Traditional training is based on negative reinforcement (R-). Taking away an aversive to strengthen a behaviour.

R- has only 2 phases in the training process, while R+ has 5 (!) phases before a behaviour is trained solidly.

You expect to reach your goal after two steps in the process. Yet, the process has five steps. This causes frustration and disappointment.

2 Phases of Negative Reinforcement (R-) Horse Training

Click here to access my previous post, in which I explain this in detail.

5 Phases of Positive Reinforcement (R+) Horse Training

Some people claim that positive reinforcement (R+) training doesn't work for their horse.

Or, they don't want to 'keep giving treats'. Or are afraid their horse turns into a pushy, mugging, 'cookie monster'.

Here's what they don't know...

When Clicker Training Doesn't Work

People often get stuck in training. Heck, I get stuck from time to time. That's normal, for anyone, in any learning process.

Some animals are so traumatized that they are not ready yet for clicker training. They need to trust you first.

Do not Clicker Train Fearful or Agressive Horses

I didn't know that there was a protocol I could use for fearful or aggressive horses. I only learned that 5 years ago. I have been clicker training for 20!

There is always more to learn. That's my motto.

When "clicker training" doesn't work, it means that the trainer needs to adjust!

You're unknowingly skipping a step, or lack knowledge. Outside eyes, that are more experienced will help you see this.

The horse can be too traumatized to learn. Trust needs to be established first, before (positive reinforcement) training starts. A horse in fight- or flight mode is not in learning mode!

He's in survival!

Positive Reinforcement ALWAYS works

All living beings move away from aversives (R-) and want to go towards (R+) appetitives. it's how we survive!

Even plants move towards the sun, or away from the sun. Depending if they are shadowloving or sunloving plants.

When training doesn't work, the principle of R+ still works!

There are 5 phases in clicker training that every horse goes through, before the goal behaviour is on a solid, reliable cue.

5 Phases of Positive Reinforcement Training

The R+ training process is very different from R-.

R+ thas five phases, while R- only has two.

Most people stop in phase 2 of clicker training. No wonder they think 'it doesn't work'.

They are skipping 3 steps in a 5-step process!

Phase 1: The horse knows nothing!

He has no clue what the trainer wants.

The trainer guides the horse with clicks (the marker signal to mark the desired behaviour) and appetitives. An appetitive is something the horse wants, values and is willing to work for! Usually food.

I call it a treat, but it's just normal horse feed.

The goal behaviour is split into small steps. Small enough for the horse to understand that step. This process is called a Shaping Plan.

Every small step that leads towards the goal behaviour is marked with a click and reinforced with an appetitive.

Every click means "Yes!". Do more of that!

The horse learns quickly that offering behaviour leads to rewards he values! The Rate of Reinforcement (RoR) is high: lots of clicks and treats in this phase.

Sessions are short.

The goal of the session is to teach the horse one step. We're not aiming for the end goal, as we do in R-.

Phase 2: The horse understands how to get reinforced

The goal behaviour is now offered consistently.

The horse knows what to do, in order to get a treat. So far, this is exactly like in negative reinforcement training, where the horse starts to understand how to avoid an aversive stimulus.

This is also the pitfall that leads to frustration and dissappointment. This happens when clicker trainers expect to reach the goal behaviour in this phase. Just like in traditional training.

In phase 2 we pair the goal behaviour to a cue.

Most people stop advancing at this point. They keep clicking and giving food rewards (treats) for the goal behaviour. They start training a new, more exciting behaviour! They think they have accomplished their goal.

In phase 2 we must also slowly change the reinforcement schedule.

We need to change from a 100% reinforcement reinforcement schedule (click and treat for the slightest try) to an intermittant reinforcement schedule.

Not all attemtpts of the horse lead to clicks and treats anymore. Only some. Only the best preformances!

Intermittant reinforcement schedules prevent predictability and strengthen behaviours.

High predicatibily of the clicks and treats in this phase, weakens performance.

Getting Stuck in Phase 2

When you become very predicatble in training with your clicks and treats, the horse starts to make deliberate decisions.

'Do I want to do all this for that?" And, sometimes the answer is "No".

Performance goes down, instead of up. The trainer doesn't understand the Principles of Learning & Motivation.

Clicker training didn't work... People conclude -incorrectly- that they need to keep feeding treats to get the behaviour.

Postive reinforcement then morpfs into bribary. Bribary never leads to longlasting results!

Phase 3: Strengthening the Cue

The horse understands the cue and performs the goal behaviour well.

In phase 3 it's time to strenghten the cue. From now on, the horse only gets reinforced for performing the behaviour after your cue!

In this phase, spontaneously offered behaviour is not reinforced anymore!

And the horse will still try!

Getting Stuck in Phase 3

First pitfall is that we -trainers- have just trained ourselves to be generous with clicks. We learned to click for 'the slightest tries' and get a cooperative horse.

We trained ourselves not to be stingy with clicks.

Now, we have to become selective with our clicks and treats. It's time to withhold the click for sponaneously offered behaviours. 'Click and Treat' has become muscle memory and we need to undo that.

Become very conscoius and deliberate about what we click and reinforce. That takes skill!

Another reason to get stuck in this phase is the following. After we end our session, our horse suddenly offers a much higher quality of behaviour! Without a cue!

The witholding of the click (no more clicks without cues) triggered a slight extinction burst in the horse.

Now the trainer is in dillemma: should I click or not? I didn't cue the behaviour.

When the trainer clicks, the higher quality behaviour gets trained.

The fear is that the horse never will offer this again. This fear is ungrounded. We are still at in the learning phase of training a behaviour.

Because of this fear, the trainer clicks. The horse learns that sponaneously offered behaviour leads to what he wants: food.

The cue is weakened... 'The horse doesn't listen [to the cue].'

Conclusion of the inexperienced trainer: "Clicker training is hard, it takes so much longer. It doesn't work..."

Testing Your Cues

Is your horse a good Guesser or is he well-trained?

Here is a simple way to test if your voice cues are as solid as you think they are.

Phase 4

Tomorrow I will shed some light on the next crucial steps in clicker training your horse!

The advanced steps.

For now, test how many of the behaviours you've trained are on solid cues?