Can you change your horse’s behaviour and emotional state? Try operant conditioning as a training skill

We have previously discussed the first two levels of learning theory, which is the laws that govern how all animals learn. These were level one, association and sensitisation; and level two, classical conditioning – predicting what will happen next. The third level is operant conditioning, which can be used to great effect in training desired behaviour.

When we use classical conditioning to train our horses, our primary aim is to change the animal’s emotional response to a stimulus, so that consequently their behaviour changes.

In contrast when we train using level three, or operant conditioning, our aim is to change their behaviour and, if done well, consequently their emotional state will change.

What is operant conditioning?

Operant conditioning – the third level of learning – can be summarised as rewards and consequences. This is how horses learn what to do (and not do) to make life enjoyable.

The terminology is initially confusing (see diagram, below), but essentially the words positive and negative mean addition or subtraction of something – as in the mathematical rather than emotional sense.

Reinforcement means making a behaviour more likely, while punishment means they are less likely to offer that behaviour again in the future.

Positive reinforcement

The most common form of positive reinforcement we see would be clicker training. Because horses have a short short-term memory, the click is used to tell the horse the exact timing of the behaviour you want – perfect timing is very important in training.

The click is always followed by a reward; this might be food, but could also be a nice scratch. The horse will then offer the same behaviour again to get more of what they like – food or scratches. Over time we can train more complex behaviours.

Positive reinforcement training is an excellent way to retrain horses that are fearful because they make positive associations with learning to be brave. But it is also a great tool for teaching pretty much anything, from getting better steps in piaffe to moving in the desired frame on the lunge.

Negative reinforcement

Better known as pressure and release, this is the foundation of most of our ridden training. Negative (removal of pressure) reinforcement rewards the correct response so the horse wants to offer that behaviour again.

If we apply gentle pressure to both reins, the horse should slow down and by releasing the pressure on the rein the horse knows that slowing down was the correct response. To put it another way, slowing down makes the mildly uncomfortable rein pressure go away.

Key aspects of negative reinforcement are the timing of the release and carefully shaping the desired behaviour.

How can we use it?

Rein-back is a movement that many riders struggle to train. Pulling on the reins can result in a horse hollowing its back, and so people often teach rein-back with leg cues. But this is confusing for horses; instead, keep things simple – rein pressure elicits backwards movement/deceleration, and leg cues elicit moving forwards.

On the ground apply light backwards pressure to the reins. As soon as the horse starts to take a single step back, release the pressure and give a scratch. Once this reaction is established, you can transfer the technique to the saddle.

When riding, apply light backwards pressure on the rein from halt. Most horses will recognise this pressure and take a step back. The crucial thing is to release the rein pressure as soon as a foreleg starts to move backwards. If they don’t move back from light pressure, have a friend assist from the ground by applying light pressure to the horse’s chest.

After a few repetitions the horse should have learnt that they need to step back to make the rein pressure stop. So they should step back immediately and lightly from light rein pressure.

You know it is trained well if the head and neck position does not alter. If it does, this means that the release of pressure has been associated with changes in head and neck position rather than just leg movements. Work on your timing of release more carefully to train rein-back rather than raising of the head.

Only once the horse steps back immediately from light pressure, without altering the head and neck posture, should you start to ask for more than one step.

Now you can classically condition the response by starting with a postural cue (legs back) before cueing backwards with a light rein aid. When you come to ask in a test your rein-back will look harmonious.

No more nagging

If we squeeze with the leg, a trained horse knows to move from halt to walk to release the leg pressure. But if we then fall into the trap of nagging with the leg to keep the horse moving forwards, we are training the horse to ignore that level of leg pressure – they don’t know how to make the leg pressure stop, so instead habituate to it.

It would be better to allow a lazy horse to slow, then use a leg cue to ask for trot, release as soon as they trot (so they can remove the leg cue) and after a few steps bring them back to a walk. This walk will normally be more forward-going.

If they slow again, push for a few strides of trot again. You will find after several repetitions the horse remains more forward in the walk without a nagging leg.

What not to do in operant conditioning

Punishment means achieving the reduction of or cessation in behaviour over time through the addition (positive) of something aversive or removal (negative) of something nice.

Punishment really has no place in training as it is often associated with fear, pain or both. Furthermore, one of the main problems with punishment is that it is telling a horse what not to do; a better way to solve problems is to train the response you do want instead.

For example, if a horse is rearing does this happen because the rider is trying to hold the horse slower than they want to go or in reaction to the rider’s leg? If the former, retrain them to slow from light rein pressure, then maintain self-carriage; if the latter, retrain them to go forwards from a light leg cue.

If, however, the rearing happens unpredictably or they do not respond to retraining, then it is almost inevitably due to pain and you should seek veterinary advice.

In none of these scenarios would punishment be appropriate.

Keep calm and clicker train

Does clicker training lead to mugging (grabbing treats)? What if the horse becomes too excited?

We always start training horses to “look away” for a click and food. Then, once established, “click for calm” so they learn to be calm and relaxed when training with food. This is important because as a species, horses are predisposed to become frustrated (often confused with excitement) when food is used in training.

To train to look away for food, start with a bum bag with a low-value food in it – chaff or fibre pencils work well. Avoid high-value foods like carrots or treats as these can easily result in frustration.

Stand on the other side of a stable door and give your horse a small bit of food – they will usually start to nuzzle you for more. Stand still and do nothing until your horse stops nuzzling and moves their muzzle slightly away – as the muzzle starts to move away click and then reinforce by giving the food. If you think you might get bitten, stand just out of reach.

After a few repetitions your horse will learn to move their muzzle away from you to get a click (which is always followed by food). Slowly build up to clicking when their head and neck are still and in a straight line from their body, and then when you see any evidence of relaxation – dropping the head slightly or softening of the eye, for example.

In a few sessions you will have a horse who automatically chooses to stand calmly when they see you have food.

You can see an example of starting to train “look away for food”, as well as other aspects of operant conditioning, on the YouTube Don’t break your vet series – simply search the site for “Don’t break your vet”.

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