Over the summer, I had the pleasure of going to Shawna Karrasch’s “Laying Your Positive Foundation” clinic at Terra Nova Training Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This clinic teaches the basic fundamentals of positive reinforcement training (R+). This type of training is also called “clicker training,” because clickers are one of the tools most frequently used by equine positive reinforcement trainers. If you’re not familiar with positive reinforcement training, there is a brief introduction below!

Positive Reinforcement Training

Positive Reinforcement training is based on the science of animal learning and behavior. Rather than using pressure and release, which many of us currently utilize in our horses’ training and everyday life, positive reinforcement is based on teaching through the use of rewards, not the removal of pressure or addition of punishment.

We use a bridge signal (a click) to signify when our horse has done the correct thing. The click marks the exact moment in time when your horse got it right, and it is followed by a reward. Treats can be phased out once certain behaviors are learned, and you can move onto more complicated movements and behaviors.

***It does take a few sessions to teach your horse to associate the click with a reward, and from there, you can teach just about anything.***

*****If you’re worried about creating a “treat monster” or a horse with bad manners, don’t. If you start clicker training the RIGHT way, you’ll have good behavior around food and good manners all baked in! (My horses, the only two doing R+ at my barn, are also the most well behaved around treats!)*****

The Liberty / Obstacle Course arena.

Terra Nova Training Center in Santa Fe, NM

Okay, now that you’ve got a little intro to Positive Reinforcement training, I will tell you all about the clinic! First of all, the clinic was held at a GORGEOUS facility just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico called Terra Nova Training Center! Terra Nova means “new ground,” and that’s the perfect way to describe this place. Not only do they have an incredible facility with an HUGE indoor ring and observation loft! They also have an outdoor fully-fenced obstacle course, mini cross-country course and even a track-style (paddock paradise) turnout area.

Tools for Positive Reinforcement Horse Training

There are three basic tools you need for positive reinforcement training. First, you need a clicker. You can order these on Amazon or pick one up at just about any pet store (in the dog training section). Next, you need a target. Shawna has AWESOME telescoping targets, but you can also DIY one pretty easily. Mine is just a sponge on a stick! Finally, you need a treat bag, pouch or small bucket you can wear on your hip. Fanny packs are AWESOME if you have an old one lying around! This is my favorite one, and you can prime it on Amazon!

Clicker Training Tools

  • Clicker
  • Target
  • Treat bag
My target is a sponge on a stick!

Friday:

On Friday afternoon, we were treated to a delicious buffet meal and an incredibly informative lecture about the science behind positive reinforcement training. We were each given a notebook as well as some other handouts. Shawna has DECADES of experience in positive reinforcement training. All of the information was very clearly taught and questions were answered thoroughly and thoughtfully.

At the end of the lecture, even though I’d been doing R+ with my horses for the past 8+ months, I felt like I had a much more complete understanding of the science and fundamentals of how animals learn. From working with Olympians Beezie and John Madden to stories about training marine mammals, Shawna is not just an incredible teacher of material, she’s also a great storyteller.

Shawna demonstrating “Around-the-Roundpen.”

Saturday and Sunday

After Friday’s lecture, we were all ready to see positive reinforcement horse training in ACTION. First, Shawna brought out her horse Minty, who is an R+ STAR! We got to see his WIDE repertoire of movements and cute tricks. He can spin, smile, do the cha cha, and back up the length of the arena. Not only does he know a lot of cool tricks, he also has the most important behavior down pat: standing quietly beside his handler.

*Here’s a cool video of Shawna and Minty!

After getting to see Minty do all the cool stuff, we switched gears and saw demonstrations with horses during their VERY first sessions in positive reinforcement. Shawna also had horses to show us that were further along in their training, like her new OTTB Murray! Over Saturday and Sunday, we got to see a wide variety of horses in various disciplines and at various stages of positive reinforcement training. A few clinic participants even brought their own rescue horses, and we got to see how positive reinforcement training has helped to bring them out of their shells and show them how to trust people again.

Demonstrations were done in the large indoor arena, and also in the outdoor obstacle course area. Not only did we get to see incredible demonstrations, we got to do hands-on work with some of the horses. Positive reinforcement training requires you to hold a clicker, organize your treats and also have a target some times. It seems simple, but it can take a little while to get the hang of organizing all of this stuff, as well has having good timing for your bridge signals (clicks)! The ability to practice the hands-on stuff was awesome, and Shawna had wonderful horses, especially for those that had never done R+ before.

That’s my mom!

Willing Horses Engaged in Learning

The most incredibly thing about this clinic was that with the exception of taking horses in and out of arenas, everything was done at liberty, meaning no halters on. Horses were free to come and participate or leave if they wanted to. What makes this clinic stand out from every other clinic I’ve ever been to is that EVERY single horse was willing and engaged in the learning process, of their OWN choice. Without a halter and lead rope or whip, would your horse choose to participate in your training? From trailer loading to free jumping and even ground manners and leading, everything was done without halters, leadropes or whips. Horses truly love this type of training and are SO engaged in the learning process.

One of the big takeaways from this clinic was that there is “no wrong answer.” There is only information. If your horse presents a different behavior or movement than you thought you were asking for, it’s not wrong, it’s just information. This big “AH-HA” moment is what makes this type of training so fun for horse and handler. It eliminates the frustration of “bad behaviors” and horses doing the “wrong” thing and getting punished for it, or having to escalate pressure, because you didn’t get the outcome you were hoping for.

Horses are engaged in learning!

Anybody Can Learn to do This Type of Training Well

Am I the only one that reads certain horse trainers’ blogs and can’t make heads or tails of what they’re even trying to teach? How long have you been in your current program, and you’re still struggling to get your timing just right or your use of stick or whip correct? How long has it been since you made forward progress with your horse? How comfortable are you with an escalation of pressure to “get the job done?”

No matter what type of background you have, dressage, reining, show jumping, natural horsemanship, trail rider or just a backyard enthusiast, you can learn to do positive reinforcement training relatively swiftly and effectively. If you make mistakes, it’s NO BIG DEAL. Once you learn the fundamentals, you can teach just about anything. It doesn’t just apply to ground work and tricks, it can be used under saddle, and most importantly to teach your horse impulse control and emotional regulation.

Make a Long Weekend Out of It!

For the past decade or so, my mom and I have gotten together for horse adventures every other year or so! We rode cobs in Ireland, Arabian race horses in Colorado and have gone horse camping in Idaho! This past summer, we decided to meet in Santa Fe for the clinic as our semi-annual horse trip! We got there a few days early, and planned to stay a few days after the clinic too, and we even met up with a friend we hadn’t seen in more than 20 years! We browsed art galleries and museums, shopped for handmade jewelry, ate green chile on everything and had a great time exploring Santa Fe!

Art gallery patio in Santa, Fe.

Finally, a HUGE thank you to Shawna, Amanda, all the working students and people behind the scenes that made this clinic a great success!

If this review sounds like an Ode to Positive Reinforcement training or a love letter to Shawna Karrasch, well, I guess that make sense. Utilizing R+ in my day-to-day horse handling, training and riding has given my previously anxious horse a new way to look at the world as calm and confident and has rejuvenated the spirit of my senior horse. I don’t think horse training should have to be full of frustration, difficulty and escalating pressure. If your horse’s eyes aren’t bright and you’re not smiling and having fun, what’s the point?

Until next time, Happy Trails Trailblazers!

P.S. Here’s a link to Shawna’s book on Amazon! 

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