EQUINE BEHAVIOUR AND LEARNING THEORY
We all want to achieve the best from our horse, and to try to achieve the best one-to-one relationship we can– we want to know that our horses love us, and want to be with us. Is this too much to ask?
Horse Communication/Training - Equitation Science? Is a hugely complex and absorbing subject which Academics, Scientists Veterinarians, Behaviourists and Equine Professionals have studied for decades, in the commitment to research better ways of keeping and training horses.
They are relentless in their research with one goal … and that is to improve the welfare of the Horse. We have tried to give readers a taste, a glimpse, of the complexities of the subject - but, we hope, with enough information that you will feel inspired to apply what you have learnt and go on to learn more!
We have used below ‘artistic license’ to explain, in as simple way as possible, the science behind learning and training. Most of our comments are drawn from work by Dr Paul McGreevy and Dr Andrew McLean - we apologise if anything is lost in translation!
Credits:
Dr Paul McGreevy, PD., The advent of equitation science, Vet J (2006) 2006.09.008)
Book - ‘Equine Behaviour a guide for Veterinarians, Scientists and Equine Professionals’, Dr Paul McGreevy
Book - ‘The Truth about Horses’ - The Australian Equine Behaviour Centre, Sydney, Australia., Dr Andrew McLean
Firstly, we need to know how horses communicate with each other 
The study of the wild horse is known as ethology - that we apply what we learn about their communication and living environment is called applied ethology. It means essentially that, what we have learnt from our wild horse - we aim to adapt and apply to their domesticated environment, in order to provide, the least stressful and most rewarding environment that we can, so that we have optimum conditions for learning and training.
Lots of trainers will tell you that because the horse is moving its body like this or that, it is thinking about being calm, bucking or dis-respecting you etc. The fact is we can only SURMISE that is what the horse is feeling - we cannot know for SURE!
Equally, although we can try and mimic horse behaviour by using our own bodies in a similar way to a horse to ‘try and communicate’ with him - the fact is we are not a horse, we do not look like a horse and we do not smell or sound like a horse, because we are NOT a horse! AND YOUR HORSE KNOWS THAT! Horse Whispering, Body Language, the language of horses …, they are all based on a wishful human perception that reasons, if we act like a horse, the horse will believe us and want to communicate with us. That assumption has no scientific basis and must therefore be considered with caution.
To be successful, we must be transparent in our training methods, and understand why, what we apply in terms of training principles, works. Conflict with the horse comes when we begin to imagine or anticipate how they feel based on our emotional make up - horses react, the react to stimuli, and we must learn how to best channel the horses natural reactions, its movements and desires ... if we are to be successful with our beloved horse.
Effective communication means that what we use in terms of movement, motivation, around our horse must be consistent - if we are able to be understood by the horse.
To understand the horse better - to tap into his world, we need to know what it likes etc., known as the ‘Primary Re-inforcers’, (e.g. food, water, comfort, play, liberty, sex, companionship, sanctuary). Now we can begin to understand how horses learn, what we can do to motivate them to our bidding.
The Psychologists and Behaviourists call this Learning Theory. Learning allows the horse to use information about their surroundings to tailor their responses to environmental changes or stimuli.
‘Training promotes new responses by drawing out desirable innate behaviours
and suppressing undesirable ones’
To be continued: Still under construction