Have you ever been told that you cannot train a horse by using food as a reward? Have you also been warned that you should never, ever feed a horse by hand or you risk turning him into an obnoxious biter?
Such statements sound sensible and true. Yet our experiences at the Equine Research Foundation have shown that food can be a highly successful motivator for horses when used correctly. The operative word here is correctly!
If you don't, the second statement can become a grim reality. When we don't thoroughly understand the principles behind the practice or misuse the techniques, we can create dangerous, unpleasant behaviors. This is why it is imperative to do it right the first time.
Great "PR"
- Divide your horse's favorite snack food items into small, equal portions.
- Use an easy-access pouch to store the rewards.
- Establish a "bridge" signal which is crisp, clear and consistent, and connect it to the food reward.
- Reinforce politeness, discourage rudeness, and use a safety barrier when training pushy horses.
- Watch carefully and time your bridge precisely, rewarding only when the horse is looking straight ahead or slightly away.
- Remain aware of all your horse's responses, and avoid rewarding any undesirable secondary behaviors.
Moreover, do not confuse food reinforcement with treat-giving. Food reinforcement is part of a learning process, whereas treats are meant to be extra little goodies. Treats should not be given during training and, if given inappropriately at other times, they can create all sorts of problems. With positive reinforcement-what we'll refer to throughout this story as "PR"-a horse learns to perform an action in order to receive something he desires, such as food, stroking, or praise.
Horses learn exceptionally well when we use food as a reward, because food satisfies a basic need. When we use positive reinforcement, horses become active participants in the training process, eagerly seeking the right answers. Dull horses brighten, sour horses turn sweet, and the underachiever suddenly moves to the head of the class.
Once training with food is understood and practiced to perfection, it becomes safe, fun, and an excellent complement to a natural approach to horsemanship.
Manners Come First
At the Equine Research Foundation, the first thing we teach in our PR clinics is how to instill perfect manners in the horses in the program. The goal is for a horse to stand quietly at liberty alongside his handler when that person has food. No pushing, mugging, or biting allowed.
One piece of equipment that we've found especially helpful is a belted pouch. The ones we provide to our clinic participants are 9" x 9" with a flap closure. We avoid using buckets because they are too big and familiar to horses. We also do not put food in our pockets.
