The Carriage Barn Equestrian Center is pleased to offer a Clicker Training Clicker with Alexandra Kurland on May 15 & 16, 2004.

Clicker Training refers to a style of training which was originally developed by marine mammal trainers to work with dolphins. Clicker Training gets its name from the toy clickers many people use to signal a “yes” answer to their animal. To the animal, the “click” in Clicker Training means it has just done something that will earn it a reward. Clicker Training began with dolphin trainers and then spread to zoos. It gave the keepers a way to handle and medicate even aggressive animals without restraints or tranquilizers. Because it reduces the level of stress the animals experience in handling, it is playing a major role in the day to day care of many endangered species. In the early 1990s, Clicker Training spread into the dog community, where it rapidly took hold. And now from the dog trainers, horse owners are beginning to learn about Clicker Training.

Ms. Kurland is the author of “Clicker Training for Your Horse”, “The Click that Teaches: A Step-By-Step Guide in Pictures”, and “The Click that Teaches” video lesson series. She earned her degree from Cornell University, where she specialized in animal behavior. She has been teaching and training horses since the mid 1980s. A pioneer in humane training methods, Ms. Kurland began clicker training in the early 1990s. She very quickly recognized the power of clicker training for improving performance, for enhancing the relationship people have with their horses, and for just plain putting fun back into training. Today, through her books, videos, clinics, and many articles, she has become a leading voice in the development of clicker training in the horse community.

Clinics are an intensive two day course using lectures, videos, demonstrations, and hands-on training to teach the basic principles and techniques of clicker training. This introductory clinic will cover the material in Ms. Kurland’s book “Clicker Training for Your Horse”, including the origin of clicker training, shaping behavior with the clicker, how to introduce a horse to the clicker, targeting, basic ground manners, the roles of negative reinforcement in clicker training, adding the clicker to your existing training program, and problem solving with the clicker.

For more information please call 603-378-0140 or email.

This is an annual event. Click here for current registration information.