What do I do when my horse does something wrong?
You are teaching your horse to think, which means your horse will have to make decisions. Naturally, there will be times when your horse makes the incorrect decision. Ignore the unwanted behavior. You don't want to draw attention to the incorrect behavior. Use a three second pause to communicate that you are not going to reinforce this action. Then ask again for the correct behavior. By ignoring the undesired behavior and rewarding the the desired behavior, your horse will learn to make the right decisions and you'll begin to see less and less incorrect decisions. Keep in mind if any behavior whether good or bad is increasing in frequency, something in his environment is reinforcing it.

 

My horse keeps nipping at the feed bucket I have on my side. What do I do?
Always aim for good manners, and never reward any pushing, mouthing, pawing, nudging, etc. If your horse is displaying begging behavior, he doesn't understand the criteria for rewards. Ignore the undesired behavior. When your horse looks away, immediately click and reward. He'll begin to learn that standing quietly will get him rewarded while pushing on you won't.

 
I feel like I'm doing all the work, and my horse isn't making any effort at all! What do I do?
On Target Training expects a 50/50 relationship between you and your horse. If you feel like you are doing all the work, then you need to take steps to get him back on target. If he still isn't trying and you are doing ground work, then put him home, whether he lives in a stall or a paddock, and try again later. If you are working under saddle and you're convinced that your horse isn't misbehaving due to confusion or a physical problem, drop that particular issue and either work on something else or just exercise him. Don't immediately put him home, since you would be removing the exercise factor. He may learn to misbehave to get out of work.

 
My horse has moved beyond bad manners, and I'm beginning to be afraid of him. What do I do?
Undesired behavior may cross over to dangerous behavior. This should NOT be ignored. For safety sake use whatever measure necessary to stop dangerous behavior. If you routinely see potentially dangerous behavior, you should seek professional help immediately. Don't take chances.

 

On Target Training Principles
Using the On Target Training system
On Target Training tools