What Is a Marker Signal and How to Use One

Training horses would be much easier if we could just tell them what we wanted. Positive reinforcement is one way trainers try to bridge that gap in communication; however, using treats alone is an imperfect system that leaves a lot of room for error. 

Picture this: you are trying to teach your horse to trot off on command. You give the voice cue, and your horse starts trotting. Because you can’t give them a treat in motion, you gradually bring them to a halt and then hand them the treat. What did you reward in this scenario? Not the trot transition but the halt! You actually reinforced the opposite behavior of what you were looking for. 

This happens all the time. It’s simply too hard to hand out food precisely enough to reward the exact behaviors we are training. Therefore, we need a signal to pinpoint the moment of a correct response and bridge the time between behavior and treat. This is called a marker signal. 

Clicker training is a popular form of marker training

What Is Marker Training

Marker training is a form of positive reinforcement training that employs the use of a marker signal at the moment of a desired behavior, followed by a reward a few seconds later. The marker signal serves to bridge the time (hence why it is also called a bridge signal) between behavior and reward, so you are not accidentally reinforcing responses you don’t want or weren’t looking for. 

The marker signal tells our horses exactly what we like. Because the signal allows for clear, accurate communication, it can greatly speed up the training process and reduce unnecessary frustration and confusion. Clicker training is a popular form of positive reinforcement training that uses a small handheld clicker as a marker signal. 

How Does the Marker Work

Before training, the marker signal is just a neutral stimulus that doesn’t mean anything. Only after a classically conditioned association between sound and reward is formed can the signal function to mark behaviors.

Classical conditioning is a learning process where previously neutral stimuli (such as a bell) are paired with a stimulus that elicits an innate response (like food to create salivation) repeatedly until the neutral stimulus (bell) elicits the innate response (salivation) without the use of other stimuli. 

The marker only has meaning because it predicts something rewarding (i.e, food, scratches). A process called loading the marker pairs the signal repeatedly with something your horse enjoys to create an association between the two. Over time, the marker will start to elicit the positive emotions associated with the reward before it has been given out, thus allowing you to tell your horse what you like by giving them a flood of positive emotions each time they perform the specific behavior. 

What Makes a Good Marker 

The most commonly used marker signals are a handheld clicker, verbal click sound, or a word like “yes” or “good.” However, you can use almost anything as a marker signal (including tactile cues, verbal cues, and hand signals) as long as it meets the four criteria of an effective marker. 

Clickers are a commonly used marker signal

1. Novel (New)

Novel refers to a sound that is new to the horse, something that is not heard outside of the training context. A sound that is familiar is less likely to be noticed by the horse, and the association will not be formed as easily between signal and reward. 

2. Salient (Noticeable)

Salient is how noticeable the signal is. You’re marker is unlikely to tell your horse anything if they do not notice it. Therefore, the signal must stand out against the background noise. This could mean a louder volume, higher pitch, or different tone than the horse is used to hearing.

3. Always the Same 

If the pitch, tone, volume, duration, etc, differ dramatically from delivery to delivery, the association between marker and reward will not be as strong. Choose a marker that can be delivered exactly the same each time. This is especially important for verbal cues that can sound very different to the horse depending on the delivery or the person speaking. 

4. Able to Be Delivered Instantly 

Your marker should coincide with the exact moment of the correct behavior; therefore, being able to deliver the signal quickly is paramount to being able to effectively mark behaviors. 

Introducing the Marker to Your Horse 

Before you can start using a marker signal, you have to create the association between signal and reward. Loading the marker is a relatively straightforward process where you will repeatedly pair sound with food until an association is made. 

But, before you get started, a few tips to ensure success…

1. Start in protected contact (over a stall guard on the other side of a fence from your horse) so you can walk away if they get too excited about getting food

2. Throw the food in a feed pan initially so they don’t become too fixated on your hands

3. Only use the clicker and reward when your horse is calm and standing out of your space to avoid reinforcing pushy behavior

Loading the Marker

Now, all you have to do is pair the marker and reward until your horse strongly associates the sound with food. This will likely take several sessions spread out over a couple of days. 

Step 1: Place your horse in protected contact with a feed pan on the ground where you can easily toss food into it. You may have to throw food in the feed pan a couple of times before using the marker so the horse knows to look for food there. 

Step 2: Give whatever marker signal you are going to use and immediately throw some food in the feed pan.

Step 3: Once the horse is finished eating, before they start begging for more, give the marker and toss in more food. 

Step 4: Repeat about 20-30 times over a 5-10 minute session. 

Step 5: Complete 3-5 sessions of loading the marker spread over several days, and then check the strength of the association. You can test the association by giving the marker without providing food. If your horse perks up or looks at the feed pan, they know the signal predicts food. Now you can start using the marker to mark behaviors. 

Step 6: Keep the association between the marker and food strong by giving a reward every time you use the marker in training. 

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Now you can utilize the power of the marker signal to communicate your expectations to your horse and supercharge their training.