Training Body Targets with R+: Part 2

 

Let’s talk timing for a moment -

  • Do I click when she touches my hand?

  • or do I click for the step?

The answer is BOTH because it really depends on what you’re trying to achieve.

This, my friends, is the beauty and the art side of R+ training.

In the beginning I consistently click for touching my hand with my hand close. That’s the “body target.”

When I start moving my hand away and asking for a step into me I might still click for touching my hand, or I might swap to click for step:

  • if the horse is hesitant

  • if the horse seems confused

  • if the horse leans weirdly far without taking a step

My job is to make sure my horse finds the right answer, and sometimes clicking for the step instead of the touch for a few reps helps them find that right answer.

Long term I do both depending on what the goal isfor the exercise.

With Locket here I have two goals:

  1. know that you should stop moving once you make contact with my hand (she can be a bit of a bulldozer)

  2. learn the body awareness to know how far that means you need to go before you run into me (girlfriend has ECVM, which explains the bulldozing)

So in this exercise I’m mostly waiting for her to touch my hand.

In another context I might have other goals:

  • take a lateral step and keep walking

  • do a forequarter or hindquarter yield

  • turn towards me as I add a rein cue

  • hold shoulders-in down the rail

That might be better served with a click for stepping without touching my hand.

Y’ALL - This is the type of nuanced stuff that gets me SO EXCITED!

Clicker training is so much more than party tricks and fixing “problem behaviors” -

It’s some of the clearest and most detailed and nuanced communication you can build with someone who doesn’t speak English

I can even help Locket change her default motor pattern from dropping the inside shoulder and stepping with outside front first into lifting through her thoracic sling and stepping with her inside front first through the magic of R+ (that’s next on our list)

watch here:

Using body targets for a lateral step

Does this kind of nerding out get you excited?

Make sure you’ve joined my FREE intro to R+ class if you’re new to clicker training.

If you’re ready to dive deep - join my 1:1 coaching program all about using R+ to develop healthy movement launching in December 2024 (earlybird pricing until Oct 1 or until we fill up!)

 
Rehab, Clicker Training, biomechanicsBarbara ParksComment