor is the most beautifully moving horse I've ever
seen. It was a lovely experience to see him working
happily with Sarah at liberty. I saw in an instant what
"suspension" means. He took his movement cues from
Sarah - if she trotted, he did - if she she skipped, he cantered ---
(Sarah, I'd love to hear how you got the Spanish walk. Putting
forward movement together with leg lifts still eludes me.)
I was impressed at how much practice I can use in working on my
observation and timing skills. It's much easier to "play" with my
horse all alone than in a group! The training games we did were
very enlightening - it's a wonder these horses learn anything! I
have a deepened respect for my horse and how willing he is to
figure me out!
Try the Training Game:
One person is the "student"
- a training task is chosen by the trainer (or group)
- the student gets c/t when any progress is made toward
the task.
We were amazed at how simple the tasks needed to be - and
how good the c/t needs to be for the task to be learned without
major frustration.
Thank you again to Alexandra and the Encore Farm Team!
Pam & Jim
I want to add my kudos to everyone who had anything to do with
organizing the International Clickfest 2000 clinic with Alexandra
Kurland. Thanks to NEDA, Sharon, Laurie, Sarah, Encore Farm, and to
all those who brought horses for us to work with.
I have to say that for me this clinic was truly a life-changing
experience. For months and months I have been frustrated with what I
identified as a hole in my communication with my horse. Alexandra
opened my eyes to a whole new method of developing communication and
trust with my horse. I am forever grateful.
So, here's what's happened since I got home from the clinic. On
Monday I introduced Reveille (my horse) to the clicker by teaching
him targeting. At first it went a little slow because I give him
treats so much anyway that it took him a few minutes to figure out
the click meant a treat was coming. (My new rule is no treats without
a click.) Once he figured it out he would follow the target anywhere
and touch it. His ears started locking on to me listening for the
click. By the end of 20 minutes I had him knocking over the target
cone when I set it on the ground. After that I left him alone for
awhile since I really did need to to get some work done. HA.
Later I went back to the barn. When I brought the target out, he
immediately remembered the game and touched the target! He got his
click and his reward. Since he remembered that lesson so well, I
moved on to backing him in his stall. He picked that up real fast,
though I know I need to keep reinforcing it. So we moved on to
working on head-lowering. This took a little longer. I started with
just resting my hand on his poll. He looked at me like I was crazy.
:) But after a few minutes he lowered his head just slightly. I was
ready and clicked him immediately. After that it took about another
10 or 15 minutes to get him to drop his head all the way to the
ground and keep it there for a few seconds. Next I'll work on getting
that flexion that Alexandra demonstrated to us.
Then on Tuesday I taped a clicker to my dressage whip. You can guess
where this is going, right? :) I had a particular goal in mind. Rev
is almost always stiff on the left rein. So I wanted to teach him to
give to a light feel. I started out by doing it while we were
standing still. I picked up the reins so that there was slack in the
right one and a light pressure on the left. As soon as he gave on the
left (which took a few minutes) I clicked him and gave him a treat.
After another couple of gives, we did the same thing at the walk. The
interesting thing is that Rev really does get the connection between
the clicker and the reward. When I clicked him at the walk he
immediately stopped and waited for his treat! He even did it at the
trot! :)
All of this early and obvious success with the clicker has me elated
to think of how I am working to improve my partnership with my horse.
Indeed I now believe that it can be a partnership instead of an
adversarial relationship. This partnership, this rapport with my
"dance partner," is what I've always wanted with my horse.
I want to specially thank Sharon Foley who not only knew I needed to
attend this clinic and contacted me, but offered me her living room
floor for Saturday night so that I could attend both days. Sharon,
you are a true friend!
I look forward to reading Alexandra's new book, to continuing my
journey of learning how to really shape behavior with the clicker, to
hearing how everyone else is doing it, and sharing my experiences.
