Positive reinforcement trainers often use a clicker as a marker. However, many other types of auditory and visual signals can also be used effectively as markers.

Trainers often think of markers as “yes” signals. The marker tells the animal, “Yes! You did the right behavior.” By delivering the click at the right time, the trainer can highlight a certain behavior that the trainer wants to reinforce.

However, marker signals are also cues!

That’s the big idea that we discussed for almost two hours during the webinar.

A marker may inadvertently become a cue, even if the trainer didn’t mean for it to be a cue. For example, when the trainer clicks, the animal might shift their gaze downward, looking at the trainer’s hand and anticipating that the trainer is about to reach for a treat.

A marker may also inadvertently become a cue for an unwanted behavior. For example, when a trainer clicks, their dog may start whining.

However, we can also purposefully, deliberately teach our markers as cues. In this way, the marker starts the reinforcement system and signals to the animal what behavior they should do next.

Check out the following video clip of Chewie and I practicing one of our reinforcement systems.

In this reinforcement system, I’m using a tongue click as my marker signal. I’m also feeding treats in a raised rubber bowl.

As you watch, ask yourself, “In this context, the click is a cue for what behavior?”

I’m hot. Chewie’s hot. Liberty’s hot.

We’re still doing a little bit of training every day, but we’re definitely ready for some cooler weather!

I wrote several weeks ago in Diary #78 about how Chewie and Liberty have started mutual grooming with each other. Since that post, I’ve seen them grooming each other multiple times.

And, I’ve even been able to capture a little bit of video!

This behavior is hard to video. If I get too close, they stop grooming each other and come over to see what I’m doing.

It’s a bit awkward for both of them since Chewie’s so much taller. But, Chewie does really like being scratched on her shoulders, belly, and legs. And, Liberty really likes being scratched on the top of his back.

So, these factors help make the interaction work out well for both of them.

Here’s a short video clip, for your enjoyment!

Chewie and I worked a lot last summer on sponge baths. However, Chewie still doesn’t like to be hosed off. She thinks the hose is pretty scary.

So, for now, I don’t give her baths with the hose.

And, up until fairly recently, she didn’t even like being anywhere near the hose when the hose was turned on.

But, recently, she’s started to be a little curious about what I’m doing when I fill up the water trough.

I don’t try to force her or entice her to come over. But, I let her watch me, and I talk to her, and I give her some scratches, if she wants them.

Previously, she would not come over to the water trough or drink from the trough if the hose was on.

But, recently, she has started coming over and taking a drink, while the hose is filling up the water trough. And, I’ve noticed that she looks comfortable as she comes over. She doesn’t look scared or worried as she approaches.

So, I’ll celebrate this as a little bit of progress!

We first gradually increased the distance until I could walk about 12 feet away.

Why twelve feet? It’s about as far as I can walk away from Chewie in our current training set up in the barn.

Later, I would like to add more distance. But, right now, with the August sun beating down, staying in the shade is important for both of us!

Our next step has been to gradually increase the amount of time that I wait before I walk back to Chewie. I can now consistently wait 30–40 seconds before walking back to Chewie.

That’s a lot of time! Good girl, Chewie!

Here’s a video clip from one of our recent training sessions.

Watch on YouTube: Chewie practicing staying for 40 seconds

This behavior will be useful for many different things!

I plan to do more agility training with Chewie, and stay is an important foundation behavior for many agility tasks.

It’s also a really helpful behavior for many daily care tasks and veterinary tasks.

As we keep working on this behavior, I plan to add more duration. As well, I will start adding in some variations to my own behavior, such as standing in different places, moving around, and changing my position. We will also start practicing this behavior in a variety of different environmental conditions.

I will post more as we keep practicing!

Chewie and I are still doing a little bit of training, but I can tell that she’s wishing for cooler days. Chewie and her buddy Liberty, the donkey, are both pretty itchy, and I spend a lot of time standing around scratching on them.

Equines will often groom on each other at the same time. Horse people call this “mutual grooming.”

Sometimes, they will also engage in this behavior with a person. For example, in the photo below, I’m scratching Chewie’s belly, and she is being very nice by returning the favor. She is using her big nose to scratch my leg!

Up until this week, I have never seen Chewie and Liberty scratch on each other.

Chewie has definitely made some attempts. There have been a few times this spring and summer when I have seen her try to scratch Liberty’s back.

His response has been to put his ears back, bite at the air in her direction, and then quickly walk away!

But, earlier this week, as I was leaving the property, I looked over and saw the two of them standing under the trees grooming each other. The photo below is a little difficult to make out, as I was some distance away. But, Liberty is grooming on Chewie’s shoulder, and she’s using his nose to scratch his back.

Chewie and Liberty have enjoyed each other’s company almost from the beginning. I wrote last fall in Week 38 of Chewie’s Diary about their developing friendship.

But, it makes me very happy to see them becoming even closer and engaging in more activities together.

I had a horse friend who used to say that it really takes a horse up to a year to adjust to a new home. Chewie has now lived on this property for about 10 months. In some ways, it feels like we have been here forever. But, it’s also important for me to remember that she may still be finishing settling in.

Update: Check out Diary #81 to see a video of Chewie and Liberty grooming each other.

Currently, Chewie can stay on her platform while I walk about ten feet away. I am expanding this behavior by adding more distance. We are also increasing the duration of time that I can wait when I walk away.

Here’s a photo from a recent day when we were working on stay. We had just finished a short practice session, and we were about to start another session.

However, after the first session, Chewie left the barn and walked out into the yard.

You can’t see what is happening in the distance, but one of the neighbors and another individual were struggling to load a bed frame into the back of an SUV. The whole scene was definitely out of the ordinary for what usually happens on this quite street.

Chewie was very interested in watching the neighbors! She was not scared or concerned, she was just curious to watch what was happening.

When I was a younger trainer, in this type of situation, I would have tried to use food, perhaps higher-value food, to entice Chewie back into the barn to continue training. However, it’s much more difficult to teach a new behavior if Chewie’s attention is divided between me and something else.

Long term, I would like for Chewie to be able to stay on her platform and engage with me even when there are interesting distractions happening outside.

But, in the moment, I realized the commotion at the neighbors was going to be too challenging of a distraction.

One big part of training is knowing when it’s a good time to train and when it’s a good time to take a break!

So, we took a break for a bit, and I did some barn chores. Chewie followed me around the yard and helped me with my chores. She also got to satisfy her desire of keeping an eye on the neighbors.

Then, when she was ready, we continued with our training practice.

It’s pretty darn hot right now.

Stay is a good behavior to practice because it doesn’t involve a whole lot of movement, and we can do our sessions in the shade of the barn.

I’m using Chewie’s big platform for our stay training. We’ve done a lot of veterinary training on the platform, and Chewie is great about staying on the platform if I am near her.

However, if I walk away, she comes with me! She does not know how to stay on the platform when I am at a distance from her.

So, I started by just walking a couple of steps away from her. Then, I would immediately come back.

Over the past several sessions, we have gradually increased the distance so that I can now walk ten to twelve feet away from the platform.

Here’s a video from one of our recent sessions.

In this session, I’m practicing walking about 10 feet from Chewie, turning around, and then immediately walking back to her.

Chewie’s job is to stay on her platform until I return!

Watch on YouTube: Chewie practices staying on her platform

Our next goal will be to add more duration.

I want to be able to walk away from her, wait for a period of time, and then walk back.

I’ll post more updates and videos as we continue working on this project!

A baby tooth!

Horses continue to loose their baby teeth and gain adult teeth until they are around five years old. 

Chewie is three, currently, and she certainly looks like an adult horse now. 

But, finding the baby tooth was a good reminder that she is still growing and her body is still going through plenty of changes. 

I often get asked if Chewie is trained as a riding horse or if I have any plans to ride her. 

I do, but not yet!

A horse’s skeleton continues to mature until the horse is around six years old. And, the growth plates in their spine — right where a rider sits — are some of the last to finish developing. 

So, we don’t have any plans for riding for the next few years. 

But, there is plenty of training that we can do on the ground that is fun for both of us and that will help prepare Chewie so that she can be an excellent riding horse when the time comes!

This week, we’ve been staying busy with some horse agility training, continuing to build duration for Chewie’s chin rest behavior, and making some changes to her fly mask routine. 

And, when I’m not there, Chewie is keeping herself very busy grazing on the summer grass.

And, Chewie is still in good hands with my wonderful pet sitter!

My pet sitter always sends me a handful of pictures every day. The photos let me get a little glimpse into what Chewie and Liberty have been doing.

I’m also keeping an eye on Chewie using her GPS tracker and the solar-powered security camera that I have on the property.

And, I’m also thinking and planning for some of the training that we are going to be working on when I get back to Texas!

Chewie and I are going to work on some duration-related projects in July and August.

One project we’ll be working on is to continue building duration for Chewie’s new chin rest behavior.

I would also like to start working on teaching Chewie to stay while I walk away from her. Right now, she is usually inclined to follow me!

As well, I’m planning to revisit some of our hoof care routines.

Last year, Chewie and I spent a lot of time building duration for hoof handling. (You can read more in the posts from Week 25 and Week 41.) I trim Chewie’s feet myself, and she does really well, most of the time. But, I feel like there are some parts of our hoof care routines that we could clean up.

I’ll report more when make more progress on these projects!

Chewie and I have a game we play when I’m scratching her. I will pause after scratching her for a bit and take a step away, to make sure she wants me to continue scratching. 

She will usually approach me to confirm that she wants more scratches.

In addition, she will use her nose to point at various parts of her body to tell me if she wants to be scratched in a certain place — perhaps her back or her belly or her shoulder or her hip. 

Also, if I’m scratching her in the wrong spot, she will turn her head and indicate where I should be scratching, instead!

I am traveling internationally currently, but my awesome pet sitter is taking great care of Chewie.

And, my pet sitter reported yesterday that Chewie had taught her to play this same game! The pet sitter would scratch for a little bit. Then, Chewie would point at a new body part that needed scratches.

Chewie was also quite considerate and used her big nose to scratch the pet sitter’s back.

One thing I love about animals is that, if we listen, they are quite good about telling us what they need. I often think they are much better trainers than we are!