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Before we start clicker training, we need a few things. We have to find ourselves a safe, enclosed space like a stall or round pen, and we need to gather our tools:

The clicker:

This is a fancy-dancy model, it was all my local pet store carried, but it still only set me back about $6. You can get more basic clickers for about $1 at PetSmart or PetCo. When you push that big orange button it goes CLICK.

Some snacks:

Because of Dino's various and sundry health problems, we're a bit limited in the snack department. These are Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, and are full of good fats, vitamins, and minerals, which he needs in his Problem Child Diet, so they make a great choice for training treats! I live right down the road from a store that sells bird seed, so I picked up a big bag. If your horse does not have serious metabolic issues, you can use anything that is easily fed in small amounts and won't make your pockets disgusting. Options include a portion of your horse's regular grain ration, small carrot pieces, commercial horse treats broken in small pieces, sugar cubes, peppermints, cereal, or anything else that motivates your pony to get the right answer.

A Target:

Some people use a small plastic cone, a bottle duct taped to a whip, or some kind of fancy foam contraption, but I'm using this mitten/ice scraper combo. I'm using it because:  a.) it was in my car, b.) it's easy to hold and doubles as a mitten, and c.) it's unusual enough for Dino to be curious about it and want to touch it with his nose.

If you want to get really into the whole clicker training thing and don't have to worry about trying to get a date anytime soon, you can also get a fanny pack for your treats. I used my pockets. Whatever works.

Our first clicker training lesson is "Touch The Mitten With Your Nose." The premise of it is that I present the target (mitten) close to Dino's face. When Dino gets curious and touches it with his nose, I click, and give him a treat. Wash, Rinse, Repeat. The goal here is to provide the pony with a very simple task (touch the mitten with your nose) so that he can connect that Doing The Thing means I Hear a Click, which means, I GET FOOD! Our fist attempt was only marginally successful, we were working in the round pen and Dino quickly became distracted by the dry dead grass in the middle of the pen. However, he did seem to start to understand the concept. Today I moved to an empty stall where Dino was less likely to be distracted, and the exercise started to click (har har) in his little fuzzy brain.

Training sessions are best kept short, only 5-10 minutes, so that the pony stays engaged and interested for the entire session, and doesn't get bored or frustrated. I worked on clicker training in two short sessions this morning, one before our ride and one after. About halfway through the first session I could really see Dino's gears spinning as he began to understand how the game is played. It was so exciting to see him light up as soon as he heard the click and come to me for a snack! By the end of the second short session, I was able to move the target a few feet away from him in different directions, and he would reach out or walk to it in order to touch it and get his treat. A few times he tried things other than touching the target to get the click, like nosing my jacket, arm, or hat. He KNEW I had snacks and he was going to get them! But the only time he heard the click, and got his snack, was when he touched the target.

So far, so good with the clicker training. I love how it lets the horse "take ownership" of their own learning. They become an active participant in the training, and it teaches them that they can make good things happen if they figure out the puzzle their trainer sets before them. My own gears are spinning thinking up things to teach Dino with this new method! There is a big purple yoga ball that I have plans for...

What would YOU like to see Dino learn?