29/01/2025
๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ฐ๐จ: ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ - ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ
*Read Part One First*
In my ongoing quest for a better way with horses, I often get myself in a spiral of questioning everything to the point where I think- is it ethical to even train horses at all? (regardless of what type of reinforcement is being used- since there are valid arguments for/against whatever path you choose)
Nonetheless, I hoped that by doing a โdeep diveโ into R+ I would find my โtrue northโ- something I was certain was the right and best way to do things with horses. Ahh..my need for things to be so black and white resurfacesโฆif only it were that simple!
>>> For context, this isn't the first time Iโve used positive reinforcement. Iโve actually used it for a long time now, and have done some reading and exploration, but this most recent deep dive gave me some more insights that I would like to share.
In the upcoming podcast episode, I will include more detail and ad-lib discussion including what books I read, who/what I studied, and more thoughts around the points below.
In this post Iโm sharing my key breakthroughs, learningsโฆ(and re-learnings -as really none of the below were new concepts to meโฆjust deeper layers to existing realisations).
In this post, I'm sharing my key breakthroughs and lessons which are mostly deeper layers of understanding on concepts I was already familiar with.
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The set up is very important (same as with R- right?). In particular, making sure the horse isn't hungry before/during training, has free access to hay/grass during the training, using appropriate food for the horse (usually low-value reinforcers to reduce/avoid tension/anxiety), environment set up, equipment set up, shaping plan etc. I had mostly followed this already but the main tweaks were adding chaff to my low-value pellets, adding more options for free choice hay in the training space, and consistently giving my horses lucerne hay prior to training sessions. I think overall, R+ trainers put much more thought into setting things up for success. They utilise the environment and equipment like mats, targets, โreverse round pensโ etc. to train behaviours and put a lot more logical thought into shaping plans. Despite this creativity and planning, oftentimes I found myself thinking- gee this would just be so much easier if I could jusssst apply a bit of pressure here or there for guidance.
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I had resisted this for so longโฆbecause using a physical clicker or even a tongue click felt so unnatural to me- so I thought it wasn't for me - but anything new feels unnatural at first, right? I had always used my tone of voice/voice markers but not always with conscious thought or consistency. The click provides a lot of clarity for the horse but it can also be very loaded- depending on how it is used, it can create a lot of excitement in the horse! One of my horses is completely fine with this and it doesn't seem to alter her emotional state too much. Another horse, gets extremely excited when she hears the click. Because I was diligent in my set up, it didn't manifest as mugging/biting etc. but I could tell she was trying to contain her excitement in a anxious way, and I prefer a bit more of a relaxed state during training.
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I think in general R+ trainers are really detailed at breaking things down into smaller steps, and not skipping steps. I think I already did this quite well with R-/combined but needed refinement in some areas where my horses were not as clear on what I was asking. Where I was taking small steps, there were actually smaller steps to take to make the answer more clear for the horse. It was one of those moments where you think youโre already doing somethingโฆbut you realise you can do it with even more finesse and detail.
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I realised that some of the behaviours I have trained- eg. float loading- the reward was just like a bonus or โcherry on topโ, but the main motivator was the aversive. I admitted that I wasnโt really ready to completely undo a lot of behaviours that were already well established with mostly R-. Especially since they didn't appear to have any major concerns or worries about these things- although a pure R+ trainer may argue that they do in fact have that if they aren't willingly self-loading and standing - at liberty. However, I am happy to accept I am just not on that level yet, and itโs perfectly ok and practical for me to have behaviours established with R-...especially for things like float loading that can be necessary in emergencies etc.
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Iโve noticed that R+ trainers usually focus a lot more on the science of whatโs happening and donโt really romanticize or tell stories about it. A lot of R- trainers, probably most, donโt seem to demonstrate an understanding of the science behind what theyโre doing, so they lean on narratives about energy, intention, leadership, dominance, etc., to convince others (and maybe themselves) of why itโs working. That said, I DO believe in energy and intention and how horses can feel and read our emotional states. But thatโs not the full story when it comes to why a horse moves away from pressure. For example, โjust increase the pressure until the horse gives you the response you wantโ sounds way less sexy than โuse your energy, be clear in your intention, and release when the horse offers.โ Still, even in the second example, the horse might be responding to aversive pressure (or the threat of it), no matter how subtle it is.Obviously, this is super nuanced, and simplifying it doesnโt really give the full picture. But from what Iโve noticed, R+ trainers donโt seem to have a problem simplifying things in a clear, logical way without needing a big story to back it up.
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This is a repeat lesson for me. Whenever I do at R+ deep dive, itโs like I throw out the feel and everything else Iโve learnt with R-....and this can make training with R+ feel quitre mechanical and robotic. I think I do this also because I am thinking a lot more with R+, and it is harder to flow and use your feel when youโre in your head. With R+ I can get really focussed on the behaviours alone. When I drop the invisible expectations of applying R+ perfectly and in a textbook fashion, itโs like a fall back into my normal flow that the horses respond so well to. Itโs hard to explain this, because itโs a feeling- when youโre so immersed in yourself and the horse in front of youโฆyouโre not thinking, youโre just doing and itโs where the magic happens (with R+ or R-, or combination of)...but I have experienced this state more with R-/combined than with R+ where I can become a bit too mechanical and behaviour-focussed.
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No matter what kind of operent conditioning underpins a trainerโs method, I believe the horse's emotional well-being must be the top priority for the method to be considered ethical. Just because one uses R+ doesn't mean that the horses are necessarily feeling better about what theyโre doing. Despite me following best practice guidlelines to a tee (full belly, low value rewards, free access to equivalent value hay/grass, high rate of reinforcement etc. etc.) I still noticed an increase in tension/anxiety around food with all my horses..I think because food is such a powerful motivator. Sometimes I will be in another environment where horses have never been exposed to R+ and you know what? They seem perfectly fineโฆ no they arenโt saying โpick me, pick me!โ or spontaneously offering behaviours or increased effortโฆ.but they know their job and they are relaxed and seem content. (Of course, there are environments where the horses are over the threshold, shut down etc. but I'm not talking about those). I think the emotions have the potential to get a lot more muddled with R+, because they can be more extremeโฆwith the excitement of the rewardโฆand the offence experienced when an expected reward is not delivered. Perhaps for some horses, the negative punishment experienced during R+ training when food is withheld, is more aversive than the use of pressure/release?
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๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ
A lot of people comment on how the use of R+ changes their mindset because instead of correcting all the time, you are looking for moments to reward. However, I would say that good R- trainers are looking for moments to *release*โฆrather than moments to correct - a subtle but important difference. I think a mindset shift occurs for the horseโฆ especially those previously trained with R-โฆwhen they realise you aren't going to use any pressure to motivateโฆgradually things become optional, and they feel more prerogative in expressing their opinions and testing out their newfound freedom. For example, my horses left me quite a bit at liberty initially, and when I just let them, I think they were a bit surprised. Whilst initially, that hurt a bit..the horses were only staying with me to avoid pressure, I wasn't sure that them staying with me for the opportunity of a reward was great eitherโฆ Not that before I would pressure them in a big way to return to meโฆbut I certainly had a response. Whereas this time I mostly would just wait for them to choose to return, or invite them back with a cue and just wait. One horse would quickly return (probably for the opportunity to receive rewards) and the other seemed to enjoy all this newfound choiceโฆperhaps finding the freedom more reinforcing than food rewardsโฆor perhaps she really didn't like doing the things I asked her to do at libertyโฆ
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I think R+ is a really powerful way of training. Horses can learn quickly, and willingly offer those taught behaviours- something you don't often see with an exclusively R- taught horse- in fact quite the opposite- much of the time they want to put the very least amount of effort in to get the releaseโฆBut especially with Beauty, I have found that once she knows the behaviour that โunlocksโ the reward- itโs like BINGO Iโve got this, and guess what, mumโฆ. I can give you that x1000! This is both really exciting but can be dangerous. For example, when she understands itโs sitting on the haunces I am looking forโฆa school halt can easily turn into a rear! THIS POWER could easily be exploited- eg. I could ask her to do things sheโs not physically ready for and she would probably do them for the reward. In saying that, there are things that she didn't necessarily want to doโฆeven though I felt she knew the answer toโฆand so it got me thinking perhaps there was something physical limiting herโฆ which contradicts the point I just made.
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R+ could potentially encourage a horse to do something which causes them pain- where the reward of food outweighs the pain to push it would take to push through- but I think this would depend on the horse. (Eg. I can happily push through pain for something I find rewarding- depending on the context). Much like humans, some are willing to push through pain and others not- I will also add here that pushing through pain does not necessarily mean a better or worse outcome for the injury/source of the pain- this is very much an individual thing- variable- of which I feel qualified to say with my experience treating humans through physiotherapy for 9 years. On the other handโฆI also feel you can motivate a horse to do things that cause them pain with R-. Some horses would rather hide their injury, and push through the pain to avoid pressure or the threat of pressure. So both ways have the potential to exploit the horse despite their painโฆ but I think in really serious physical injuries- you will inevitably hit plateaus or roadblocks in training with either type of reinforcement.
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Despite all the great things I learnt, I admit that I felt restricted / inhibited when I couldn't use any kind of pressure. I felt like I was unable to speak my native language. Whilst it did get me thinking more creatively about the set-up, I began to โmissโ using pressure as a training tool- it does feel so natural to me now to use pressure- especially when the horse understands the pressure and you only have to use small suggestions- it can feel like a danceโฆit doesn't feel cruel/abusiveโฆit does feel like a flow of energy and intention at timesโฆbut other times notโฆespecially when using escalating R- in isolation to teach something new or with a horse who has learnt to push through pressure. When combined with positive reinforcement though (ie. combined reinforcement- and yes for the behaviour geeks I have read up on the drawbacks- poisoned cues etc.).... I feel that the stick, your body language, whatever your cue is that would traditionally be referred to as R-, kind of becomes counter-counditioned- almost like a clue to unlocking the reward. I feel that the horse doesn't see it as an aversive, but rather as a guide to their rewardโฆ I have no scientific explanation of thisโฆnor have I come across anyone that has described it in any text (if anything, apart from Dr. Andrew McLean- many behaviourists donโt look fondly upon the use of combined reinforcement).
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So they are my main R+ deep dive breakthroughs/learnings/reflections for this round! I am sure I have missed things. This is such a nuanced and controversial topic.
A previous commenter said something along the lines of, "If the horse and human are relaxed and having fun, what does it matter?"โa refreshingly simple perspective. I could adopt this mindset and try to ignore all my questions, but I know they would resurface. The only way to truly resolve them is to work through them, even if I ultimately reach the same conclusion. I canโt skip the processโฆI have to do the work!
I want to add now that I fully respect anyone that chooses to use R-, R+ exclusively, or in combinationโฆ we are all unique and are on different unfolding paths and having explored different avenues, I have no judgement as to what you choose to do with your horse as long as how the horse feels is at the centre of your focus and either R+ or R- or a combination of is not used to itโs extremes to exploit the horse.
๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐, ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ. ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ!
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