84 SIDELINES DECEMBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
The science of On Target Training has
its roots in Shawna’s experiences at Sea
World. “It was applied learning theory – we
were tested on college text books which
we studied,” Shawna recalled. “Dr. Sue
McDonald from New Bolton Center told
me I should have a PhD because of my
knowledge level. I’ve done this work for 30
years now. It’s about practical applications of
science and art because you have to have
both to be an effective trainer. My ongoing
goal is educating people. I want to reach out
to people, to show them that there is a better
and more positive way to teach their horses
not to spook at everyday or unusual objects,
that people don’t need whips and chain
shanks to load a horse into a trailer.”
Shawna recently spent seven weeks in the
UK, which has long been a mecca for natural
training methods. “On Target continues
to grow and I continue to learn – it’s much
more advanced now and I have no idea
where it’s going,” she said. “At some point in
time, positive reinforcement will be accepted
everywhere by horse trainers. It is science
and the horses are learning. The higher
mid-level trainers are coming as students
and bringing their students with them. The
education is so strong that it speaks for
itself.”
Shawna tries not to call her method clicker
training, which evolved from working with
dogs. She points out that the marine world
uses whistles and verbal cues. In the horse
world, a little knowledge can be a dangerous
thing. “People experience success with
positive reinforcement and the results can
be pretty dramatic, but the basics can only
take most people so far,” said Shawna. As
On Target gets bigger, she finds that she
is fixing more problems, which result from
training that fails to fix the initial issues.
“The goal is calm, relaxed, happy – the
horses, but also the people – they need to
get enough training to be able to handle
situations as they come up,” Shawna said.
“We all need to stand together and share
ideas so that we continue to grow and move
into the future. I alone can’t deal with every
horse in every situation, but I can help people
to learn and use the art of this science to
train horses. People want a set of rules – I
give guidelines. First of all, when it comes
to positive reinforcement, you really have to
know horses.”
For more information on Shawna, visit
. To experience
Shawna performing On Target Training,
watch the YouTube video of Shawna and a
horse she hasn’t seen in seven years. There
is no doubt that the horse remembers his
training. On YouTube you can type in “Clicker
Trained Horse Remembers After 7 Years” or
view the video at:
/
watch?v=mOgtI23xqXE. The video will also
be posted on the Sidelines website.
Dawn Weniger, USDF Gold Medalist and trainer at Firstview Farm near Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, has used On Target Training to bring her horse, Don Derrick, up
through the levels. Shawna explained: “During our last lesson we worked on one
and two tempi changes, and in this photo we are switching the target (used for half
passes) for the dressage whip with the clicker attached.”
Photo by Bernard Schnake
The goal of On Target Training is calm, happy, relaxed horses and people – using
positive reinforcement. Shawna helps this horse to view a trailer as a good thing, not
an object of fear, pain and worry, during a clinic in Southern Pines.
Photo by Bernard Schnake
