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Before you can start using marker training to teach a horse, you will first need to load the clicker (sometimes called charging the clicker). Otherwise, the marker becomes noise and does not convey anything meaningful to our animal. Before we can start using marker training, we need to teach our horses what the sound means. The process called "loading the clicker" is how we create an association between the marker and the reward that follows. Before starting the process of loading the clicker, it can be helpful to understand what exactly is going on inside the mind of our horse.
How Does Marker Training Work?
Marker training works because the sound is paired with a reward shortly afterward. It allows us to tell our horse exactly what behavior is earning them the treat, thus helping them develop new behavior quicker and with minimal stress. However, our horses do not come equipped. understanding that the marker means they did the right thing, we have to teach them that.
For the horse to understand the marker, there has to be an association created between the sound and a positive reward coming after. To create that association trainers must use Pavlovian classical conditioning. In classical conditioning, two stimuli are paired together to create a response. After multiple interactions of the pairing, an association is created where just the first stimuli is needed to elicit the response from the subject.
In this case, the response that is being elected is the happy feeling the horse gets when enjoying their reward. The first stimulus is the marker and the second stimulus is the reward After repeatedly offering the two stimuli in short succession (loading the marker), the marker alone elicits the happy feeling from the horse, telling them they did something good.
Loading the Clicker
Loading the clicker is a relatively simple and easy process but it has to be done right to create the proper association.
Before you can start loading the clicker, you will need:
Your chosen marker sound
A bucket of small treats
A quiet place to work
Once you have everything you need, you can get started.
Step 1: Put your horse in a quiet place to work with minimal distractions. They should still be able to move around freely so a stall or small round pen works best. If you do not have anywhere quiet to turn your horse loo they can remain on a lead rope somewhere quiet.
Step 2: Give your marker sound and immediately follow it with a treat.
Step 3: Be sure your horse isn't begging while giving the marker. It's best to give a marker when they have their head held out straight but don't be too picky just yet.
Step 4: Continue giving the marker immediately followed by a treat for a few minutes at random intervals. Aim for about 20 repetitions over a 3 or 4-minute session.
Step 5: Don't overdo each session. After about 3 or 4 minutes, turn your horse back out. You can come back for another session after 2 or 3 hours.
Most horses only need a few sessions to make the association, so after a day or two you can start marking behaviors. However, it is always a good practice to use the first few minutes of each training session to re-load the clicker to keep the association strong.
