When Can I Stop Using a Whip?
No beginner ever asked me, in the 15 years of teaching dressage... I wonder why...
When Can I Stop Using Treats in Clicker Training My Horse?
This is one of the most asked questions of novice clicker trainers…
Why?
How Reinforcement Works
In the training phase, the horse needs to figure out how ‘we work’.
He’s learning to avoid or stop receiving an aversive stimulus (a tap of the whip). Or, in clicker training, how he can earn an appetitive stimulus (treat).
Taking away the aversive is strengthening a behaviour.
Adding an appetitive is strengthening a behaviour.
In the Beginning, We Use Our Stimulus Frequently
In Natural Horsemanship, the aversive is usually increased until the horse figures out how to avoid it by anticipating it through his behaviour.
In Clicker Training, we use a high Rate of Reinforcement: we click and offer treats (or other things the horse values) a lot.
Then, the Horse Learns
He understands what we want.
This is the time we can fade out the use of aversive or appetitive stimuli.
This is the time we can ride horses without whips, and stop using clicks & teats, to get the behaviours we want.
Training Takes Time and Skill
We need to understand that most behaviours benefit us more than the horse!
Therefore, when we want to keep the behaviour strong, we still need to reinforce the behaviour once in a while.
Here’s how, using positive reinforcement (R+).
Reinforcing behaviour with (other) behaviour. This is called ‘chaining’ behaviours
Reinforce with non-food reinforcers. Lots of choices!
Reinforce with food
Or, a combination of the above.
In negative reinforcement (R-) training, this is the phase where you can stop using the whip. You might still need to keep the behaviour strong, using an aversive once in a while.
R- trained horses learn quickly how to do less, without receiving an unpleasant stimulus. This is why riders often never part with their whips, unless the horse gets too afraid of the whip.
R+ trained horses will often offer more, or better (longer duration/higher quality) behaviours in the hope of getting an appetitive.
That’s why you can create eager-to-please horses with positive reinforcement.
Read more about The phases in Horse Training here.
And, if R+ is not applied correctly, horses get overly excited or aroused. we need to avoid this at all costs.
That’s when frustration kicks in.
This is the phase to ask for help and get right back on track.
Happy Horse training! You are the trainer!
Sandra, the Canadian ClickerCoach
