Public Relations Contact: Equine Resources International, LLC
Lua Oas Southard 610-444-7554

These amazing and educational demonstrations have been seen all across the country this year. Most recently, they fascinated audiences at Equitana USA and the Bayer/U.S. Equestrian Team Festival of Champions. The success of these demonstrations proves that On Target Training is revolutionizing horse training. Developed by former Sea World marine mammal trainer Shawna Karrasch and her husband, Vinton--a former grandprix show-jumper--the method evolved from the marine-world-tested technique of "clicker training."

Speaking to horse lovers of all varieties at Equitana USA, Louisville, KY, June 15-18, Shawna explained that On Target Training is not just clicker training, it's "clicker training and beyond." The system augments the traditional leg, hand, seat, and voice aids with what she calls a "primary reinforcement"--food. The "clicker," a small device that produces a distinctive clicking noise when pressed, acts as a "bridge signal" to help the horse make the association between a desired action and the food reward.

The Karrasches are quick to point out that the principles underlying their method are not new-fangled theories; rather, they are proven elements of a training method known as operant conditioning, pioneered by scientists such as Ivan Pavlov and B. F. Skinner. In his famous experiments, Pavlov conditioned dogs to salivate when he rang a bell by simultaneously offering them food. Soon, the dogs salivated at the sound of the bell alone. Skinner taught laboratory rats to push levers to obtain food rewards. Both researchers' experiments showed that animals can learn to execute and repeat (or to refrain from) specific behaviors through the giving or withholding of food rewards.

Marine mammal trainers use this method to teach whales and dolphins to dive, leap, spin, and even to present themselves for veterinary care. The animals soon associate the sound of the clicker with the imminent food reward, which solves the problem of how to swiftly reward an animal that may be hundreds of feet away. As many horse owners know, reward and punishment are effective only if administered within seconds of the behavior. The clicker effectively bridges that time gap.

As Shawna demonstrated to audiences at Equitana USA and at the Festival of Champions, held at USET headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, June 21-25, horses soon learn to associate desired behaviors with the click and food reward. Using the clicker and a "target"--a wooden pole with a white foam ball on one end-Shawna and Vinton have trained horses to lead, stand, tie, clip, load, and to perform better under-saddle movements.

As Shawna told her Equitana audience, Vinton's equestrian background proved to be On Target Training's entrée to a prestigious clientele. Famed hunter/jumper trainer John Madden was so impressed with the ease and the success rate of the Karrasches' innovative methods that he calls the On Target method his "secret competitive edge." The Karrasches have since worked with other well-known riders and trainers, including dressage stars Jane Savoie and Sue Blinks. Blinks has been selected to represent the U.S. in Sydney as a member of the 2000 Olympic dressage squad.

Trafalgar Square, publisher of the On Target Training video "You Can Train Your Horse to Do Anything," will release the Karrasches' book of the same name this September. On Target Training products are available from On Target Training at www.on-target-training.com or by calling 800-638-2090. Trafalgar Square products also are available at many bookstores and equestrian retailers.

Sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, Purina Mills, Inc., and Jamco Trailers, Shawna and Vinton are available for clinics, workshops, and lectures. Their next scheduled appearance will be August 13, 2000, at Alpine Farm in Long Lake, MN. They will also appear at the Pony Club Millennium Event in Toronto, Canada August 15-20. For more information or to schedule a clinic, call 610-444-7554.