The Compassionate Horse Click

Embracing Winter with Your Horse

Uncategorized Jan 18, 2025

Winter often feels like a hurdle in the horse world. The cold, wet days, limited daylight, and storms rolling in can easily steal our enthusiasm and derail our plans. I've heard a lot of it lately:

• "I haven't been able to do anything with my horse."

• "It's too cold and wet."

• "The snow and storms are endless.

Believe me, I get it. I live on a farm and have horses too. And after hearing a chorus of these sentiments from students during my day, I thought, If I had a dollar for every person lamenting winter's impact on their horse life, I'd be buying my horse a new blanket right now!

But then I remembered the card sitting on my dresser, and it reminded me of something important:

"Love where you are now."

It's easy to focus on what winter takes away, but what if we reframed it? Winter offers us unique opportunities that no other season does:

• Slower Pace, Deeper Connection

Spend more time bonding with...

Ears... does your horse love having theirs touched, handled, and inspected?

cues ears games health Dec 17, 2024

Ear handling isn't just about health; it's about building trust, confidence and choice through +R horse training (positive reinforcement).

Watch this quick game of "Here's my Ear" to see how you can make ear handling a joyful experience for your horse in any situation:

Tips for mastering ear handling with your horse: You may want to...

Start with your horse at liberty in protected contact, but on a lead where they can clearly step away will work if you don't have the option to do liberty/protected contact in a stall or paddock, etc.
Begin by presenting your hand at a comfortable distance from the horse's ear. Bridge/click and feed whenever the horse allows you to get closer, regardless of the distance.
Gradually reduce the distance between your hand and the ear, continuing to reinforce the horse for calm acceptance. Slow down and increase the distance if the horse is showing concern.
Slowly introduce gentle touch and handling, always bridging and feeding for positive responses....

🌿💖 Experiencing Gratitude With And For Our Horses 💖🌿

Uncategorized Dec 12, 2024

If I had a dollar for every time someone has said to me, “But I bought/got this horse so I could…trail ride, do horse things with my friends, jump, show, go to clinics, ride around my yard, learn to – you fill in the blank.” - And the heartbreaking reality is that they are far from being able to enjoy whatever it is that they planned to at the outset of their decision to own a horse.

So often, especially during the beginning of a coaching relationship, no matter how much the person loves their horse – the frustration and disappointment with what is going on with their horse, or what isn’t, comes across no matter how hard the horse owner tries not to show it. It’s so hard for us humans who give our all to our horse’s well-being, to understand why we can’t do what we would like to do with our horses - what we think we "should" be able to do with them.

I know. I’ve been there, once upon a time. And now, I talk...

Horse Training Doesn't Equal Restraint!

Uncategorized Nov 14, 2024

Confession: I once said, "As a professional, I will never hand-feed a horse..." If you know me now, you're likely shocked or laughing!

As we know, many people avoid using food in training, and in some circles, “clicker training” is practically a cuss word. I get it—I was in those circles once too. Maybe you were too? And honestly, I understand the hesitation, because any training method done poorly can create problems and that includes training with food. But here’s the thing: food is only an issue when it’s misused or used incorrectly by the trainer. Yet somehow, using food gets a bad rap, while force, coercion, and fear are often accepted as standard practice.

Why is this okay?

‍ Why is it that we’re horrified by human slavery, but barely bat an eye at expecting absolute obedience from horses, even when they’re scared, in pain, or biologically wired to flee? We know they’re sensitive, gentle beings, so shouldn’t we find a...

Compassionate Equestrians Share about their Live R+ Experiences - Positively Inspiring!

clinic r+ Nov 07, 2024

One inspiring story comes from Jennifer, a compassionate equestrian in her 70s, who found Melissa’s R+ / compassionate teachings after a life-changing fall from her horse. The accident left her with multiple surgeries and an arena-phobic horse. With Melissa’s positively reinforcing online coaching, however, Jennifer’s bond with her horse, Brooks, transformed in extraordinary ways.

After working with Melissa and reward based training, Brooks now follows Jennifer around like an adoring puppy, matching her steps and joyfully playing with her in the very arena he once feared. Jennifer describes their relationship as “closer than ever,” and says both she and Brooks have found a level of happiness they never imagined.

When asked about auditing Melissa’s clinics, Jennifer was overjoyed to share:

“I loved being with like-minded people, learning more about +R, and exploring problem-solving strategies. Such an uplifting...

AROUSAL IS NOT A DIRTY WORD - We need a level of arousal for our horses to be in an optimal learning state

anxiety arousal hormonal profiles r+ Oct 31, 2024

AROUSAL IS NOT A DIRTY WORD, although sometimes it's easy to get that impression from R+ communities online - The TRUTH is (per the science) that we need a level of arousal for our horses to be in an optimal learning state, though it's also true, over arousal can confound the training process and bring the horse too close to a hormonal profile that can easily lead to anxiety.

Arousal and hormones, we talk about it a lot within the CHC R+ community / membership. This white board is a visual from a recent Compassionate Horse Click Clinic (emphasizing the need for horses and humans to feel SAFE and HAPPY when we are together for optimal learning and success to occur in training.

Safe and Happy was also the topic of a recent presentation/demo that I did at an international behavior conference (#IAABC). It was there I realized, that a visual depicting how some arousal is necessary for optimal learning to occur, could really simplify this concept. This one still needs...

One Woman's Experience from Traditional to R+ Horse Training - she calls it extraordinary!

clicker training horses clinics r+ Oct 24, 2024

As one who's been to Iraq in serving our country an the military, seasoned equestrian and Compassionate Horse Click member, Kriestin Kleinschmidt , RN (KK) could be considered one tough cookie. But she still admits to having felt pressured and anxious about attending conventional equestrian events… and often felt that her horses didn't enjoy their time like she wanted them too. (Sound familiar?) Yet, she was successful in a variety of traditional arenas and struggled to find another way with her horses - one that didn't require her to stop using the skills she already had. KK was tired of feeling like she micromanaging her horses and wanted to be in safer more compassionate and comfortable environment where she could be herself.

As an experienced and respected conventional equestrian, she has found that results, meaningful relationship, connection, community and clinics/live events with her horses and other equestrians can be combined for a stellar result. And...

3 Easy Fast Ways to Create Polite People Loving Horses with R+

clarity communication cues Oct 17, 2024

"These horses are so different from most barns I've been to..." said a seasoned equestrian who was amazed by the behavior of loose horses in a paddock she was working in—an experience made possible by just three basic cues Melissa Spell Deal uses to provide clarity when people and horses are at liberty.

Polite, people-loving horses that aren't pushy or expecting treats for every little task are the natural result of kind, compassionate training through Cue Clarity. This method creates a strong connection with your horse, while maintaining boundaries and mutual respect.

If you're just getting started you'll love these options for creating clarity in your communication with your horse and those who have already started tell us the transformation is a game changer within 2 short weeks of implementing these tips.

Plus, discover when Melissa chooses to incorporate clickers into her training and when she doesn’t!

P.S. We’ve got an exciting Cue Clarity Clinic coming up...

Cue Clarity Live Clinic: Connecting & Communicating On the Ground or in the Saddle through innovative activities that you and your horse are sure to enjoy!

clicker training horses clinic live event Oct 03, 2024

Are you ready to deepen your bond with your horse while learning innovative and effective training techniques? You're invited to join us for an exciting live event where you’ll discover how to communicate with your horse in a way that’s kind, clear, and impactful! You don’t need to have a R+ trained horse, all you need is a desire to learn more about using reinforcers to clarify your communication for a happier horse!

If you want your horse to come running not only when you arrive at the barn but also when you get out the brushes, the halter, the tack and all your gear, like the horses on our farm and our students and clients horses do, communicating compassionately with clarity and value to your horse is a must...

If you’re on the fence or only want to dip your toe in R+, not to worry.

We’ll address when to retrain with +R, layer on top, or leave conventional cues as they are.

We’ll even discuss things like letting other people...

A Lesson in Compassionate Horse Training: Golden Nuggets

Uncategorized Sep 26, 2024

Ever think you know something about horses and training, only to realize later there was a golden nugget of wisdom you missed? Don't worry, we've all been there!

Just like a big rock forms from tiny, precious pieces, our success with horses builds on a foundation of strong fundamentals.

Here's the truth: Sometimes, we skip the basics or a basic thinking we "already know" or our horse "gets it." But guess what? Often, those seemingly simple things hold the key to deeper understanding for you and your horse.

Here's the challenge: Can we set aside our egos and embrace the "beginner's mind"? (Not always easy when we have years of experience or other things that might bias our brains.) This openness allows us to receive all the wisdom offered, even in familiar territory.

Why it matters: By truly absorbing all the information (whether in a lesson, clinic, or just solo practice), we can build a stronger connection with our horse and avoid frustration down the road.

The reward? ...

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