Training Session Steps

A good clicker training session will flow smoothly. We'll start by setting the scene to make the horse comfortable and the goal behavior easy for them to find. Then we'll use whatever shaping method we'd like, target, shaping, capturing, or whatever other approach we choose, to get the horse approaching the behavior we're working on. We'll bridge and reinforce for each step towards the goal behavior. Then loop back to our shaping method. Each loop we'll gradually increase criteria and bridge and reinforce. We'll do this several times as we gradually reach our goal for the session, then we'll end the session with a jackpot to mark the end of the session.

These loops should be smooth and flowing and steadily improving. If you're having trouble take a break and reconsider your set up, your shaping approach, your timing of your bridge, your reinforcer value or delivery approach, and how you can better arrange these to help the horse find the goal.