When I trained marine mammals it’s where I learned to train the brain through understanding.. 

You can’t physically manipulate marine mammals like riders do with horses, or even on the ground with contraptions holding them in all kinds of positions. 

There are ways to communicate to a horse in exactly the same way I did with Dolphins and Sealions.

It’s about the ability to train the mind to understand the message, and one of the ways this is achieved is to use a very solid bridge. It’s the key to getting good communication. 

Wait what ? A solid bridge? 

What’s a bridge? 

A thing you drive or walk over? 

No.. not that kind of bridge.. a bridge is the “bridge” between the behaviour and the reward.. it’s the part where you are saying to your dolphin.. “yes that’s right that’s exactly what we were looking for”

Ok so you can do the same with your horse if you don’t have a dolphin with you.

It’s an absolute must that your horse understands the good bit of what you’re asking. And this is where so many people go wrong, they don’t use a bridge, and then there’s some who are are using it incorrectly, or have very bad timing. 

You just have to imagine your bridge is you saying to a human “yes do that, that bit right there”

For example you say “good” when your horse is doing the best part of the behaviour.. for a bow, it might be at the very lowest point where his knee is on the ground and his nose is low.. not wait till he stood back up again.. because that just makes him think I go down get up and that’s it .. this is why people say to me I can’t get my horse to stay down there in the bow… that’s because you rewarded him when he got up and didn’t use a bridge to tell him the bit with his knee on the ground is the correct bit, and no you don’t give a food reward while he’s on his knee, that’s not training that’s a bribe or a lure. Biiiig difference.

Then, you need to get longevity from your trained behaviours .. ah but that you’ll have to come see me for, I can’t write it in text it’s something you need to see and learn. 

The Picture on the top left is Mahi and I, see the white chain hanging around my neck? That’s my whistle, the high pitched dog whistle, (that yes we can also hear clearly) that’s the bridge, we blow it when the behaviour is at its peak, we don’t throw a fish at them from a mile away and hope they understand. 

My bridge now is not a whistle is simply the word “goood” .

The reason we use a whistle with marine mammals is we can’t yell “good” loud enough through a crowd or the wind and rain.. the whistle is also very short and sharp and precise.. you catch the very second the behaviour is at its best. 

with my horses I’m next to them or on them.. they hear me say “goood” easily. And I can go compete and use my bridge anytime I like. 

It’s not written in the rules but I’m sure it would get me disqualified if I rode around with a whistle hanging out my mouth. 

Ah… but what if I have a deaf horse ? 

I have had many .. that’s another topic for another day. 

All I can say is it’s very easy. 

 🐬 I believe marine mammals should live in the ocean. 🦭 

From top left Mahi and I, top right Rani and I Frodo and I below. 🥰