Horse Training - Applied Behaviour Analysis for Horses

07/01/2025

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06/01/2025

https://www.patreon.com/posts/endings-and-119393375?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Get more from Kate Wi******er on Patreon

21/12/2024

My wild horse 😂 Two containers and wind = one unhappy Wilson! I separate them for feeding and I am exploring how to reduce Wilson's anxiety around the containers blocking his view of Jamie. On this day the wind added an extra challenge for him 🙏

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09/11/2024

Exciting to see Wilson responding to this training! He’s a retired show jumper but his previous mum was keen to see him still live an active life!
I’m loving the challenge!

28/10/2024

When you get to hang out with a mustang stallion - Santana you rock 🤩🙏💕
Can’t wait to see our finished photo shoot photos!
🐎

31/08/2024

https://www.thebehavioracademy.com/the-history-of-applied-behavior-analysis?fbclid=IwY2xjawE_oxdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQkt1BB8qbdOxjYhCJNPSddWCGl_-xrcVfjRJuxUmVywTURtuKJG1c8csw_aem_Kn_JsVKjATZFXn34S8_exA

Not as dull as it sounds! We so need this stuff being shared out there in the real world ❤️

The History of Applied Behavior Analysis is an online course and film created by Ryan O'Donnell, MS, BCBA. Filmed in Lawrence, Kansas, it explores the rich history of ABA through recounted experiences, and how experts are driving the field and related areas forward to this day.

19/05/2024

19/05/2024

Are Traditional Training Methods Eroding Our Humanity?

In her book, Stormy May eloquently outlines how the common training practices used with horses - methods that rely on force, fear, and the suppression of the animal's natural behaviors - take a tremendous physical and psychological toll on the horses themselves.

However, May also argues that these same training approaches have a profoundly damaging impact on the humans who engage in them, slowly eroding our capacity for empathy, compassion, and authentic connection.

May explains that when we are constantly in a mode of needing to overpower, control and coerce another being (in this case, the horse) in order to get what we want, it has a corrosive effect on our own inner landscape. We become hardened, less able to truly see and attune to the needs of others.

This can manifest in a variety of harmful ways. May suggests that riders who are steeped in traditional training methods may become increasingly:

Disconnected from their own authenticity and emotional intelligence. Constantly having to project an image of dominance and mastery, they lose touch with their deeper feelings, vulnerabilities and capacity for vulnerability.

Obsessed with status, hierarchy and performance. The focus becomes all about winning, beating competitors, and proving one's superiority - rather than cultivating mutual understanding and care.

Lacking in empathy and compassion. When we're in a mindset of needing to conquer and subdue another being, it becomes very difficult to respond with empathy, patience and consideration for their experience.

Prone to aggression, violence and a sense of entitlement. The mentality of "I can make you do what I want through the application of force" can easily spill over into other areas of life, leading to abusive or domineering behaviors.

Distrustful and closed-off in relationships. Having to constantly be "on guard" and in control when working with horses, it becomes challenging to approach human relationships with genuine openness and vulnerability.

May shares how she personally struggled with these dynamics, even as an accomplished and respected horse trainer. The more she immersed herself in traditional methods, the more she felt her own humanity slipping away. It was only when she was willing to question these approaches and seek out alternative, more compassionate ways of relating to horses that she began to reclaim her authentic self.

Ultimately, May believes that our treatment of horses serves as a mirror, reflecting back to us the very best and worst of our human qualities. If we are willing to be honest about the harm that traditional training methods inflict - not just on the horses, but on our own capacity for empathy and care - it can be a profound catalyst for personal and societal transformation.

By letting go of the need to dominate and control, and instead learning to listen, attune and engage in authentic partnership, we unlock new levels of harmony, not just with our equine friends, but within ourselves and our human relationships as well.

It's a powerful invitation to evolve, both individually and collectively, in service of a more compassionate world. But it starts with the willingness to see the truth, however uncomfortable it may be.

To see many exclusive videos and other content please subscribe to her Patreon account. https://www.patreon.com/StormyMay
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"A Better World for Horses and Humans" is available here: https://a.co/d/izrGPXs

11/04/2024

https://youtu.be/FutfAy78bPU

Cashing in on the wild weather to do some tarp training - Jamie knows this quite well but Wilson is learning - so i am reinforcing approach behaviours and us...

10/04/2024

Our first release of the Positive Reinforcement Myth Busting Series - "My horse will not learn that way".

Welcome to our Positive Reinforcement Myth Busting Series, where we delve deep into the world of animal training to debunk common misconceptions and shed light on the power of positive reinforcement. In this series, we'll explore the science behind positive reinforcement training methods, dispelling myths that may hinder its effectiveness or understanding.

10/04/2024

At last!

Our first release of the Positive Reinforcement Myth Busting Series - "My horse will not learn that way".

Welcome to our Positive Reinforcement Myth Busting Series, where we delve deep into the world of animal training to debunk common misconceptions and shed light on the power of positive reinforcement. In this series, we'll explore the science behind positive reinforcement training methods, dispelling myths that may hinder its effectiveness or understanding.