Knowing Your Horse

Is your horse afraid of the farrier? Are you both struggling during training sessions? Do you want to use clicker training but don t know where to begin? If you understand how your horse learns and why your training is effective, you can train faster, more ethically, and more sympathetically. Knowing Your Horse will be a key resource if you want to better understand your horse s behaviour and make the most of that understanding to improve your training techniques. Knowing Your Horse gives you a range of practical tools to employ in solving equine behaviour problems, and training tasks and case studies demonstrate these tools in use. Emma Lethbridge thoroughly but simply explains learning theory as applied to horses, and offers practical advice on reward systems, positive and negative reinforcement, and overcoming fears and phobias. If it s not horses but humans that are causing you problems in training, this book will also help you to explain the concepts to other people. Learning recaps offer quick summaries and training logs are provided for your own training notes.

Is your horse afraid of the farrier? Are you both struggling duringtraining sessions? Do you want to use clicker training butdon't know where to begin?If you understand how your horse learns and why your training iseffective, you can train faster, more ethically, and moresympathetically. Knowing Your Horse will be a key resource if youwant to better understand your horse's behaviour and make themost of that understanding to improve your trainingtechniques.Knowing Your Horse gives you a range of practical tools toemploy in solving equine behaviour problems, and training tasks andcase studies demonstrate these tools in use. Emma Lethbridgethoroughly but simply explains learning theory as applied tohorses, and offers practical advice on reward systems, positive andnegative reinforcement, and overcoming fears and phobias. Ifit's not horses but humans that are causing you problems intraining, this book will also help you to explain the concepts toother people. Learning recaps offer quick summaries and traininglogs are provided for your own training notes.

ForewordDedicationAcknowledgementsIntroductionChapter 1 The Principles of Good Horse TrainingTen Basic Principles of Good HorsemanshipLearning recapChapter 2 Does Classical Conditioning Ring a Bell?Different Stimuli and Response TermsTraining Task: How to Classically Condition Your HorseSpecific Training SituationsLearning recapMy training logChapter 3 Living With the ConsequencesOperant ConditioningApplying Simple Operant ConditioningTraining Task: 'Don't Mug Me' TrainingLearning recapMy training logChapter 4 All Possible ConsequencesDefining Positive and Negative ConsequencesReinforcementPunishmentWhich Consequence?Learning recapChapter 5 Other Laws and Factors in LearningThe Final Law - ExtinctionUnderstanding Generalisation and Discrimination Learning inTrainingLearning recapChapter 6 The Power of Positive ReinforcementWhat Can Be a Positive Reinforcer?Which Reinforcer Should I Use?When to RewardTraining Using Positive ReinforcementLearning recapTraining Task: Using Positive Reinforcement to Teach the Back,the Heel, the Stay, the Recall and the YieldTraining Task: Teaching the Head Down and Placement using theTarget LureMy training logChapter 7 The Sound of Learning - ClickerTrainingWhat is Clicker Training?The Training GameTarget TrainingThe Secrets of Clicker SuccessLearning recapTraining Task: Using Clicker TrainingMy training logChapter 8 Negative Reinforcement - ReinforcementThrough EscapePressure-Release TrainingThe Important Factors for Applying Negative ReinforcementEthicallyWhen Not to Use Negative ConditioningAvoidance LearningIs Every Physical Contact with the Horse NegativeReinforcement?Combining Positive and Negative ReinforcementAdding Cues and CommandsLearning recapTraining Task: Using Negative Reinforcement ThroughPressure-ReleaseMy training logChapter 9 Understanding PunishmentThe Side Effects and Problems of PunishmentApplying Punishment (Minimising the Side Effects)Is it Possible to Train a Horse Without the Use ofPunishment?Learning recapChapter 10 How to Deal with Unwanted Behaviours Without UsingPunishmentThe Simplest and Hardest Option - Ignoring the HorseCounter ConditioningDriven to DistractionA Final NoteLearning recapCase Studies: Alternative Ways to Correct UnwantedBehaviourMy training logChapter 11 Step by StepShapingChainingApplying ShapingTraining Task: ShapingTraining Task: More Complicated Shaping - Teaching theSpanish WalkApplying ChainingConclusionLearning recapMy training logChapter 12 Overcoming Fears and PhobiasPrevention Is Better Than CureOvercoming Established Fears and PhobiasHabituationFloodingSystematic DesensitisationCounter ConditioningCombining Systematic Desensitisation and CounterConditioningLearning recapCase Studies: Helping Horses Overcome Their FearsMy training logChapter 13 Learning with CharacterDoes the Sex of the Horse Affect Learning Ability?The Effect of Age on Learning AbilityDoes Social Status Affect Learning?Nature Verses NurtureLearning recapReferences and Furthern Reading.Index