Learning to do better and be better: A revolution in Equestrian traditions

The world of classical equestrian art is a storied and strong tale of tradition. Many of the principles that are still served up as cannon were indeed described by Xenophon in his book the Art of Horsemanship 400 years prior to the coming of Christ. I think many of the horseman's tools and stock in trade were probably in evidence the first time man climbed aboard the horse rather than speared him for food.

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.