About me
I grew up with horses and began training ponies at the tender age of 7 - although I realise now that it was the pony training me! My passion for horses led me to ride and compete at a national level in the UK. At the age of 23, I was employed to rehabilitate race horses in Hong Kong. I stayed there for several years before traveling the world and working with animals in America, New Zealand and Africa.
On my return to the UK, I moved to Oxford and began working with exotic animals at Heythrop Zoological Gardens. HZG is a private zoo that holds and trains over 100 species for media projects, encounters and events.
Over the last 15 years, I have worked on numerous events, film sets, photo shoots and TV programmes. My day to day work also involved training our animals for more mundane handling, medical procedures, lead training and box training. I have transfered these skills to work with other zoos around the world and with private pet owners.
I am an advocate for further education in learning theory, both for myself and others. I frequently attend and present at conferences and training workshops around the world.
My Methods
I use an animal-led approach with a focus on positive reinforcement, whether in free-contact or protected contact. This gentle approach can be adapted to train any species and solve difficult animal handling issues.
Different animals may require a different starting point depending on their learning history. But by building communication through considerate training, animals are able to choose whether to participate in a variety of cooperative behaviours regardless of their species or previous experience.
I will always start training a new animal by assessing their needs and limitations. An important next step is identifying an appropriate reinforcer, whether it's a favourite treat or a toy. From there I can start shaping behaviours and developing a training plan that works for everyone.
The benefits to using a patient, positive approach include the ability to:
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Develop an understanding of your animal’s needs
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Develop a sustainable way of communicating and build trust
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Manage the risk of approaching and handling exotic animals
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Use techniques that are more considerate for the needs of the learner (animal or human)
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Reduce or eliminate distress associated with human contact during essential tasks, cleaning, health checks, feeding etc
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Reduce veterinary costs and the risk of health and safety to handlers and veterinary staff during interventions
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Avoid the risks to your animal of general anaesthesia for routine examinations and procedures.
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Reduce the stress and unwarted behaviours associated with restraint for travel or medical procedures
Friends and Connections
www.educatinganimals.co.uk
