Using +R (positive reinforcement), targets and clicker training from the ground to build trust and understanding with your horse. Remove the pressure avoidance triggers and find enthusiastic cooperation in its place. It is the opposite of negative reinforcement which is our usual way of training horses. Let me explain……
In a previous life, I trained to be an AI because I owned a tricky Anglo-Arab
, Blaze, who was better than me. He was scary and it was either sell him or improve. So he was my inspiration. I then owned a beautiful BHS registered Livery Yard, taught, trained, rode, judged and backed many different horses over decades. However, injuries and a new, imported, young Icelandic horse that didn’t speak English, made me realise that I needed to change my perspective. I had to learn, to be able to teach. I used Monty Roberts’ methods for years and years, and successfully backed our two amazing Arabians, lots of ponies and schooling many others, the classical dressage way. It never occurred to me that maybe those wonderful horses were giving me the behaviours I was asking for because they were just relieved to stop the pressure they were under. So, negative reinforcement teaches a horse to obey and respond through release from pressure or discomfort. The ending of what the horse finds aversive, becomes the reward. Worse is when we don’t release the pressure IMMEDIATELY the horse gives the response we want. Impeccable timing is essential or we continue to punish the horse when it is giving us what we asked for. Consider join-up... Horses have a very strong fear response. They are flight not fight animals. Taking a horse into a round pen and pretending to be heard leader, thereby putting it under immense pressure to submit, isn’t necessarily the best way to go to create a trusting and mutually respectful bond. Your horse may not show it, but the relief of coming to you having been “joined up” is “thank goodness it’s over”. Not “I trust my mum/dad and I want this to continue”. Simply that the pressure’s off. How about jumping? The horse does an amazing jump. Tries really hard to get it juuuust right. However, the rider’s balance, for whatever reason, is out and the horse gets a good yank in the mouth on landing. If this goes on, several jumps or sessions on, the horse has been effectively trained, by the pain in his mouth, to want to avoid jumping altogether. And guess what? Gets punished for that too. There are times, of course, that negative reinforcement enforcement has its place- gently. It’s not all bad. For instance, a gentle pull on a rope or rein on the road will always play a part. I have taught Blöndal to leave eating grass on our walks out in hand together by using a specific noise - a cue- that he recognises. He then will happily come away with me having given him a reward which is of higher value than the grass. But if a car is in the offing, and Blöndal and I are partners in this, don’t forget; I then become the senior partner with a gentle pull on the rope saying right we need to move now, please. He still gets his reward as he won’t argue- because he knows he will still get food. There is an alternative way of training horses. This is what I would like to explain. Positive reinforcement, using a reward system (and especially when combined with clicker training), causes chemical changes of dopamine and oxytocin in your horse’s brain, releasing pleasure hormones rather than stimulating the fear response. The horse then learns to cooperate enthusiastically and enjoy the stuff you do together. The idea is that your horse begins to feel motivated. We aim for the horse to want to work. To want to try harder and to want to learn. The horse eventually realizes that he won’t be forced to obey through pain or pressure - he has a choice to say yes or no without being punished. He is empowered- to do fun and exciting stuff where he looks forward to being with you and around you. Using a clicker is a really strong way for the horse to associate when he is doing the right thing and will then be rewarded. He will know exactly when it’s right. For instance I am teaching Blöndal Spanish Walk. It is easy for him to lift a leg with the right cue and click, but I don’t want pawing. I want just one, clean lift. How does he understand that? Well, I click on ONE lift and say ‘One’. He then gets a reward. If he does more, I ignore it. Wait and ask again. Then the time he does just one, he gets the click IMMEDIATELY he does it and then his reward. We can take this into the ridden work. Teach how to lunge without whip and line. Here, though, I am simply concentrating on ground work and getting the relationship between handler and horse RIGHT. I use targeting and clicks, rewards and respect to get the kind of relationship I have dreamed of. My horses love to play and enjoy learning something new every week. Liberty work is just the icing on the cake. It’s not rocket science. It’s about treating an animal how you would like to be treated. About taking away gadgets, simplifying stuff and working things out with the horse. Dogs love us unconditionally and we love them for their loyalty. Cats come to us when they please and we love them for their independence. But the relationship we can have with our horse - who combine a bit of both dog and cat- is nothing short of magical when we get it right. We just need to listen……..
