Improve Your Training
Every time we interact with our equines, they are learning from us. This is because all animals learn from consequences in their environment. Whether you utilize food as a tool or use a lunge whip, clearing up your signals to the horse (the environment) and providing consistent and predictable outcomes (the consequence) can drastically improve your equine’s feelings about training and their willingness to perform. And, changing how our equines feel about training can improve their overall outlook about their environment, creating more engaged and content partners even outside of formal training sessions.
VOICEOVER Feedback
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Submit 10 minutes of video
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Up to 30 min of voiceover feedback
Frequently Asked Questions
I have a trainer, will A Training Improvement lesson interfere?
Ideally, a lesson designed to improve your training skillset will improve your success with exercises set forth by your trainer or mentor. Trainers have specialized, discipline-specific experience dedicated to certain behaviors and biomechanics. Improving your knowledge of how equines learn is meant to complement your equine’s current training. However, you should always speak with your trainer prior to booking a session. Your trainer is welcome to contact me and I’d be glad to answer any questions or discuss any concerns with them.
Does my DisCipline Matter?
You can improve your training regardless of whether you ride dressage, run barrels, or don’t ride at all! Much of the training we unknowingly do with equines is related to daily handling.
Do I need a Consult First?
If your equine is not showing problematic behaviors, you do not need a consultation prior to signing up to improve your training. If there are behaviors that concern you, I strongly encourage you to address these first with a consultation. All facets of an equine’s life can affect its behavior even in seemingly unrelated ways.
Do I need to be experienced to get feedback?
Nope! You can be a beginner or have several years of training under your belt in a professional setting and still benefit. Horse owners and trainers who have extensive background in the application of behavior science are unlikely to learn anything new but may find sessions useful to brainstorm and have an additional pair of eyes to streamline loops and chains.
Do I need to Use fooD?
No. The majority of equines are not trained with food, but they still learn from the consequences of what happens around them. Learning the most effective way to signal (i.e. “cue”) your horse and how to provide clear consequences is beneficial for any horse training method. I do use food, almost exclusively, with my own personal horses because recent science indicates it is more effective. It is considered the most ethical training by professional animal behavior organizations (e.g. IAABC), and I have personally found it creates much more confident and willing equines. However, I didn’t start here and primarily used pressure/release methods until about 7 years ago. If you’re interested in learning about food and giving it a try, I provide in-person support designed to get you started with using food as a training tool.
WILL USING FOOD CAUSE AGGRESSION?
If approached cleanly and with care, food is a powerful equine motivator that can be safely used even by children. However, there are several factors which can lead to a horse becoming aggressive around food or while using food to train. One of the biggest of these is an equine not knowing what it can do to receive food, or a mismatch between what you and your equine believe results in food. I can help you understand the major causes of an equine’s increased conflict around food and how to avoid those situations.