As prey animals, horses and ponies are very aware of their surroundings and are very quick learners. Horses are learning from us all the time, whether we intend to be teaching them anything or not. It’s very easy to teach them a bad habit without being aware that we have trained the habit at all! One day we notice our horse is doing something (not doing it) and that’s not what we want.
A common example is the horse who walks off as soon as the rider gets on, but before the rider is ready. If we often cut corners at home and walk off before our feet are in the stirrups, but then expect our horse to be patient and stand still while we adjust the girth when we are at an event, we will only confuse and frustrate our horse in a situation where its unsafe or dangerous to argue. It might sound tedious to ensure your horse stands still and waits for you to have your feet in the stirrups, and reins in hand before asking him to walk on every time you ride, but once that habit is in place, you can count on it, no matter where you go after that. Consistency and predictability are key, and it’s reassuring to horses. They love routine, they don’t even mind what the routine is, as long as it sticks, and any changes to it are made gradually.
If your horse always walks off without being asked, just ask him to stop, and wait one second, then move off again. Increase the time gradually over a few days (or even weeks if he’s really impatient!). There’s no need to be aggressive, loud or rough, just quietly and gently keep pausing for longer and longer until your horse relaxes. And then stay there a little while. Sing him a song.
No matter what animal you are training, positive reinforcement is the easiest, and usually quickest, method to get results. Some horses don’t understand why you keep stopping, and can get frustrated when you first change the routine they are used to (no longer walking off as soon as you are even halfway in the saddle!). But if you make that pause a really GOOD place to be – by giving your horse a sliver of carrot every time he stands still – even just for a moment initially, well, that pretty quickly becomes a GREAT place to stand and wait! He stops worrying about the change of routine, because something even better happened. And, most importantly, nothing BAD happened. We want our horses to feel good about themselves when they are with us, and especially when we are training them.
But isn’t that bribery? No – it isn’t. Bribery is someone waggling a carrot in front of your horse to get him to stop in the first place! It’s a valid technique in certain situations, and called Luring, but that’s not what we are talking about here. Giving him a bit of carrot when he has already done what you asked (responded correctly to your cue) is a reward. “Being left alone” or releasing the rein is not a reward. Its relief. This is negative reinforcement – when you are taking away something the horse doesn’t like. A reward is something the horse likes and he gets it after doing the right thing. Its saying YES to your horse.
What counts as a reward? Well, it’s up to your individual horse. It’s a reward for your horse, not what we think the horse should appreciate. Some horses are not very food oriented, but LOVE to be scratched. The horse chooses to be scratched, rather than fed a carrot. If the horse doesn’t like carrots, they won’t be a reward either, and you can offer something else. Whether you prefer to use positive or negative reinforcement for training, horses respond well to predictable humans (and other animals!). By being consistent in our own habits with our horses, we ensure that when its important – such as while riding on the roads, when something spooky happens at an event, or if a dog comes running up barking at us, our horse knows how to respond the way we want, because we have reliably set up those habits in the months or years before surprises happen.
Another way we are training bad habits – or, in reality, that our horse is training us – is the case of tiptoeing around our horse, because we don’t want to scare him. If you have ever found yourself making sure the rug is correctly folded to put it on your horse softly, and being ever so careful how you lift the tailgate on your horse float to keep your horse calm, you might be a victim of your horse training you!
Overdoing it is not helpful and can set a horse’s training back by flooding them with negative emotions, and turning training sessions sour. But gradually increasing exposure to scary things helps your horse build confidence and be braver. We all want a safe horse when we are in a dangerous situation, but that takes conscious preparation on our part – and this comes from simply building good habits and routines when with our horse. Getting your horse used to the occasional bang, such dropping the tailgate a bit higher from the ground than we usually would, and allowing him to approach and investigate a flapping object rather than reprimanding him for reacting to it will help him learn that its ok to stay calm and stay with you, even if he gets startled – you will keep him safe.
It is all in our habits! What habits have you taught your Horse? Or is your horse teaching you?
By: Karri Nadazdy- Animal Care Australia Horse & Livestock Representative. Originally published: March 2025 ACE Newsletter.
