Naturally Equine - your link to EQUINE BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE in Scotland

Behavioural Consultations

Behavioural consultations are tailor made to the client and horse. Please contact Amanda Martin to discuss your requirements.

email; enquiries@naturallyequine.co.uk or

telephone; 0777 196 5083

Clicker training Clinics

Clinics can be one or two days and will be developed to suit the level of clicker training experience of the group.

All clinics offered at this time are ground work clinics. However, training can be provided for the transfer of the ground work to under-saddle (including asking your horse to line up at the mounting block).

Beginner Clinics: The format of the beginner clinic is for beginner clicker trainers. No prior clicker experience is required by horse or handler as the principals of clicker training will be explained. The clinic will cover the 6 foundation lessons, as pioneered by Alexandra Kurland.

The foundation lessons help to introduce the horse and handler to the clicker and help to build manners, patience and emotional control in the horse. Clicker training creates enthusiastic horses and so it is important that we also know how to build manners around the enthusiasm. This also helps to create a wonderful bond between horse and handler.

Intermediate Clinics: The intermediate clinic assumes the horse and handler are familiar with clicker training. Some knowledge of the 6 foundation lessons as outlined in the Alexandra Kurland books is desirable but not essential. The intermediate clinic is intended to build on the beginner clinic and so attendance at a beginner clinic is preferable.

Depending on the experience of the group, we can begin to look at the exercises which lead to lateral flexions and introduction of your horse to the concept of finding his/her own balance, both emotional and physical.

We also look at some play activities, such a "touch the goblins, play soccer, blow a horn and much much more. Although this is play, it works to attune the horses mind to training and learning further developing emotional stability. It also helps the handler to understand how their horse learns best.

Also covered in this clinic is how pressure and release can be effectively combined with the clicker. How pressure and release feels to the horse and how we can use it more effectively to be information rather than force.

Problem Solving: Already a clicker trainer and encountering problems or just not sure where to go next ? Contact Amanda for individual advice on a number of ways on how to work through these problems (advice depends on your horses history and preference for learning).

Attending a Clinic: We all learn from our horses, and as a clicker training teacher, I learn from all of the handlers and horses that I work with. So even if you are an intermediate clicker trainer, if there is only a beginner clinic in your area, you will still learn and will advance your skills and knowledge. The foundation lessons have many layers to them and if your horse is already experienced with the foundation lessons, you can begin to add the "bells and whistles" and see what other benefits this brings.

If you are a beginner and there is only an intermediate clinic running, by all means attend. however, you would be required to do your homework before you arrive. Familiarise yourself with the basics of clicker training and the foundation lessons.

Bringing your Horse to a Clinic: beginner and intermediate refer to you and you horses understanding and experience with clicker training, not general training. Therefore, a horse who is new to clicker training would be a beginner horse (but may be advanced in other areas of training). A horse who is clicker savvy and is familiar with the foundation lessons would be better suited to an intermediate or advanced clinic.

If you choose to bring your horse to a clinic, we ask that you do your homework. Make sure the horse is familiar with being away from home and travelling. Allow plenty of time to get your horse to the clinic location and settled before the course begins. You will both have a more enjoyable experience and benefit so much more from the clinic if you and your horse are relaxed.

Your horse will be stabled for the clinics so if you normally keep your horse turned out and your horse is not familiar with being stabled, you will also need to prepare your horse for this. Overnight turnout can be arranged in some facilities, but do not count on that being the norm.

Some clinics are in busy facilities and so you should be prepared for this. If you are not comfortable with handling your horse in a busy place, you should also consider this before booking your horse on a clinic. Safety must come first for both you and your horse.

If you decide not bring a horse to the clinic, you wills till learn as much from observing others and participating in the discussions / non-horse exercises around the basic clicker principals.

BEHAVIOUR CONSULT & CLICKER CLINIC PRICES