There is much to be learned from tradition. All human knowledge is the
accumulated lesson of the ages. We pass information from generation to generation
first by oral tradition and teaching and then by the written word, exploring and
expanding our world with each generation. The arts of horsemanship were
essential for the business of living for much of our civilized history. It was a
means to an end. It wasn't until the 2nd world war that the advances of
technology began to make the horse obsolete as a companion for survival and he
moved into human civilization as a companion and form of recreation for those
with the means to feed and house a large pet. As the horse moved from tool to
friend we began to value not only the performance but the companionship. This
leads to empathy and a desire to do better for the friend that gives so much
back in the formation of this equine - human bond. The newer revolution in
horsemanship towards a more "natural and kinder" training regime is a natural
progression of the changes in perception in the society as well and a greater
understanding of horses in general and a reflection of the change in demographic
of the average horse owner who is no longer the strong, brave warrior charging
into battle but the pony-tailed young girl bouncing over a course of cross rails
hoping for a scrap of blue ribbon.
In the early 19th century, Naturalist Charles
Darwin made waves in the scientific community through his observations and
publications documenting his theories of evolutionary biology and natural
selection. This correlation between choices, pressures and behaviors as it
related to survival and propagation of the species were some of the first steps
in documenting consequences and choices in animal behavior. He observed that
animals act a certain way because of the capacity to learn, adapt and change for
the betterment of survival. This became known as classical conditioning In the
later years of the 19th century, Edward Thorndike proposed that behavior in all
animal species is a result of consequences of those behavioral choices and
operant conditioning was proposed as a model of animal learning. Thorndike's
work was founded on his "law of effect" stating that behaviors that produced
consequences that were pleasant were more likely to be repeated than behaviors
that resulted in negative or unpleasant consequences. BF Skinner then took this
hypothesis of learning and behavior and ran with it strengthening our body of
knowledge in the behavior field of operant conditioning and creating what is now
the foundation of all that we currently understand about behavior modification
through operant conditioning.
Since the mid 20th century, operant conditioning
and behavior modification through positive reinforcement with a distinct eye
towards improving animal welfare have revolutionized much of the way we interact
with the animal kingdom, especially in marine and zoo animals. The ability to
quietly encourage a large gorilla to cooperate with a blood draw or oral
examination has markedly improved the quality of life and health of large zoo
animals in our care. This improves their mental health, productivity and
reproductive success while living in a controlled environment. All of this is
achieved through positive reinforcement and a deep understanding of the nature
and evolutionary biology of the species being trained. Coercion and restraint
both physical and chemical, are becoming less common and when appropriate and
safe, the animal is instead allowed a choice and an opportunity to participate in
any interaction.
Think about that in contrast with the average equestrian
relationship. How many horses do you know with behavior problems that result in
the need for chemical or physical restraint in order to accomplish a common
handling task? Trouble deworming? Trouble with feet? Can't get near them with
clippers? Can't load? Can't bridle? The list is incredibly long and even some of
the best trained and accomplished horses I have met have some foible that
requires some form of coercion, punishment or restraint to get by what is
essentially a simple task. The reason that we often see these behavior problems
in horses is because coercion and restraint often allow us to reach our goal the
quickest so that we can go on about the task we have deemed necessary and
important for that day. Because tradition and long standing knowledge of the
horse has told us that if we just persevere we can get the horses to do
essentially whatever we want. A strong hand, an alpha leadership, a bevy of
quick reflexes and we can usually work around and with even the difficult to
handle horse as long as it is performing a job that we have selected for it.
This is the gift of domestication. When people work with non-domesticated
animals, they are not likely to put up with the coercion and handling that a
domestic animal will. This is why those people with the skills and knowledge to
work in partnership with such animals can teach us steeped in our traditions so
much if we are willing to listen.
I was lucky enough to spend a few hours one
afternoon on a trip to Sea World and chat with one of the dolphin trainers for a
spell while watching the interactions of the rest of the group of dolphins,
trainers and visitors. I mentioned that I was an equine veterinarian and we
started talking about the veterinary side of caring for these amazing animals. I
had assumed, as my experience had taught me with my difficult patients, that
sedation or restraint was employed for most examinations on these animals. I was
envisioning how difficult restraint might be as I've tried restraining a large
sow and they are shaped a little like a dolphin but thankfully not usually so
slippery! I was enchanted to hear about the training that occurs daily with
these animals all to facilitate eventual veterinary care. They start introducing
the importance of presenting a fin for a blood draw or opening an mouth for
examination well before introducing the leaps and target training that allows
them to perform in the animal shows. The ability to interact with and care for
the animals ranks far about their ability to perform in the ring. Thinking about
some of my more difficult needle shy patient that perform well under saddle I felt
this was a real lesson we could learn. When I responded with stories of the more
common restraint tactics we used such as twitches, nerve lines and oral sedation
in order to do something as simple as pick up a foot or administer oral
medication I was suddenly ashamed. I felt like a barbarian brutally shoving my
way around my patients when there was so obviously a better way.
This wasn't my
first introduction to operant conditioning and positive reinforcement. I have
long admired and studied the work of Dr. Sue McDonnell and her team at the New
Bolton Center. Dr. McDonnell is a veterinary behaviorist and I actually was
introduced to her work as I was writing my senior paper in veterinary school on
behavior modification for breeding stallions. She has a large body of work on the
normal behaviors of breeding stallions and how those behaviors correlate to
semen quality. Keeping a breeding stallion happy and productive is essential to
keeping his book full during the intense months of the breeding season. She has
also done quite a bit of work on behavior modificaiton through positive
reinformecement as it relates to veterinary treatment. She presented those
findings at a CE presentation in Kauai in 2012. I spoke with her after the
presentation and as I was just working on advancing my horsemanship at that time
through both natural horsemanship and the bridle horse traditions which focus on
soft feel and partnership. I was intrigued with positive reinforcement and asked
her if there was a way to employ positive reinforcement in the ridden horse? How
do we get away from the application of aids and the structure of negative
reinforcement in equestrian sports? She didn't have any answers for me at that
time, acknowledging that difficulty of bridging intricate behaviors with a
positive reinforcement while still employing the negative reinforcement of leg
and rein aid. Stopping to administer the reinforcement, even with a bridge (such
as a click or word bridge) would interfere with the rhythm and cadence of
training that is in and of itself so important in any equestrian art. So, I put
this intriguing notion of positive reinforcement on the shelf in the back of the
brain as an interesting notion but likely impractical and continued pursuing a
gentler, kinder form of negative reinforcement that fit with the equestrian
tradition.
But after hearing the benefits again in speaking with the dolphin
trainer I thought maybe there was a way to incorporate this. Obviously, doing
any of this from the saddle was impractical but what if I played with it at
liberty with my horses? Could I figure this stuff out on my own? In my circle of
friends and horseman, "treating" is a hot topic. Since food rewards are the gold
standard (but not only standard) in positive reinforcement training I wanted to
start there but I wasn't in a rush to let anybody know what I was doing, knowing
it would not be looked on favorably by my fellow trainers; many of whom are
adamant that "treating" a horse leads to behavior problems not solutions. Surely
I could incorporate some of the benefits of positive reinforcement in some of my
more reluctant patients! So, I added a bucket of treats to the vet truck
equipment and started squirreling away treats in my hip bag or pocket during
training sessions at home.
When I first started experimenting with this, I
didn't do the research I probably should have. I kind of "felt" my way through
via trial and error and relied heavily on negative reinforcement and positive
punishment when my training was inferior to get the job done using only positive
reinforcement. I was still at this time training for the show ring, teaching in
my "free" time, and conscious of setting an example of behavior in my horses
that my clients could aspire to and emulate. I couldn't afford any "imperfect"
behavior or bobbles that might get my clients in trouble. I'll write more about
the foibles and pit falls I experienced and the set backs I had to remedy later
but suffice to say for now my experiment when measured in behaviors equal to
buckles and ribbons was not exactly groundbreaking.
A few years later my life
took a U turn and my training, showing and teaching life came to an abrupt end
while I struggled with what can only be called a midlife crisis. No longer
running headlong towards a goal in the future I was suddenly turning to my
horses for mental health and survival only. It changed the nature of my training
and my relationship and relieved us of outside goals and pressures. I could
finally dive in whole heartedly and start concentrating on exploring the nature
of positive reinforcement in a way that wasn't possible for me before. Without
even really trying, my horses suddenly advanced far beyond where they had
previously been. I was training less and excelling more in a very short time. My
horses showed less behavior problems (especially my often challenging gelding,
Kit) and more try and willingness than ever before. They came running every time
I approached the gate, much to the chagrin of my husband who was finding it
challenging to get through the gate to feed without the Morgans escaping to come
find "mom".
My relationship with my horses has changed. It has broadened,
deepened and strengthened. Our partnership, long the the pinnacle of any
training program we supported, has reached a level I had only previously dreamed
of and is still growing daily. I've only scratched the surface and much of the
impetus to write this book is to deepen my own knowledge and understanding.
The
purpose of this book is to explore and challenge some of the traditions in
horsemanship and contrast it with what we know about the field of animal
behavior and behavior modification through operant conditioning and attempt to
propose a unification of the two modalities what will improve equine welfare,
further our understanding of the equine mind, and forge a stronger and longer
lasting bond between human and horse. We will explore together some of the
cannons of tradition and delve into WHY and HOW they work and discover ways in
which we might improve those traditions. We will explore the nature of positive
reinforcement and why it is the gold standard in long lasting behavior
modification. Finally we will discuss the importance of relationship between the
horse and human and how we can use operant conditioning to build trust and
security that facilitates advancement of training while promoting equine health
and welfare.
We have so much to learn. This is just the beginning.
