> We've certainly talked about > the downsides of "traditional" type Icelandic training. It's only fair to > talk about the potential pitfalls of c/t too. >
As a clicker trainer, I believe in focusing on what I want, not on what I don't want. I don't find it productive to focus on the negative. I'd like to talk about the benefits of clicker training, and other training methods. The horse training community tends to be a very insulated group. They, for the most part, do not interact with or learn from the larger animal training community. There is a lot of cutting edge training going on out there in the general animal training community, which includes clicker training and other positive reinforcement methods. I'd like to give a big thank you to Linda Tellington Jones and Robyn Hood, who have been on the cutting edge of training for many years with their Tteamwork and other alternative methods of interacting with animals, and have paved the way for the rest of us. I attended a workshop a year and a half ago with Linda Kohanov, author of The Tao of Equus and Riding Between the Worlds. She's a pioneer in the field of equine assisted pschychotherapy and equine assisted learning. She's also exploring new ways of training that keep formost in mind the integrity and spirit of the horse. How many of us barge into our horses' space without asking permission? And we wonder why our horses are pushy or disrespectful! Respect is a two way street, and in my experience, you have to respect the horse first, before you can earn respect in return. We learned to use our bodies as sensory devices, to feel the energy bubble that surrounds the horse and ask permission before approaching. I discovered a new level of lightness that I didn't know existed before. It was awesome!!! How many of us really truly appreciate the phenomenal teachers we have in our backyards? We are all at different places in our journeys. It is a process that never ends. I love the Maya Angelou quote which goes something like: "when I was young I did the best that I knew how. When I knew better, I did better". That is the challenge that we all have. Mary
