How to really click with people, horses or lions | Georgia Bruce | TEDxJCUCairns 

+Aaron Long The whip is added into some clicker training methods around the lunging stage. It is not used to hit the animal but it used as a visual cue to ask to the horse to increase intensity. So for example, here's how it would be introduced into the training: The horse is on a lunge line, the trainer holds the whip towards the horse's mid line, and taps it up and down on the ground, not making a snapping noise or striking the animal. You keep this movement up until the horse offers to go faster, and they do this because the swishing of the whip recreates an 'annoying' affect that relates to the kind of nuisance a swarm of flies might create. Because the horse has been taught through clicker training to always be seeking answers (in order to gain the reward) the introduction of the whip and this swishing tells the horse that it needs to do -something- The horse then begins to seek the answer and will likely offer a lot of behaviours it already knows. You simply keep asking the horse in the same way, with no rise in frustration, anger or intensity. Eventually the horse may decide to try speeding up, and that's it! You click, stop swishing and the horse gets a reward and thinks "Huh, when I saw the whip (aid) and sped up (response), I got a treat (reward)." and from there on the horse will be quicker and quicker to associate the whip with the words "I want you to do what you are doing, but do more of it." The whip is not used as a threat but instead becomes a visual aid to tell the horse, do what you are doing right now, but with more intensity. Further, the whip can also be used as a target. The horse can be taught in the exact same way as I mentioned above (introduction of the whip, touching a spot on the leg, lets say the cannon bone, a rubbing or light tapping (like is a finger was tapping your arm) until the horse eventually tries to lift its leg, click, reward. The horse can now learn how to lift certain legs with the cue of having it's leg touched with the whip). The difference between positive reinforcement and traditional training on this topic is that the whip, doesn't need to be a whip in positive reinforcement. It may as well be a twig, or a pool noodle, but these things are not allowed in a lot of competitions, let alone a top dressage ring. There is still a lot of pushback from the traditional way of thinking and positive reinforcement as she said is the minority in the horse world. So we have to learn to pretend to play by their rules. They want us to carry whips? ok, but instead of it being a thing that represents pain, punishment and frustration, lets make it a target and a aid that has never and will never hit, harm or cause pain or fear. I hope I could help answer your question :)

Yes, thank you.