Unspoiling spoiled horses (Proceedings)

Understanding of equine behavior and learning is the main objective of this presentation. In this presentation we will discuss what it means to handle a “spoiled” horse. How it can easily happen and how to prevent it from happening. We also want to address how to change unwanted behaviors.

Horses are powerful animals and with just a quick move of their 100 pound head, or a kick with their strong legs, they can not only seriously injure the handler, but in addition, place bystanders and the horse itself at risk.  It is very important to maintain safe and gentle handling techniques while dealing with a difficult or “spoiled” horses.  It is even more important to learn how to keep a horse in a mental and physical state so it does not become difficult or “spoiled” in the first place.  This can be achieved by properly understand and apply learning theory to training, starting at day one. Horses are gregarious and have all their senses ready to learn from the very first hours of their lives.

Earliest archaeological evidence of the domesticated horse goes back to 4000 BC, and even though that seems like an awful long time ago, we need to keep in mind that cave paintings from about 15,000 years ago prove that humans hunted the horse for food and hides much longer than we've been riding this majestic animal.  The horse evolved as a social herbivore that relies mainly on caution, speed and agility for self-preservation, and is dependent on companions for safety, mutual comfort and grooming, and enhanced detection of food.  To ensure safe and enjoyable interactions with our horses we need to understand their deeply ingrained need to feel safe.  Any small change can cause the horse to go into a physiological fear response–the sympathetic nervous system's fight-or-flight response.  All behaviors following this trigger point are geared to decrease the real or perceived threat. The goal should always be to keep any horse relaxed.  In this emotional state, the horse can learn and focus on cues and aids. 

Knowledge in equine behavior, medicine and learning theory are needed develop a well-mannered horse and to handle the difficult horse in order to make it manageable.  We all want the best for our horses.  We want them to succeed or even more so we want to succeed with them.  When holding on to one end of a rope with a horse attached to the other end, a handler has to be aware that he/she is constantly teaching that horse new skills and behaviors, both intended and unintended.  You might have noticed that some handlers seem more successful at handling horses than others.  While not denying that some horses are more difficult to handle than others, it seems that some handlers tend to end up fighting with their horse more often than others.  This lecture is written with the intent of helping any horse enthusiast and any professional handler improve their handling skills by helping them understand the different development stages so you can set up your horse for success. 

Most horses are quick learners and will do almost anything you ask them to if you can present it to them while they are in an emotionally receptive state.  This allows for much smoother and safer handling.  This will not only improve your safety and the safety of those around you, but it will also increase the pleasure of working with horses.  Resistance always creates tension in you and your horse, which will ultimately lead to physical or psychological problems.

Learning in horses

Learning is crucial for survival and behaviors need to be continuously adapted.  Changes in the environment function as stimuli and the animal reacts with a physiological or psychological response. Learning is a relative stable change in behavior based on experiences. Emotions play a crucial role in memory; negative experiences can have long lasting effects.

Non-associative learning

This is a “single event learning”, where the animal is exposed to only one stimulus and the animal decreases its response toward the stimulus over time (Habituation) or increases the response over time (Sensitization). Leading to adaptation to a repeated stimulus. 

Decrease in response to the stimulus: Habituation (getting used to it): the animal does not react to the stimulus any longer.  Simplest form of learning. Example over time the horse habituates to the feeling of a halter or a saddle.

This can be achieved with 2 different processes

• Flooding: The animal is exposed to the stimulus above the threshold of reacting to it and is exposed until habituation has occurred. It is important to not let the animal escape the stimulus. This can be a dangerous process as there is not much control how the animal will react to the stimulus once exposed. It is crucial to not stop to expose the animal to the stimulus until it has habituated.

• Desensitizing: the animal is exposed to the stimulus in small increments and exposure is slowly increased after the animal has gotten used to or has habituated to the lower level of exposure. This process is gradual and the animal is exposed below or just at the threshold of reacting to the stimulus. There is much more control over the process by the handler with this type of exposure and is therefore the safer option for habituation in many circumstances.

Increase in response to the stimulus: Sensibilization (getting more sensitive) is the opposite of habituation where the reaction increases with the same amount of exposure to the stimulus. Example a painful area that elicits a withdrawal response BEFORE someone touches the area.

Associative learning

In this type of learning there will be an association made between two or more stimuli.  

There are two different ways of conditioning described both of them crucial to learning:

Classical, or Pavlovian conditioning

In classical conditioning a conditioned stimulus (CS) is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (US). The conditioned stimulus (CS) is a neutral stimulus (e.g., the sound of a clicker), the unconditioned stimulus (US) is biological response (e.g., the taste of a treat). The unconditioned response (UR) to the unconditioned stimulus is an unlearned reflex response (e.g., salivation). Over time after pairing of the CS with the US is repeated, the animal will display a conditioned response (CR) to the conditioned stimulus CS when the conditioned stimulus is presented alone. 

Operant, or instrumental conditioning (E. Thorndike and PF Skinner)

In operant conditioning the behavior is modified by its consequences.

The 5 basic concepts include

Positive reinforcement

Leading to the likelihood that a behavior increases in frequency and this happens if the behavior is immediately followed by a rewarding stimulus – think money!

Negative reinforcement

Leading to the likelihood that a behavior increases in frequency due to the removal of an aversive stimulus – think beeping of your seatbelt!

Positive punishment

Leading to the likelihood that a behavior decreases in frequency and it happens if the behavior is immediately followed by an aversive/punishing stimulus – think speeding ticket!

Negative punishment

Leading to the likelihood that a behavior decreases in frequency due to the removal of a rewarding stimulus – think timeout!

Extinction

Occurs when a behavior (response) that had previously been reinforced is no longer effective. For example, a horse is pawing at the arrival of the food truck. Then, during "extinction", no food is given. Typically the horse continues to paw more and more slowly and eventually stops, at which time the behavior is said to be "extinguished." Often time they will try harder first before they give up, called an extinction burst and can lead to certain frustration behaviors initially – think no coke is coming out of the coke machine after putting your money in!

Further reading

Paul McGreevy and McLean: Equine Behavior; Equitation Science; Carrots and Sticks, 1st edition, 2010, Blackwell Publishing

Daniel Mills and Nankervis: Equine Behaviour: Principles and Practice. 1st edition, 1999,Blackwell Science Ltd