[Picture caption: woman sits on chestnut horse who isn’t wearing any equipment]
I obtained a personal message from somebody asking my opinion on getting ready a horse to be ridden for the primary time utilizing constructive reinforcement (R+), with out the usage of any tack or tools. This can be a topic on which I’ve had sturdy opinions for some time however have by no means shared publicly. This felt like a superb alternative to air a few of my issues, within the hopes that by doing so it probably prevents each horses and folks from experiencing conditions which might end in bodily or behavioural accidents.
Background
As a former teacher and horse coach, I’ve began (and restarted) horses beneath saddle utilizing what many would name horsemanship strategies:
•I’ve systematically ready horses by groundwork coaching and desensitization to tack/tools earlier than using
•I’ve taught them cues to maneuver their our bodies ahead and backwards or transfer one a part of their physique in isolation (hindquarters, forequarters and so on.).
•I’ve taught them to yield their our bodies to the texture of sunshine pressures, from my bodily contact and tools reminiscent of halters & leadrope, in addition to ‘steered’ strain, from my physique or tools reminiscent of flags.
Briefly, earlier than I swing my leg over their backs for the primary time, I do my finest to make sure that they’ve been taught to calmly settle for any path I may have to offer them as soon as I’m on them.
I do that as a result of I’ve each witnessed and personally skilled the ability – and fallout – of an ill-prepared horse being ridden. This usually ends in bodily and/or behavioural accidents to each horse and human. For instance, regardless of me pondering I had adequately ready a horse (when clearly, I had not), one eventful trip resulted in me sustaining a fracture to my thoracic vertebrae and the horse creating a powerful concern of individuals falling off when he bucked exhausting.
Regardless of superb preparation, ‘life’ can nonetheless occur when a horse is initially ridden: the neighbour sparks up her chainsaw; a canine runs into the world by the opening within the fence; or, as has occurred to me, a horse tied up outdoors the world pulls again exhausting or somebody driving down the street paintballs the aspect of the world through which you might be using. In such moments, I’ve been grateful that I took the time to show my horse to calmly settle for tools that aids in me directing their physique in order that I might make use of quick response prevention.
Response prevention is ‘the process of altering the setting to forestall undesirable behaviour from occurring’ (Probability, P. 2003). Response prevention just isn’t punishment, however it may be an efficient, low-stress various to forestall undesirable behaviours occurring. In conditions reminiscent of those described above, response prevention is used to forestall a small startle response from turning into a extra catastrophic chain response of behaviour: the horse startles and spooks, the rider slips, the horse sees and feels this alteration of place and bolts, the rider falls off. The rider is bodily (and probably behaviourally) injured, and the horse has been subjected to a preventable scenario the place concern conditioning quickly happens.
Using tools on a horse for his or her first trip does not assure that bodily or behavioural accidents will not happen. However by response prevention, tools, very similar to the fence round an area the place a horse is began, completely can reduce any hurt that will happen.
I perceive absolutely how new trainers could discover it a powerfully interesting image to see a horse being began beneath saddle utterly equipment-free. Nonetheless, as a medical animal behaviourist and IAABC licensed horse behaviour advisor, I really feel strongly that such footage fail to think about the potential unintended, harmful ramifications for each horses and people. For individuals and horses, some accidents cannot ever actually be healed. Bodily or behavioural scars could stay. Regardless of the usage of evidence-based, low-stress behaviour modification methods to assist horses overcome behavioural accidents, relapse of discovered fears is unfortunately frequent. This can be a actuality, it doesn’t matter what quadrant we could attempt to make use of when beginning a horse. Lots of my purchasers face this actuality once we work collectively to assist their horses overcome a variety of discovered fears.
In abstract, I really feel strongly that we owe it to each the horses and the great era of latest, R+ horse trainers to color a special image of low-stress coaching: one which additionally considers minimizing potential trauma by response prevention.