Eli’s Story
By Patti Sanborn
When I heard that photos taken at a workshop my little Arab, Eli and I attended were going to be included in Alex’s next book, I was so excited. We really have come a long way. And the journey has been a wonderful adventure, some of which, I’d like to share.
Eli is not an easy, uncomplicated horse. He is highly opinionated, ultra sensitive and extremely intelligent. Not unlike a Border Collie. He has taught me so much. He strives for excellence.
I bought Eli after an accident took the life of my sweet, well mannered Arab, KC and I was having trouble filling the huge hole in my life. I thought a young horse would be therapeutic. (It changed my life.)
We bought Eli directly from his breeders, Curundu Arabians in Virginia. He hadn’t had much training at three so I opted to board him at a facility not far from my home where we could get to know each other with the support of professional trainers. Unfortunately, I didn’t take into account the distraction of the mares. He was not yet gelded, and with all the mares calling to him and coming into heat, he pretty nearly lost his mind. Certainly any training he had was forgotten. He couldn’t be lead without a chain and a whip and he would walk over you as soon as look at you. He had no bite inhibition and could strike with lightening speed.
I needed to get through to Eli in a hurry. I didn’t want to use a chain over his nose and a whip to protect myself. I wanted a friendship, a partner, and something in his eyes told me not to give up, that potential was there.
I few days after Eli’s tumultuous arrival I read an article on clicker training by Alex Kurland and I thought it might be the key. I bought her book, made a target stick and began. It was so hard without anyone nearby who understood what I was doing. I often heard, “You can’t hand feed a stallion you know! You have to show them who is boss. You are ruining your horse!” I probably would have given up if it weren’t for an on-line clicker training group I found. At the Clickryder site, I did have support. There I could read other peoples success stories. Hundreds of stories from people all over the world and most, like me, began clicker training because of a difficult horse.
With clicker training I could reward those moments I liked even if they were fleeting. I could help my hormone raged adolescent make sense of something in his new environment. He learned fast and we started to enjoy our time together. This was training more in keeping with my nature. I still had to be careful, he didn’t become mannerly overnight but he gradually began to change. He started to seek the answer. At first it was all about the food, he quickly learned which behaviors were reinforced and he really wanted that treat. Over time it became more about solving the problem, finding the answer. Eli loved the game and tried hard to get it right but he hated being wrong and had a low tolerance for frustration. I had to learn how to teach to help him become more emotionally mature. I never would have learned so much with an easy horse.
One of the first behaviors after targeting that I taught Eli was simply to stand next to me, but in his own space, not mine. Standing STILL not pulling at my clothes or fussing with the lead just still. Because I wasn’t correcting the fidgeting, I was focusing on the moments of good behavior. With the help of positive reinforcement, he learned he could stand still happily. Focusing on the positive changed me and Eli, of course, liked the change.
With a bright young horse who never went to kindergarten, there were countless behaviors to teach. At the same time that I was teaching the basics, head down, backing, polite leading, I was also exploring games. Games were an important part of Eli’s early clicker training. Being a mouthy stallion, it was simple to evolve targeting into picking up an object and before long, Eli could retrieve like a giant Labrador. That gave him an outlet for playing with his mouth in a safe way. He also loved to toot a bicycle horn, play basketball and hand me towels or brushes I might drop. He mostly just loved to make me laugh. I didn’t fully understand the value of the tricks at the time. They were fun but while we were laughing important things were happening. My timing and understanding of shaping behavior improved, Eli gained some emotional control and best of all we were becoming a team.
What we learned about shaping behavior while playing games expanded to “serious” work. Behavior is just behavior. Eli loves to line his body up to any object I can climb on to “help me up” and he truly loves to carry me. My aids have to be feather light or he lets me know and if I make a mistake I feel corrected and he seems to say, “Pay attention, you can do better.” But then he and I try again and we slowly improve.
When Eli was five we taught each other to drive. Now we are having a great time competing at driving trails and we’re actually becoming competitive. Everything Eli knows about driving, and he knows a lot, we learned together through clicker training. That always confuses people. How can you clicker train when you are behind the horse in a cart? Because the basics of driving are taught long before a cart is attached, it is just a progression of learned behaviors. By the time the horse is put to a cart he is solid at standing (the most important driving gait) walking, trotting, cantering, stopping and backing in long lines. He is able to bend and stay balanced in his work and able to walk by scary objects, which is difficult when he’s out in front, all alone. Clicker training is used to clarify and encourage and is so valuable in keeping a young horse relaxed and happy with new, potentially dangerous lessons. When the horse is ready for a cart, I use a training cart that I can easily jump in and out of and I keep the rate of reinforcement as high as the horse needs to feel successful.
Before long Eli had a good understanding of his job and I could use my carriage for the rest of our work. His stand is rock solid and I can safely get in and out of the carriage while he waits for a well-deserved treat. I continue to use clicker training to clarify and encourage and mark the truly spectacular efforts. When I was teaching Eli to lengthen his trot, a click showed him what I was looking for and he plainly said, “If you liked that one, wait until you see this!” and he joyously flew down the long side.
I love that I have a way of explaining things to him. I don’t need to reinforce already learned lessons on a regular basis but riding and driving are life long pursuits. There are always more lessons to learn and I’ll never stop clicker training. I have the friend and partner I was hoping for and clicker training was, beyond any doubt, the key.
Patti and Eli, 2006