DECEMBER 2018 THE RIDER /35 ^Between The Ears^ Target Training Criteria


to retrieve items, touch ob- jects, go out to a marker and so on. The benefits are many and the amount of time required is short. Short sessions with incrementally increasing criteria is what brings great results. We should begin by in-


creasing the criteria on the target itself. The present ex- pectation is as follows; • Horse is conditioned to the reward marker


(verbal By Ellie Ross


Target Training Criteria What do you do with a


horse that is spooky of that corner in the arena or that flag fluttering in the wind? What can you do with the horse that is on stall rest and lacks mental stimulation? How can you gain confi- dence in a fearful horse? One of the most effective ways I have found is to teach the horse target train-


ing. Once you have condi-


tioned your horse to the re- ward marker and have achieved success with touching the target, as ex- plained in the previous edi- tion, you are ready to venture on this journey with your horse. Target training is a


great tool that can lead to endless possibilities. You can use this to teach your horse object discrimination,


‘Yes’) • Horse has learned to wait for rewards and not demand them • Horse demonstrates a sound understanding to touch the target o Target is present o Horse targets it (Operant behavior) o Handler gives reward marker (Yes) o Behavior is reinforced with the treat (Treat never presented first) o Once consistent then you add the cue ‘Touch’ The criteria will now


increase to: • Touching of the target and increase the amount of time contact is made. This is only increased by one second to


start. If the horse will touch it for one second, you can move up to expecting two seconds. Do not prompt, shift your weight, talk (other than the cue touch which is not to be repeated), or play with the rewards. Be patient, still and look at the target. Wait…be sure you don’t miss the behavior! The most common mistake people make is to expect too much too soon. • When you are consistently getting the two second ex- tended touch on average 9/10 times, you are ready to increase your criteria again. Your horse will begin


to think about and demon- strate other behaviors. Sometimes they come up with things you will like but be sure to think that through. I personally would not re- ward a horse that was hoof- ing at the target. What horses learn first, they learn best so let’s focus on good manners and useful behav- iors to start. It should also be noted that consideration be given to behaviors that could be problematic. A horse nudging you for the reward or targeting your


pocket etc. is not cute by any means. It is not affec- tion and should not be re- warded. If your target is a yoga


ball, your horse may begin to roll the ball. I actually like that behaviour and would treat it as a separate behavior from just touch.


the If you want your


horse to roll the ball, then apply reward marker at the slightest roll of the ball. If your timing is correct, you will see that behavior get stronger. Once its consistent you will follow the steps for Operant conditioning; 1. Behavior occurs 2. Reward marker 3. Reward 4. Put on cue once consis- tent


The goal is that the


horse understands the verbal cue.


The verbal cue ‘touch’


is followed only by the touch of the object. Not rolling it. I would recom- mend you be quick with your reward mark the sec- ond the horse touches it as the horse is likely to do what it got rewarded for the last time, which was rolling.


The verbal cue ‘Roll’


would be followed by the horse rolling the ball. If you have requested a


behavior that you have put on cue, it is imperative that you only reward the behav- ior you requested, otherwise your verbal cue is meaning- less.


The rate of reinforce-


ment for using rewards is al- ways high in the learning phase. Once a behavior is learned and consistent, we reduce and eventually elim- inate the reward for the known behaviors. The re- ward marker becomes the reward. Treats etc. would be random but not required. The more educated your horse becomes, the less treats you need. You will eventually be able to chain behaviors together. I was hired once to


teach a horse to kick a very large inflated ball with its hind feet upon the ball rolling up behind the horse. It was for an animal act that was quite popular at the time. Any behavior that gets rewarded often gets stronger. That was certainly the case with this as the


horse began to kick harder and faster and it evolved into targeting the ball at… the audience. Just about knocked some people out! Be sure to only reward the criteria you have set or find acceptable. You can view a video


of a horse’s first target train- ing


session


www.vimeo.com/30354056 2


Author Bio: Ellie Ross is a professional animal trainer that specializes in behav- iour. She has 30 years expe- rience including being a wrangler in the film and tel- evision industry. Ellie resided in Los Angeles and was in charge of Interna- tional Large Animal Air Transport. Ellie was the Pet Expert for CTV, Reader’s Digest, Local, Satellite Radio and Rogers Televi- sion. Formerly an Even- ter/Dressage/ Endurance rider, she is now active in Extreme Cowboy, Western Dressage and Cowboy Mounted Shooting.


at


Jump Canada Hall of Fame Celebrates Successful 11th Edition


November 5, 2018 – Toronto, Ontario – Four new inductees were welcomed into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame at the 11th annual Induction Cere- mony and Gala, presented by BMO Financial Group, held Sunday evening, November 4, 2018, at the Liberty Grand in Toronto, ON. The following four in-


ductees were celebrated in front of family, friends, and peers as part of a black-tie gala:


Builder (Individual) – Lou Carpenter Hunter Horse – Big Secret Official – Robert Jolicoeur Team – 1970 World Champi- onship gold medal team


The Jump Canada Hall


of Fame Gala is an annual favourite highlighted by trib- ute videos commemorating each inductee’s contributions


to the hunter/jumper


Canadian industry.


Friends, coaches, teammates, and family members pre- sented the distinct Hall of Fame awards to this year’s in- ductees, making for a very special evening recalling great memories and accom- plishments in the sport. In- duction and acceptance speeches ran the gamut from factual


to humorous to


poignant. “We enjoyed a spectacu-


lar night of memories, story telling, and friendship,” said Mark Samuel, Chairman of the Jump Canada Hall of Fame committee. “Next year, I hope to encourage more next generation athletes, offi- cials, and volunteers to attend and connect with their proud legacy and be inspired to achieve their own greatness.” The Jump Canada Hall


of Fame was created in 2006


to recognize outstanding con- tributions to hunter/jumper sport. Including the class of 2018, 57 champions have now been welcomed into the Hall of Fame, including 21 horses and ponies, 29 hu- mans, six organizations, and five teams. With BMO Financial


Group’s generous commit- ment to continue supporting the Jump Canada Hall of Fame Gala, nominations are now being accepted for 2019 induction. For more informa- tion and to submit a nomina- tion, please contact Stefanie Krysiak at tel: 613 287-1515 ext.


101 or email


skrysiak@equestrian.ca. The Jump Canada Hall


of Fame committee is com- prised of Mark Samuel (Chairman), Jennifer Anstey, Evie Frisque, Muffie Guthrie, Bobbie Reber, Phil Rozon, Jennifer Ward, and Nancy


Wetmore. The Jump Canada Hall of Fame is a property of


the Jumping Committee of Equestrian Canada. The Jumping Committee is responsible for the develop- ment and monitoring of all aspects of the hunter jumper industry in Canada, from the grass roots to the international level. For more information regarding Canadian hunter and jumper programs, visit https://www.equestrian.ca/sport/jumping.


All Photos by Michelle C. Dunn


Above: Hunter Horse Big Secret was inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame. Rider and owner


Anne McLean accepts the award from former coach, Tom Gayford.


Right: Surrounded by her family, Lucille ‘Lou’ Car- penter (seated) was inducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame in the category of ‘Builder – Individ- ual’ by |ong-time friend Gayle McPherson (second from left).


Above: The 1970 World Championship gold medal team was inducted into the Jump


Canada Hall of Fame. From left to right, Michel Vaillancourt presented to team members Moffatt Dunlap, Jim Elder, and Tom Gayford. Absent is Jim Day.


Above Right: Robert Jolicoeur (centre) was in- ducted into the Jump Canada Hall of Fame in the


category of Official. Presenting are Pierre Jolicoeur (left) and Michel Vaillancourt.


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