I have taught my whole working life, and during the journey my goal has been to learn how each person learns best. People differ, some are visual, some do well listening to lectures, some need to "try it" before they understand the lesson.
There are some wonderful teachers out there who have written lengthy volumes of work with great detail. If you like to learn by reading big books, I suggest you look for these instructors.
In my efforts to make Clicker Training Horses available to many people I have decided to write short, easily learned, 5 minute lessons that can guide a beginner. You will learn some very basic but IMPORTANT safety steps that need to be put in place when you use food to train a horse. Because of this, my starting lessons have text and pictures and a well thought-out step-by-step approach. I have also produced an accompanying DVD. Here you can see an example of the Clicker Tip on Handfeeding Safely to get a feel for the writing style.
Along with the written Clicker Tips PDF files I have branched out to offer Clicker Tips Instant Download Videos. In these short
5 to 7 minute videos, I present a single topic so the viewer can focus and not be flooded with information.
If you'd like to see this video style you can find my channel on YouTube, where I have many similar videos, both entertaining and educational.
TEACHING A RELIABLE RECALL
Big horses and miniature horses alike can learn to come back to you when they hear or see a special signal.
To train this, start in a small place and when you KNOW your horse is coming to you, throw a little party and give him lots of treats.
Build this over time and increase the distance he moves to get to you. I also like to teach this at dinner time (especially in the beginning) so you get some impulsion.
When you get to the point you like the speed and enthusiasm, then pick a sound that you will ONLY use for this recall. Don't use it for daily activities, you want to have this be fresh and always exciting.
USE this new sound when you can bet me $100. your horse is coming to you fast. You want him to associate the sound with the recall. Work on this for at least a month, then try to use it in an easy setting. Offer your whistle when your horse might be slightly distracted but still has a good chance of responding.
Keep working with this sound and always make it worth your horse's energy by giving lots of rewards, petting and enthusiasm.