Episode 381 Shaping On A Point of Contact Pt 1 - Poisoned Cues

Dominique has been watching trainers in the barn where she keeps her horses working with treats to teach some behaviors and traditional commands to teach others. The difference in the demeanor of the horses under these different contexts is striking. This has made Dominique appreciate all the more how important shaping on a point of contact is. That’s a concept that is very much part of my work. To understand what this phrase means we begin in Part 1 of this conversation with a discussion of poisoned cues. Ideally we would like the signals we use to request a change in our horse’s behavior to be an invitation. We refer to this type of signal as a cue. But what happens if our invitation is ignored? Does the signal escalate into a “do not or else” threat? That means that first mild request is really a warning signal. It is saying: respond now or things will become uncomfortable. Are you training with cues or warning signals? That’s question is key to understanding shaping on a point of contact.