Training horses with positive reinforcement is a game-changer. 🐴✨ By rewarding desired behaviors, we encourage our horses to trust, engage, and learn willingly.
Unlike traditional methods that often rely on pressure or corrections, positive reinforcement builds a strong, lasting bond based on mutual respect and understanding. Even if it is a simple, forage based feed, these small rewards show our horses that they are valued and understood.
With patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement, you can create a horse that's confident, eager, and happy to work with you. It's not just about training—it's about partnership. 💖
Remember, every step forward is progress, and together, we can make learning a joyful experience for both you and your horse!
#HorseTraining #PositiveReinforcement #HorseTrainingTips #PartnershipNotPressure #EquineLearning #HappyHorses
Look at this cute little "consent cue/"start button" behavior! Laramie actually LEANS IN to the saddle pad when she is ready.
If you follow my social media, you probably know that Laramie is a mustang mare who was untouchable for a very long time. Currently, her owner can do a lot with her! But Laramie prefers to have choice and control in the matter. You certainly can't trap her into anything or force her to do anything. You have to make it her idea. And she has to know that she can leave at any time.
Denise does such a good job with her!
New station setup I am recommending to clients
Did you know that dopamine spikes when THE OPPORTUNITY for reinforcement occurs, not when you actually acquire the reinforcer. Of course, at first it spikes when surprisingly obtaining reinforcement, but soon it moves to when the opportunity for that reinforcer occurs, or the cue is given.
I haven't done many ridden sessions with Mayo in a while and I noticed a little avoidance when putting on his bridle. So I decided to surprise him with a session with a high rate of reinforcement, to increase his motivation.
We can't see when dopamine is spiking, but his nickers give us a good idea of how he feels in real time. At the beginning of the session, he nickered when he got the click and feed. Then he started nickering when given cues like walk, whoa, and rein cues.
Dopamine plays a crucial role in reinforcement learning by signaling discrepancies between expected and actual rewards, a concept known as Reward Prediction Error (RPE). RPE reflects the brain’s mechanism for adjusting behavior based on how surprising or predictable an outcome is.
Here’s a more detailed explanation of how this works:
🤓 Dopamine and Prediction: When an individual encounters a situation where a reward might be received, dopamine neurons in the brain are activated. This signal encodes the expected value of the reward, even before the reward is delivered.
🤓 Dopamine Spikes and Reward Prediction Error: Early on, dopamine spikes occur when the reward is received. However, as the individual learns to predict when a reward will happen, the spike shifts from the actual receipt of the reward to the moment when the opportunity for the reward arises. This difference is key to reinforcement learning.
Get that dopamine flowin' during your rides!
More on riding with R+ in my recent podcast, "Happy Horse, Happy Human: Positive Training Connections"
My client making tiktoks about me and sending them to me with quotes from our virtual lesson earlier 😆😆😆
Being the only one using R+ at your barn can be really tough. Trust me, I've been there. And I have clients all over the world sharing their experiences with me. It can be tough out there.
Write these on post it notes and put them in your tack locker:
1. You are building trust that lasts a lifetime, not just obedience for the moment.
2. Every small victory is a step towards a deeper connection with your horse.
3. Don't let others' doubts overshadow the progress you see and feel every day.
4. Your horse will remember the kindness in your training long after the critics are gone.
5. Staying true to your values will create a partnership that others will one day admire.
#positivereinforcementhorsetraining
#positivereinforcement #clickertraininghorses #horsetraining
He's the worst. Needless to say, we worked on calm default instead 😆
"So the barn owner was like, 'Oh we have a new boarder here, she does R+' and we both kind of rolled our eyes. But then I was watching her with her horse and I was like....wait there is merit to this! And we were chatting and she was demonstrating things they were working on and I was like this is kind of neat! And I had always been on the side of I want to do what is right for the horse. That's the number one thing. And of course growing up in the negative reinforcement / positive punishment side of things like most of us do, that's kind of all I knew, but at the same time, I was CRAVING something more. Like how can I bridge this gap??" ~Brea from @compassequestrianks
Listen to the rest of her story, and how she incorporates R+ into her business on the latest episode of
Happy Horse, Happy Humans: Positive Training Connections
"Integrating R+ into riding lessons and the show world"
Listen on Spotify!
Although I love complex behavioral cases and long term clients, I still get chills watching the beginning. You know there is a whole new world ahead of them, lots of unlearning and replacing old behavior with new. And a new relationship between the horse and human is budding, even if they have known each other for a long time, the relationship between them is about to blossom into something new. ❤️
At the zoo, my teammates regularly trained the Nile Crocodiles using positive reinforcement. (Since I was normally in cats, I only occasionally helped with weighing the babies and croc shows - a.k.a. keeper chats ending in jumping a croc.) Training crocs can create a bit of challenge as they should only eat very rarely, yet we needed them to shift in and out of habitats daily, and crocs are energy conservers. Yet my teammates were able to successfully train them to do a number of behaviors using only positive reinforcement.
This is your reminder not to let your preconceived notions keep you from using positive reinforcement with your horse. When people tell me it won't work with horses, I have to suppress a giggle. It's not species specific. It is part of the way all species operate their environment. And utilizing it to train is tapping into a very powerful tool. One that we need to be thoughtful with.
We could all use a smile right about now in the horse industry. I challenge you to go do something silly and laugh with your horse, something that isn't working towards a goal and is completely pointless.
Smile. They will notice. And they will be grateful.
Triton (aka wittle mannn) is doing soooo well with Brea at Compass Equestrian! You can tell his human mom is a professional trainer. He's so brave and confident already! Can't wait to see him in the show ring someday!
A little peek into training sessions at Green Acres yesterday. Not included is an entire hoof trim on a nervous nelly horse who did soooo well! Super proud of him!
I have so much fun at Green Acres and love sprinkling in some variety in species I am training!
I recently sat down and recorded a podcast with Melinda from Green Acres! She shared her story, and we talked about how to handle negative nancies, and how to fit in training sessions.
Check it out on Spotify!
Happy horse. Happy Human: Positive Training Connections
Ep. 3 Green Acres Farm Animal Foundation
Did you know that positive reinforcement is a powerful and effective training method for ALL species? Whether you're working with horses, dogs, cats, birds, or even wildlife, the principles remain the same!
By rewarding desired behaviors with food, praise, or other motivators, you create a positive association that encourages your animal to repeat those behaviors. This method not only builds trust and strengthens your bond but also promotes a stress-free and enjoyable learning environment.
🌱 From our equine friends to our household pets, positive reinforcement is the key to unlocking their potential while keeping training sessions fun and productive. It's a way to tell them YES! 💖
Don't let your preconceived notions, keep you from trying something new!
Ever felt completely lost or frustrated during your R+ horse training sessions?
For most people, positive reinforcement is a lonely journey in the horse world. Chances are, there isn't anyone at your barn doing R+ and your horse friends probably think you are crazy. When you get stuck, there is no one around to help you. And a lot of the time, that's when people give up.
Luckily, virtual lessons are now a thing. You can compile videos to send in on your own time or do live sessions with skilled positive reinforcement horse trainers all over the world, including myself.
I help everyday horse owners achieve a collaborative and joyful relationship with their horse using the science of positive reinforcement training.
Where to begin?
This is the hard part! Positive reinforcement is becoming more common in the horse world, but it’s still far from the norm. If you…
Know a bit about R+ but aren’t sure what behaviors to train next or how to integrate it with your current training
Are only hearing about R+ for the first time and have no idea how to get started
Have spent your whole horsey-life learning only traditional training methods (that’s most of us, by the way!) and are overwhelmed at the idea of trying a new path
…I’m here for you! Your uncertainty and overwhelm is totally normal.
Together, you’ll get to the other side— confidently training your horse yourself and thriving in your new, collaborative and joyful relationship.
I only have 2 openings left for 1:1 lessons, so if you are thinking about it, I'd go ahead and schedule your free initial consultation this week.
