Not too long ago, this guy was untouchable. Soooo excited to watch him become a solid citizen.
Working with ferals or mustangs is by far my favorite. I just love watching them begin to trust humans and normally get the medical care they have been needing. Soo satisfying.
And it makes me feel right at home, coming from the zoo world. 💓
If I could just work with untouchables, I would do it!
I just love the big black beauties. Doesn't everyone? Excited to start helping another wonderful professional trainer add R+ to their toolbox (and watch is slowly become the most used tool 😉) ! Which also means I get to take some driving lessons with her fancy FEI Friesians 💅
👋 I use negative reinforcement (R-)!
But probably not how you would think!
When a horse avoids or escapes something, they’re communicating discomfort. If we respect their “no” by backing away, we reinforce their ability to communicate safely. But we also need to shape the “yes” by building confidence and positive associations.
How to Ethically Reinforce the No in Training
🔹 Observe the early signs of discomfort. The best way to prevent a big reaction is to recognize the small signals—tension in the face, pinned ears, shifting weight, or a slight hesitation.
🔹 Reinforce the no by moving away. When a horse says “no” (even subtly), respond by removing the stimulus or stepping back. This teaches them that their signals are respected, reducing the need for escalation.
🔹 Use strategic negative reinforcement techniques to keep the horse in control:
✅ Sub-threshold Approach: Never push a horse to the point of saying "no." Instead, approach only as close as they are comfortable, then step back before any signs of discomfort appear. Over time, their comfort zone expands without force.
✅ Joe Lang’s Time-Based Procedure: Move forward to a safe distance, pause for 3 seconds, and then back away. Repeat while gradually decreasing the distance—but never triggering a stress response. This allows the horse to process the situation and develop confidence.
✅ Contingency-Based Approach: Move forward only to the point where the horse remains calm, then wait for an active sign of relaxation (soft eyes, deep breath, lowered head). Reinforce this state by stepping back, reinforcing the association between relaxation and control.
🚫 Avoid Over-Threshold Training: Pushing a horse into a big reaction and waiting for them to calm down before removing pressure can cause fear, stress, or even learned helplessness. Instead, work in a way that prevents a full “no” from ever occurring. In this video, I accidentally went over this horse's comfort
1.) I have been adding a ton to my membership and will continue to do so this year.
2.) I will be changing my business model from one-on-one lessons and coaching to a membership model.
‼️ 📢 By October 1st, I will ONLY be doing one-on-one lessons for my members 📢 ‼️
3.) My members are my favorites and I am giving my membership all of my time and attention. And our live group lessons are my favorite part of the week 🫶
Why Teach Targeting? 🐴🐶🐦
Targeting is one of the first behaviors we teach in positive reinforcement training—and for good reason! It’s simple, powerful, and incredibly useful. Here’s why:
✨ Clear Communication – Teaching an animal to touch or follow a target gives us an easy way to guide movement without pressure or force.
🔄 Versatile & Practical – From trailer loading to medical care to agility training, targeting helps in countless situations. Want your horse to step onto a mat? Your dog to move away from the door? Your bird to shift between perches? Targeting makes it happen!
🧠 Boosts Confidence – When animals understand they can earn reinforcement by engaging with a target, they become more eager to participate and problem-solve. It’s a great way to empower nervous or hesitant learners.
❤️ Choice & Control – Target training gives animals an active role in training, allowing them to opt in and build trust. Instead of forcing movement, we invite it!
🎉 Fun & Engaging – It’s an easy win! Animals pick it up quickly, making training sessions rewarding for both them and us.
They're going to be best buds. Praise the Lord for this confident little guy.
I highly encourage you to train a new species this week. It really improves your training skills!
I am so blessed to have trained a very wide variety of species with positive reinforcement during my zoo career. Now, I train a new species every chance I get, because I miss the variety, and it does really help get you out of your box.
Train whatever you can!
Another gem from our live group lessons in the membership!
The podcast episode this week is a recording of our live group lesson from last week. It's a great example of what we do every Tuesday. It is truly my favorite part of every week!
Be a fly on the wall and listen in, and then join us next week! We'd love to have you!
Listen to podcast episode on Spotify: "Happy Horse, Happy Human: Positive Training Connections"
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ndZ2OlzkRD5pIteyFN8yJ?si=wX_aKP0yQeCANdeDhga8yQ
Most underutilized tool: protected contact!
Horses can get *creative* with offering behaviors when first learning about positive reinforcement - even when you are aiming for errorless learning.
Protected contact:
🦓 Is a great antecedent arrangement to help the horse get the right answer
🦓 Creates less opportunities for the horse to practice unwanted behaviors
🦓 Protects both of you from each other
🦓 Ensures choice and control for the horse to participate in the session
Why I encourage clients to deliver food into a feed pan when training hoof handling:
🫏 The horse learns to remain stationary
🫏 The horse doesn't feel like they need to follow you to get the food or cues
🫏 There is element of classical conditioning while they are eating their last bite and you are touching their legs/picking up hooves
🫏 It gives the human time to get to their next hoof, providing cleaner loops 🔄
**Getting the bucket at chest level for the horse is ideal as it gives the horse better balance, especially when you have a hoof in the air. I was being a lazy trainer in this video**
Feeling stuck in your positive reinforcement training? Overwhelmed by what to work on next? 🐴🤯
I created the Positive Reinforcement Horse Training Planner to make R+ training easier, more structured, and more fun! 🎉 And YES—I can mail you a physical copy so you can hold it in your hands and start planning your next session! 🖊📖
🔥 What’s inside?
✅ Hundreds of behavior ideas – ALL my behavior lists in one place!
✅ Training session templates – Plan with purpose & track your progress
✅ Goal-setting & enrichment prompts – Keep training fun & effective
✅ Monthly & weekly planners – Stay organized & on track
This isn’t just a notebook—it’s your training roadmap to success! 🚀
📬 Want a copy mailed to you? Drop a comment or DM me, or order now at [your link]! Let’s make every training session meaningful. 🐎💖
https://amzn.to/41jZqBV
Positive reinforcement horse training
