Shaping horse behavior is a lot like editing a video; you get what you save. But how do you “save” a behavior that you want to see more of? Reinforce it!
Reinforcement happens the instant the situation improves from the horse's perspective. Let's break this down with an example:
Imagine you're training a horse that seems keen on escaping from an object you're holding, like a tarp or a saddle. If the horse manages to run away, the outcome (getting away from the object) has improved the situation from his perspective. Consequently, the behavior of running away has been reinforced, making it more likely that the horse will attempt to run away again in the future under similar circumstances.
Here's where strategic reinforcement comes into play. In the original example, the horse, by creating distance between himself and the object, pressed the save button on his behavior of running away. Ugh! YOU wanted to control that save button. But how? Consider this: you manage the situation so that the horse, instead of running away, momentarily pauses or looks towards you, and THEN you remove the object. Bravo! You have just reinforced the horse’s behavior of looking at you. The horse still gets what he wanted, space between him and the object, but you controlled the “when.” You've pressed the save button on this new desirable behavior of your horse looking towards you. The result? If you‘re consistent, over time, you’ll get more looking at you and less running away.
Here are some helpful hints about the save button:
Timing is everything: The reinforcement must be immediate. If there's a delay, the horse might not associate the reward with the correct behavior.
Add positive attention: Adding praise and giving your horse a good scratch in his favorite spots can help solidify the saved behavior.
Be consistent: Consistently reinforcing the desired behavior every time it occurs helps your horse form a strong association.
Avoid unintentional reinforcement: Don’t accidentally reinforce behaviors you wish to eliminate! If a horse behaves undesirably and you inadvertently reinforce that behavior (e.g., by backing off), you are encouraging your horse to behave that way again in the future.
In horse training, the behaviors you reinforce today are the behaviors you will see more of tomorrow. So, be aware and choose wisely! Remember, you get what you save.
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