Bella and Jack had a very unusual joint day off today (I usually try to ride at least once every day, to keep my hips supple enough to cope with their widths) and had a whole day in the field, as it was overcast, so Fructan levels should have been low.
When I led Bella in she walked the whole way down in shoulder in! I don't mean just walking a bit fast and sideways - this was slow, balanced, correct, beautiful shoulder in, on the end of a leadrope hanging in a loop. She was looking at me out of the corner of her eye with her smug 'let's see you resist this then' look on her face.
Of course she was quite right and I couldn't resist, and had totally emptied my pockets by the time we got to the yard. The only trouble is I had her field mate in the other hand and had to treat him as well, after every click. I only had eyes for Bella, so goodness knows what I may have been reinforcing him for, but I may find out at a later date!!!
This is the story of my quest to train my three Dales Ponies for classical dressage, primarily by using Alexandra Kurland's clicker training methods, with a touch of others such as Philippe Karl and Anja Beran thrown in. I turned to clicker training because I had come up against some issues that I didn't know how to fix and because I wanted to inspire them to become enthusiatic partners. Bella and Jack are all my own work and have never been ridden by anyone else.
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DOj1UZ3obVY/SXr7YVvm24I/AAAAAAAAALo/QEcaPoHfUio/S668/image007.gif)
Bella, Grace and Jack
![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DOj1UZ3obVY/SYN7kNhmhUI/AAAAAAAAARE/1JUiafqosIo/S668/+lost+photo+2.jpg)
Bella aged 6
Bella aged 6
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DOj1UZ3obVY/SX4_Sn78PYI/AAAAAAAAANY/1cRI9ZRhZFs/S668/Bella+16.04.07+078.jpg)
Treat Delivery
Jack aged 7
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DOj1UZ3obVY/SYBKJ9u7-cI/AAAAAAAAAN4/F0l6I-7Ez0E/S668/17.02.jpg)
Jack
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2008
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November
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- ‘Riding with the Clicker’.‘The Click that Teaches ...
- Some pics of Jack on Saturday, showing that he can...
- Some pics of Jack's eye, to show what he has to co...
- I have become a bit obsessed with rein back. Bella...
- Single Rein Riding.This might seem a strange thing...
- Operant Conditioning, etc.I meant to write this bi...
- Well, at the risk of speaking too soon, I think th...
- I have started working on Bella's canter, just the...
- Withholding the Click.I thought that saying that B...
- Another explaination!I thought that my strategy of...
- Quick Jack update.I rode him in a big field yester...
- Building Duration.For the past fortnight I have be...
- It only took about 5 minutes to fix Bella's should...
- Pressure as a Training Shortcut.I've been thinking...
- Rode Jack in the school today for the video. It wa...
- I rode Jack in the windy school again today and it...
- Working Long and Low.I have been thinking some mor...
- I am so pleased with and for Jack. For the last fe...
- I did some liberty work with them both tonight, as...
- More Freeshaping.I continue to be astounded by how...
- Riding Jack in the school I have kept to on the bu...
- I'm having practise at coping with frustration aga...
- I said yesterday that I couldn't understand why sh...
- I'm having terrible problems with Jack!. He has go...
- For the last few days one of the things I've been ...
- I have watched 'The Art of Riding' tapes again and...
- 'The Art of Riding' series are by Baron Hans von B...
- My riding dialogue with Jack has changed again. Be...
- Volunteer versus Conscript.Before clicker training...
- Jack exceeded all my wildest dreams tonight. It's ...
- A friend sent me this link. It's very poor quality...
- Bella and Jack had a very unusual joint day off to...
- Finally caught OH walking past while I was riding ...
- Some new bales of haylage have appeared in the sch...
- I was a bit frustrated that more flappy plastic ba...
- Appy2quarter and I have written a lot in our blogs...
- I have found that the real difference comes from ...
- One last quote from Charles De Kunffy's 'The Ethic...
- Had another lightbulb moment, courtesy of Mr. De K...
- I did more work on encouraging Jack to over-ride h...
- Another last quote from Charles De Kunffy's 'The E...
- I wanted to copy my part of a conversation I had w...
- SINGLE REIN RIDING.For Shoveltrash and anyone else...
- In his book, 'The Ethics and Passions of Dressage'...
- I read somewhere an interview with Anton Du Beke, ...
- Bella and Jack are now so 100% committed to workin...
- Philippe Karl has also provided me with the last l...
- I have felt the need to put my stirrups down anoth...
- Bella 24th August 2008. I was playing around with ...
- I think that I must have been a saint in another l...
- PHILIPPE KARL and CANTER.Philippe Karl explains, o...
- I LOVE Travers!!! Bella and Jack love it too, but ...
- I said in an earlier post that I couldn’t teach Be...
- Here are some pics of Jack, taken yesterday, Septe...
- I have just bought another Charles De Kunffy book,...
- I know exactly what I need to do, but I never seem...
- I know that some people have trouble working out h...
- Philippe Karl's DVDs have been worth their weight ...
- I'm having trouble believing that Jack is the same...
- I would very proudly like to introduce my new Baro...
- I have been having a wonderful time hacking out my...
- Jack has never quite accepted the concept of lungi...
- QuoteFor me learning to wait for the horse to offe...
- I have had such a lovely weekend. Bella and Jack r...
- I haven’t asked Bella or Jack to canter under sadd...
- I have just started doing some in-hand work with G...
- Poor Jack has suffered a bit of a crisis in confid...
- Jack was SO good today. We had 3 short sessions in...
- Grace is a very fast learner. For the last couple ...
- For anyone interested Jill Shephard's sheepskin sa...
- I was a bit short of time over the weekend and dec...
- It was Jack who was hero of the day today! Since I...
- I am SO, SO, SO pleased with Grace!!!! I haven't c...
- I finally managed to get a couple of pics of Bella...
- I also have one pic of her canter transition. I wa...
- Just to show the reverse side of clicker training ...
- A couple of people were watching me ride Bella on ...
- I have been working on Grace’s trot. I have to con...
- I've got to put these pics from my headcollar adve...
- I mentioned the 'Statues' game that I play with my...
- sI have been struggling to carry the lateral work ...
- I once went to a Kyra Kyrklund lecture demonstrati...
- I've just GOT to put these two pics of Bella on he...
- A few days ago Alexandra Kurland posted a 12 page ...
- I had two real breakthroughs today. Although all t...
- When I think canter my body (core) arranges itself...
- I have had the maddest afternoon! I worked all thr...
- Hello Muriel. Thank you SO much for the comments! ...
- I really would love it if you would leave comments...
- On her ‘Three–Flip–Three: Lateral Flexions’ DVD Al...
- My imaginary reins failed me today! After I had fi...
- I'm reading Dominique Barbier's book 'Dressage For...
- Jack amazed me today. I haven't had much time for ...
- Just when I think that I've got used to the tremen...
- I'm really, really excited today! My new Click tha...
- Muriel asked another really good question (thank y...
- It was very cold and windy here today with a lot o...
- I have now watched most of one of the new 'The Cli...
- Maryka asked me to explain the mechanics of single...
- I am SO glad that I bought Alexandra Kurland's lat...
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November
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About Me
- Helen
- I am a clicker training addict and there is no cure - thank goodness!!!
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