A Horse Like Model
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Clicker Training
Clicker training is an extension of natural horsemanship. The process relies on natural instincts of horses in training them to learn targeted behavior. Clicker training can be traced to the research of Edward Thorndike (1874 - 1949) and B.F. Skinner (1904 – 1990). Both men were concerned with the relationship between stimuli, rewards and the consequences of behavior.
Thorndike’s theory, the Law of Effect, proposed that responses to stimuli which resulted in pleasure or satisfaction by the individual are more likely to be repeated again by the individual within the context of that situation. Conversely, responses to stimuli producing discomfort (or a negative experience) are less likely to be repeated. Skinner’s concept of Stimulus-Response (S-R) centers on the relationship between behavior and consequence. An assumption is made that reinforcement of behavior through rewards (positive reinforcement) will result in that behavior being repeated.
A clicker device is used to train a horse to associate sound made by the clicker to a reward given for performing targeted behavior. Target behavior is any action you want the horse to perform. It could be anything from allowing its hoof to be raised for grooming to approaching you on your command.
To start the process, click then give the horse a treat. You can give a carrot, apple, sugar cube or other food. Use your knowledge of the horse’s food preferences in selecting a treat. You want it to be something the horse enjoys. It will not take long for the horse to associate the sound of a click with a treat (the Stimulus-Response process).
The next step in the training process is introduction the clicker to the horse and encouraging him to touch it. Horses are naturally curious and you want the horse to begin to recognize both the actual clicker and the sound it makes. Prompt him to touch the clicker with his nose. Immediately click the clicker and give a treat. Consistency is important. The horse touches the clicker; you click then give him a treat. Begin to incorporate time delay in providing the treat. You may decide to give a treat after every three clicks. In this situation, you are building anticipation of a treat with in association with the sound of the clicker.
As training continues, begin to integrate verbal commands. Commands such as “come”, “back”, “walk”, “whoa” can be different aspects of the training process. Use only one command at a time so the horse does not get confused. Introduce a new command only after the previous command has been learned and demonstrated by the horse.
Keep training sessions short, averaging no more than 10 minutes at a time. This will prove to be an optimal time frame to keep your horse engaged without becoming bored with the process.
REFERENCES
Thorndike’s theory, the Law of Effect, proposed that responses to stimuli which resulted in pleasure or satisfaction by the individual are more likely to be repeated again by the individual within the context of that situation. Conversely, responses to stimuli producing discomfort (or a negative experience) are less likely to be repeated. Skinner’s concept of Stimulus-Response (S-R) centers on the relationship between behavior and consequence. An assumption is made that reinforcement of behavior through rewards (positive reinforcement) will result in that behavior being repeated.
A clicker device is used to train a horse to associate sound made by the clicker to a reward given for performing targeted behavior. Target behavior is any action you want the horse to perform. It could be anything from allowing its hoof to be raised for grooming to approaching you on your command.
To start the process, click then give the horse a treat. You can give a carrot, apple, sugar cube or other food. Use your knowledge of the horse’s food preferences in selecting a treat. You want it to be something the horse enjoys. It will not take long for the horse to associate the sound of a click with a treat (the Stimulus-Response process).
The next step in the training process is introduction the clicker to the horse and encouraging him to touch it. Horses are naturally curious and you want the horse to begin to recognize both the actual clicker and the sound it makes. Prompt him to touch the clicker with his nose. Immediately click the clicker and give a treat. Consistency is important. The horse touches the clicker; you click then give him a treat. Begin to incorporate time delay in providing the treat. You may decide to give a treat after every three clicks. In this situation, you are building anticipation of a treat with in association with the sound of the clicker.
As training continues, begin to integrate verbal commands. Commands such as “come”, “back”, “walk”, “whoa” can be different aspects of the training process. Use only one command at a time so the horse does not get confused. Introduce a new command only after the previous command has been learned and demonstrated by the horse.
Keep training sessions short, averaging no more than 10 minutes at a time. This will prove to be an optimal time frame to keep your horse engaged without becoming bored with the process.
REFERENCES
Labels: Training
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Tuesday, January 29, 2008
How Horses Learn
For an inexperienced trainer, a horse will often learn through trial and error. You may try different approaches and eventually get the result you intended. However, to become a more effective trainer, you must systematically approach a task and monitor results.
The media has taken training strategies to a new level of awareness with films such as “The Horse Whisper” and “Seabiscuit”. These films show the gentleness of horses and the ease of bonding with humans with a gentle, non-violent approach is taken in training.
Each horse is different in the way it perceives its environment. Horses have a high sensitivity to the objects and movements within their immediate environment resulting from their innate “flight response”. Training a horse involves four key components: the stimulus provided, assessing the horse’s response, reinforcement, and skill attainment (training).
- As a trainer, you begin the process defining the skill you want your horse to learn.
You initiate a stimulus (cue) to elicit a response from your horse. The use of your legs, hands (i.e. picking up the reins), voice (commands) and even the weight of your body can be used as cues for your horse. - When pressure is initially exerted, the horse’s first response is to move away. Using a lead rope is an approach to teach the horse to move in a given direction. Pulling on the rope will cause the horse to move in the direction of the pull in order to escape pressure.
- The release of pressure when the horse moves in the right direction becomes its reinforcement. In this instance, reinforcement is positive. The horse can also experience negative reinforcement. If it fights the pressure from the reins by pulling against it, the horse will experience increased pressure and discomfort. Negative reinforcement is used to teach the horse how to avoid discomfort. Through consistency of each type of reinforcement, the horse learns comfort (i.e. the release of pressure) through positive reinforcement and avoidance (increased intensity of pressure) through negative reinforcement. It is repetition of stimulus and consistency in reinforcement that change behavior into conditioned (predictable) responses. The end result is attainment of the skill level identified as the training goal.
Using a systematic process to train your horse will allow you to establish incremental measures of the effectiveness of your approach. It will also provide a basis for assessing the adequacy of your stimulus to initiate behavioral responses. Keep in mind:
- The cue/stimulus you use (verbal or physical) should be used on a consistent basis unless you find out that your horse responses better to an alternative cue;
- If you are going to use reward as positive reinforcement for a maneuver or behavior, it should be given immediately after the behavior is performed so the horse learn by association
- Define in advance what constitutes mastery of the maneuver by your horse. This will ensure that your horse is properly trained and will not have to be retrained in the future for bad habits.
Teaching the basic skills such as, walking, stopping and backing up will ensure safety and control when working with your horse. These skills are attainable with the proper approach to training. Understanding how your horse responds to your cue is a start. Setting goals, defining a procedure, and consequences and reinforcement will result in a better trained horse and cooperation as a team when you advance from basic skills to riding or competition skills.
References
Labels: Training
¶ 10:19 AM 0 Comments
Friday, January 25, 2008
Training Basics
The Horse Training Age Criteria
Articles from Horse Training - Ground Work
Individuals looking to buy their first horse should purchase a mature horse. This is the recommendation made by many experienced horse trainers. While young horses can be charming, you may find they can easily become problematic, unpredictable and hard to control
The very young horse (less than a year old) is considered a foal. As a prey animal, the horse is born with the inherent first response of “flight” from anything it perceives as dangerous. This can be just about any new experience it encounters or anything that moves suddenly.
Because of its high sensitivity to the immediate environment, it is important that the foal becomes familiar with humans and begin to trust them. The concept of “imprinting” is often used to describe the horse-human bonding during this period. Dr. Robert Miller in his book, NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP EXPLAINED, suggests that imprinting is predetermined learning. He states that during this phrase of early learning, the foal will attach to its mother, and any other thing that is it sees moving around it, including you. The intended outcome is for the foal to accept humans, not fear them.
Given an ideal situation, the horse should attain key training milestones in its early years of life. As a yearling, the horse reinforces the skills learned as a foal, and is exposed to new experiences that he will accept without fear. It takes many man hours over a two- to three-year period to properly train a horse. Depending on where you purchase your horse and its past experiences, it may be difficult to assess how well your horse has achieved certain milestones until you have worked with him horse for a period of time.
A mature horse, one in the range of 2-3 years old or older, is usually trained in the basics. It may be easier to determine the temperament of the horse to determine if it is suitable for your purposes. The following lists some of the training milestones a horse should have achieved during the first couple years of life.
You should devise a rating scale to assess the skill level of a prospective horse that you are considering, or in planning for the training of a horse you recently purchased. The following list uses a basic scale of:
· No Training
· Complete Task with Resistance
· Complete Task without Resistance.
You want the horse to consistently perform a task without resistance.
The very young horse (less than a year old) is considered a foal. As a prey animal, the horse is born with the inherent first response of “flight” from anything it perceives as dangerous. This can be just about any new experience it encounters or anything that moves suddenly.
Because of its high sensitivity to the immediate environment, it is important that the foal becomes familiar with humans and begin to trust them. The concept of “imprinting” is often used to describe the horse-human bonding during this period. Dr. Robert Miller in his book, NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP EXPLAINED, suggests that imprinting is predetermined learning. He states that during this phrase of early learning, the foal will attach to its mother, and any other thing that is it sees moving around it, including you. The intended outcome is for the foal to accept humans, not fear them.
Given an ideal situation, the horse should attain key training milestones in its early years of life. As a yearling, the horse reinforces the skills learned as a foal, and is exposed to new experiences that he will accept without fear. It takes many man hours over a two- to three-year period to properly train a horse. Depending on where you purchase your horse and its past experiences, it may be difficult to assess how well your horse has achieved certain milestones until you have worked with him horse for a period of time.
A mature horse, one in the range of 2-3 years old or older, is usually trained in the basics. It may be easier to determine the temperament of the horse to determine if it is suitable for your purposes. The following lists some of the training milestones a horse should have achieved during the first couple years of life.
You should devise a rating scale to assess the skill level of a prospective horse that you are considering, or in planning for the training of a horse you recently purchased. The following list uses a basic scale of:
· No Training
· Complete Task with Resistance
· Complete Task without Resistance.
You want the horse to consistently perform a task without resistance.
- Allowing you to touch to the various parts of its body (face, sides, legs, rump, tail)
- Responding to your voice and basic commands for walking and stopping
- Allowing you to pick up its feet
- Allowing you bath and groomed him
- Allowing examination by vet and furrier
- Allowing to be caught haltered and tied
- Can be lead into a trailer without much resistance
- Longed in a round pen with commands to walk trot or canter
- Responding to your commands while being led, walk trot
- Backing up in a straight line
- Desensitized to blankets and other objects
- Will not spook at items such as plastic bags or leaves blowing in the
wind or the roar of an engine nearby - Will not resist a bit, bridle or reins
- Responses positively to teats and other reinforcements
References
Training and Maneuvers for the Halter HorseThe Horse Training Age Criteria
Articles from Horse Training - Ground Work
Labels: Training
¶ 11:57 AM 0 Comments
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Understanding A Horse Body Language
Learning to communicate and develop a relationship with your horse goes two ways. We must become attune to how a horse uses its body to show feelings. In turn, the horse must be able to interpret our behavior to know what we expect of him. A horse uses different parts of his body, eyes, ears, legs and tail, to express such emotions as fear, aggressive, playfulness, and excitement. Being sensitive to a horse’s need for safety and trust is the first step to bonding as a team.
When thinking about Rasheeda’s first encounter with Model was not very inviting, on Model’s part. She was in a new environment full of strangers. She communicated this through her body language. Whenever Rasheeda approached Model, she would back away with her ears back. It was only over a period of time that she would approach Rasheeda to be groomed.
Model’s behavior was understandable. It is only through persistence and soft persuasion that Rasheeda began the process of gaining Model’s trust.
Like any task at which you are trying to develop a level of proficiency, the more you work with a horse the more confident you will become in interpreting its behavior and responses. A horses use various parts of its body in responding to its environment – ears, lips, legs, tail, even facial expressions. As you work toward building a relationship with your horse, you must be able to read his body language in various situations. This will be essential when time comes for you to begin training your horse or communicating with him as a rider.
You want to observe your horse in different settings. What is he like in the pasture? How does he interact with other horses? What makes him nervous, anxious or excited? How does he display fear or distrust? What is he like when he’s relax? How do you know when he is focus on you or distracted by something?
Personal safety dictates that you realize signs of aggression. The task of understanding what your horse is trying to communicate will depend on a number of factors: the overall “personality of the horse”, is it by nature passive or somewhat aggressive. How you approach the horse – are you a stranger approaching the horse from the front or from behind? Is the horse interpreting your approach as predatory?
Some of the common signals displayed by horses include:
Bonding with your horse will not happen overnight. You must be willing to invest the time to get to know your horse to the point where you can recognize and understand subtle changes in his behavior or responses. Working with horses is both an art and a science and how you put your horse at ease and gain his trust is a function of how the horse is interpreting your actions. There are signals that the horse gives that shows how he is responding to you and what is immediately happening in his environment. The basic signals such as tail swishing, bucking and even licking can have different meanings within different contexts. There are many resources available on understanding horse behavior, many hold disclaimers, which should be only as a guide to help you know your horse. Horses are complex. As a new horse owner, do not simplify the nature of the horse. Be patient. You are in horse ownership for the long-term. Give yourself time to develop a win-win situation for both you and your horse.
Horse Safe: A complete Guide to Equine Safety
Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Behavior Information
The Basics of Equine Behavior
Understanding Horse Behavior
My Horse University
Horse Behavior and Welfare:
Michigan State University Extension
When thinking about Rasheeda’s first encounter with Model was not very inviting, on Model’s part. She was in a new environment full of strangers. She communicated this through her body language. Whenever Rasheeda approached Model, she would back away with her ears back. It was only over a period of time that she would approach Rasheeda to be groomed.
Model’s behavior was understandable. It is only through persistence and soft persuasion that Rasheeda began the process of gaining Model’s trust.
Like any task at which you are trying to develop a level of proficiency, the more you work with a horse the more confident you will become in interpreting its behavior and responses. A horses use various parts of its body in responding to its environment – ears, lips, legs, tail, even facial expressions. As you work toward building a relationship with your horse, you must be able to read his body language in various situations. This will be essential when time comes for you to begin training your horse or communicating with him as a rider.
You want to observe your horse in different settings. What is he like in the pasture? How does he interact with other horses? What makes him nervous, anxious or excited? How does he display fear or distrust? What is he like when he’s relax? How do you know when he is focus on you or distracted by something?
Personal safety dictates that you realize signs of aggression. The task of understanding what your horse is trying to communicate will depend on a number of factors: the overall “personality of the horse”, is it by nature passive or somewhat aggressive. How you approach the horse – are you a stranger approaching the horse from the front or from behind? Is the horse interpreting your approach as predatory?
Some of the common signals displayed by horses include:
- Holding his head down: this usually indicate that the horse is relax;
- Lowering head, licking and chewing: many interpret this behavior as submissive
- Holding his head high: this tends to be a sign of resistence
- Ears back, teeth showing – these are warning signs that could mean aggression, anger, a high level of alertness.
- Ears held in an upward position toward you means that the horse is attentive to your directions, focus and listening to you
- Tail swishing – this tend to indicate that something is agitating your horse. It could also mean that he is bothered by flies and other pests.
- Bucking – horses will buck and run around the pasture. This is their way engaging in playful games and activities
- Turning his rear end toward you – another warning sign, the horse may be preparing to kick.
Bonding with your horse will not happen overnight. You must be willing to invest the time to get to know your horse to the point where you can recognize and understand subtle changes in his behavior or responses. Working with horses is both an art and a science and how you put your horse at ease and gain his trust is a function of how the horse is interpreting your actions. There are signals that the horse gives that shows how he is responding to you and what is immediately happening in his environment. The basic signals such as tail swishing, bucking and even licking can have different meanings within different contexts. There are many resources available on understanding horse behavior, many hold disclaimers, which should be only as a guide to help you know your horse. Horses are complex. As a new horse owner, do not simplify the nature of the horse. Be patient. You are in horse ownership for the long-term. Give yourself time to develop a win-win situation for both you and your horse.
Click on the Links Below for Additional Resources
Horse Safe: A complete Guide to Equine Safety
Encyclopedia of Farm Animal Behavior Information
The Basics of Equine Behavior
Understanding Horse Behavior
My Horse University
Horse Behavior and Welfare:
Michigan State University Extension
Labels: Training
¶ 11:14 AM 0 Comments
