Positive and Negative Reinforcement

by Elaine Polny
(Palgrave, Ontario, Canada)

A new day is dawning in horse training which is proving to be the most profound discovery ever.

I refer to those who have discovered that positive reinforcement methods are more effective, humane and get results faster than anything else we have yet to discover.

See our page on Clicker Training for a full explanation of the differences between positive and negative reinforcement. It will propel you to join the leading edge thinkers of today.

Using this profound tool to communicate with horses (and all animals) I now see much more clearly than ever before. Particularly the over use of negative reinforcement to such a degree that the end training results I witness from those who on the outside appear to be really great with horses fall short because without using positive reinforcement their methods based solely on negative reinforcement (which is Natural Horsemanship) cannot be considered completely gentle because they are based upon too much fear for the animal.

What I mean here is not just the use of negative reinforcement but the how far we will go in inflicting uncomfortable stimulus to get the desired result. In other words if we use negative reinforcement kindly we would never be inflicting pain. The ramification of applying any painful stimuli is we increase fear. And how on earth do we expect to have trust and respect if we interact with fear based methods?

I often think about those who have their horses lie down or sit and do tricks that on the outside entertain us but how these things were taught to the horse leaves me wondering if the price paid for our amusement was worth it for the horses well being.

The worst culprits are the race track industry and all competitive sports done with horses. In all of these situations the horses well being is not at the forefront at all. Let's face it, the horses are being used like a machine for our amusement, entertainment and financial winnings. Not to mention the stroking of the "human ego" in the process wanting recognition from peers. So no, I am not impressed when anyone tells me they "won" any competition especially when it is used as if to offer credibility for a trainer.

Recently a student (who used to compete with her horse) had an epiphany when she realized how freeing she felt when she no longer had this need or goal to compete or impress others with her horse. Suddenly her interactions with horses become more of a two way discussion like sharing time and a chat with a good friend rather than having to "work" on dressage movements or make that jump better. As an added bonus she realized she could hear what horses were trying to say to her more clearly too.

All of this is taking us one step closer to seeing who and what the animal kingdom is for mankind. Are we so arrogant to think that horses "need" training from us? Or is it time that we as humans respect who horses are from the core of their well being?

Discussing negative and positive reinforcement methods almost become a mute topic if we were to really look at this from a humanitarian perspective anyway. And the horse industry would be more willing to address positive methods to seek an improved life for all who share our physical experience on earth.

Elaine Polny
Training Horses Naturally