Horses, Kids & Positive Reinforcement: A Look at Learning Together

Over Easter I had the absolute joy of spending time with my 4-year-old niece around the horses. Watching her eyes light up when she met Elly, Thunder, Ninja and the others made me stop and think… How can we teach kids about horses in a way that’s kind, safe, and fun for everyone involved, human and horse alike?

It also made me reflect on how I was taught.

When I was a kid (back in the days of the dinosaurs), the vibe was very much “the horse does what he is told.” If he didn’t, you made him. Enter lots of pressure, pushing, pulling, kicking, and not a lot of listening. To the horse or to me, for that matter!

I wish I’d learned differently. I wish someone had shown me that horses are sentient, that they communicate with us all the time, if only we take the time to listen.

When kids come into the horse world, the first thing most grown-ups worry about is safety. And fair enough, horses are big, powerful animals. But when we get anxious, it can lead to harsh handling, harsher equipment, and pushing kids (and horses) in ways that don’t feel good to anyone.

Here’s the good news: It doesn’t have to be that way.

Yes, safety matters. Absolutely. So let’s start there:

- Get a properly fitted helmet and a sturdy pair of boots. This is non-negotiable and should be part of the ritual. Not a boring rule, but something that makes the child feel confident and prepared.

- Supervise and guide but do it in a way that builds trust and understanding, not fear.

Real safety isn’t about control, it’s about clarity. Clear expectations, good communication, and teaching kids to observe and understand horses, not just ride them.

One of the best things we can teach kids is that horses aren’t toys or machines — they’re living, feeling beings with their own thoughts, preferences, and needs.

So let’s flip the script. Instead of asking, “What can this horse do for me today?” let’s ask:

- What can I learn about this horse today?

- How can I make this a good experience for both of us?

- What does my horse need right now; physically, emotionally, and socially?

Start with simple things. Show them how to read body language — ears, eyes, tails, posture. Teach them that horses, just like people, can feel relaxed, anxious, curious, or unsure.Teach them that we can respond when it’s required, by showing the horse we are listening, and that we can see, adjust, and respond with empathy.

Just like with our horse learners, we need to meet our human learners where they’re at. If a child is nervous or unsure, which is totally normal when the “classroom” is a 500kg animal, respect that. Let them set the pace.

- Keep sessions short

- Make them fun and engaging

- Encourage questions (even the “silly” ones!)

- Celebrate tiny wins — they’re not tiny to your learner

- Allow space for reflection — “How did that feel? What do you think the horse was saying?”

And remember being brave doesn’t mean pushing through fear. It means feeling safe enough to explore new things, knowing you can stop or step back anytime.

The ultimate goal? A real partnership. One based on trust, open communication, and mutual understanding.

When we teach kids this way, with compassion, curiosity, and kindness, we’re not just shaping great horse people. We’re raising empathetic, observant, respectful humans. And let’s be honest, the world could always use more of those.

So here’s to slowing down, tuning in, and helping the next generation learn that the best way to be with horses, is be *with* horses. Side by side.

Because today’s kids are tomorrow’s handlers, trainers, and teachers. The way we introduce them to horses now shapes the kind of horse world they’ll help create later. So let’s start them off on the right foot — with empathy, understanding, and a deep respect for the animals they’re learning to love.

Let’s raise a new generation of thoughtful, force-free horse lovers.

Written by Emma Lanera and the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee

***For safety reasons PPGA strongly recommends kids wear approved horse riding helmets for all equine activities, not just riding.

Do you have nice plans for the weekend?

How many of your plans involve sharing food with those close to you?

A meal out with friends perhaps? Weekly Sunday roast with parents and family?

Birthday celebration – better pick up a box of chocolates to take as a gift.

Comfort food – a hot bowl of soup on a cold wet night.

Or coffee, biscuits and a much enjoyed get together with those special friends.

You get the idea - All those good memories intertwined with food, and sharing food

Let's talk about using food as an aid in horse training. Gasp – horror!!

How many times have you heard people make (false) claims such as –

*Oh you can’t use food with horses it makes them bite

*They are too big to control with food

*No it won't work with horses as they are prey animals

*You can't hand feed a horse it will make him spoilt and pushy

*He won't respect you if you feed him treats

And many more……

Lets discount operant conditioning just for a moment –

WHY would you wish to miss out on all those feel good vibes associated with using food?

Sharing food makes us feel good, it will certainly make your horse feel good too.

Your horse is going to make many associations within his training session.

If you use food reinforcement for behaviour - the food is good, doing this behaviour is good, the training session is good, the human supplying the food is good!

Associative learning is HUGE, with way more ramifications than you often think.

Conversely, training with aversives; the horse doesn’t like the aversives (stating the obvious here!) and then you AND the behaviour you are training are ALSO associated with the aversives.

Surely we all want our learners (horses) to enjoy their learning? Enjoy their training?

Enjoy their food rewards? Enjoy being with you?

Back to Operant Learning – we all know that R+ learning occurs more quickly and with less stress than R- training or balanced training. We won’t even mention the fallout from punishment here. We also know that participation {1} and discretionary effort is much greater with R+

Working to attain something we desire is WAY MORE fun than working to avoid something we dislike. Active participation versus ‘you have to’ - No competition!

Why on earth would we wish to waste the benefits of food training? And why on earth would we consider using a method that not only is less pleasant, but is also less effective?

For those still doubting, a 2010 study found no evidence of increased biting or mugginess following hand feeding, or in clicker trained horses. {2}

And; Spoiler Alert -

Human animals (children!) aren't born with good food manners either –

they are taught how to behave around food and what is expected from them

We can teach horses the same!

Teach them to wait politely for food, take food gently, and wait calmly. A good first lesson!!

Use your food rewards to teach your horse how to behave calmly around food, and a huge world of better training efficiency, better ethics, and better associations opens up. Your horse will learn more quickly, enjoy the learning more, and enjoy being with you more too!

{1} Negative versus positive reinforcement: An evaluation of training strategies for

rehabilitated horses

Lesley Innes, Sebastian McBride

{2} Unwanted oral investigative behaviour in horses:

A note on the relationship between mugging behaviour, hand-feeding titbits

and clicker training

Jo Hockenhull Creighton 2010

Written by Vicki Conroy & the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee

When I see the way horses are often educated, I wonder how they learn anything at all.

A common example is when trying to load a horse onto a float.

One bit of advice that’s regularly shared is to make it ‘easier’ to be near the float and much harder to be away from it. This is achieved by applying an aversive for any activity that’s moving away from the float. A common suggestion is to tap with a whip, or to attach a rope, and loop it around the back end of the horse.

Horses are labelled as ‘stubborn’ for not loading. So immediately, the owner's frame of mind is set that the horse knows what the correct action is, and is deliberately choosing not to perform that action, just for the sake of it.

In this circumstance, most horses will be displaying some level of behaviour to indicate that they’re scared.

They’ll toss their head, snort, nostrils wide and eyes like saucers as the owner leads them towards an enclosed space that moves and creaks and provides no escape. When the owner continues to pull them forwards, the horse will often try backing up.

Enter, the aversive.

Either a consistently tapping whip on their flank or rump. Or a rope tightening around their hindquarters.

If they continue going backwards, the pressure escalates. The only relief (NOT reward) is when they step forwards. (Negative Reinforcement)

With a frustrated handler – the tapping can escalate to big ‘smacks’ (Positive Punishment)

What have they learnt here? Backwards isn’t an option. Their body language, one of the only tools of communication they have, isn’t being listened to. Their worry about the float hasn't changed at all. If anything, the fear has risen as they continue to have no choice in the matter.

Now consider training it with positive reinforcement.

Depending on what the starting point is for your horse, you’ll likely want to utilise some classical conditioning and desensitisation throughout this process.

Depending on how much training you’ve done before, it can be helpful to get your horse comfortable with a number of different elements before even approaching the float.

Things like uneven surfaces, walking up and down ramps, reversing off ramps, walking through and stopping in tight spaces, etc.

In this scenario we’ll keep it simple. The horse has no previous history with floats and is familiar with a clicker. Over multiple short sessions you can click and treat for any interest or interaction with the float.

The float will be open, with no middle barrier and often with the front door secured open to allow light and air in freely, but to prevent it banging suddenly. You can move on to clicking and treating for investigating and standing on the ramp.

Throughout this process it’s good to keep sessions short and keep a close eye on your horse's body language. Always aim to stop before the horse is showing any signs of being uncomfortable or worried. You don’t want to coerce your horse into coming too far onto the float before they’re comfortable doing so.

In this second scenario (R+) you’re accomplishing several things. Your horse is calm and should understand what you’re asking for, you’re building a positive association with you and the float, and it won’t be a stressful experience for either of you.

Now think back to the most common advice to horse owners - apply escalating aversives, and force them into compliance. Give your horse no other safe option. Disregard their body language, no matter how clearly they’re telling you that they are scared and uncomfortable.

I’ve done both. But I’m never doing one of them again.

Written By Madi Holmes & the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee

* For safety reasons, only float train while a car is attached to the float.

Many years ago when I first started dabbling in Positive Reinforcement (R+) for horses, my training approach landed me in a hole!

I didn’t know as much back then. I had indulged for a few years in R+ training with my dogs, but I had good mentors, lots of help, and the resources for dog training were more plentiful.

I had been stuck in traditional Negative Reinforcement (R-) for horses, until Ian Dunbar at a dog seminar mentioned horses and R- in the same sentence.

Duh! Penny dropped!

Research led me to a yahoo equine clicker training list (this was before facebook!)

Back then the behaviours we were advised to teach first, or safety behaviours, were ‘head away’ and ‘back up’ Head away to prevent mugging, and backup to prevent crowding. Seemed sensible.

Today we advise ‘Face Forward’ instead of head away, as a head turn can be a displacement behaviour. In addition, face forward, or head in neutral position, can prevent a fidgeting horse, and possible dangerous head swings. Neutral position is also better than contrived, especially for behaviours that can have duration.

Today we are also advised to start our R+ journey with our horse in Protected Contact, until we have taught Food manners, and ‘Stand Politely’ I certainly learnt why these changes were made.

Back then I also had no idea how much of a quick study horses were!!

My first attempt with a young yearling - Two clicks and his ‘head away’ was in place! Those eyeballs strained so hard to get closer, but the head stayed in the right position

Typical me, life happened and I got distracted doing doggie stuff. A year later I was wandering around the paddock with my sister, when I noticed the same young colt, on the other side of the fence, clearly doing head away with his eyeballs strained as close as he could possibly get them – it blew me away how long he had retained this with no subsequent training, AND that he was using it to try to get my attention! Okay, he was probably trying to gain reinforcement!!

Well that was my incentive to get back into R+ training for horses, so I started with the same colt, plus his friend, and decided to teach ‘back up’ via shaping.

Not a silly decision, I thought! Well both boys again proved to be quick studies, and picked up this ‘take a few steps back’ lark and get a treat. Whoo hoo I was good

The next day I went out in the paddock just for some ‘time together’ stuff with the boys, and tried to pat them. Oops!

How can you pat a horse that is backing away from you? Both boys did such great backups I couldn’t get a hand on either of them!

Back to the yahoo list for advice!

Yes – for each behaviour you teach, teach an equal and opposite behaviour!!

Planning - what will be the outcome of this behaviour I am going to teach?

What are the possible pitfalls? What can I do to alleviate or avoid problems?

Solution –

Teach come forward. Teach stand still.

Teach ‘Touch a target’ (can be used for either come forward, back up or stand still)

What did I learn apart from the fact my horses are smarter than me?

The lesson you plan sometimes includes a lesson for yourself!

Or - Exactly who is teaching who?

Written by Vicki Conroy & the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee

* For safety reasons PPGA strongly advises to not leave headcollars on unattended horses

One of the most common reasons people think training with positive reinforcement isn't reliable is: "The treats in your pocket will never compete with every distraction and trigger in the real world!"

It's an understandable concern. We've all seen, and perhaps tried, waving a carrot or bucket of feed under a horse's nose to lure them into a float (trailer), or to coax an escapee back into the paddock - and seen that fail about as often as it succeeds.

It all comes down to a huge misunderstanding about how positive reinforcement (R+) works. It's not the treat in your pocket competing with everything the horse might find distracting, tempting or worrying - it's the reinforcement history and the positive association (positive conditioned emotional response / CER+) the horse has developed to your cues as a *result* of all the treats you've previously given, strengthening and maintaining the behaviours you need.

That history is exponentially more powerful than the value of any particular treat you might offer in the moment. This is why positive reinforcement is not only used for pets and tricks (as is often claimed), but also to train animals doing a huge variety of important, serious and often life-saving work, who must do long sequences of trained behaviour, in highly distracting and sometimes frightening or dangerous environments, with little to no reinforcement until they've completed the whole task. R+ training has proven to be extremely reliable with dogs, birds, dolphins (in the open ocean), the Apopo landmine detection rats and various others. This really does work with horses too - the principles of learning apply to all animals.

Like any training, it has to be done properly to be as effective as possible. But that doesn't mean you need to be an amazingly skilled trainer with years of experience to start achieving brilliant results with your own animals. It means you need a solid foundation in the basic (most important!) knowledge and skills, and to get in there and actually practice and do the training.

Every single time something "hasn't worked" with my own animals, it's been down to me being a lazy trainer and not having actually DONE enough training. Not a failure of R+ itself.

There are many more times R+ has come through, and shocked even me with just how effective it is.

One of many times I discovered exactly how powerful force free, R+ training can be was the day I discovered four of my horses had escaped their paddock. I found them way down the road, munching away happily on an abundance of lush green grass.

They came to me as soon as I called them, thanks to recall training and practice training on grass.

I had no halters or lead ropes with me, and no decent treats. All I had was half a pocket of fairly boring pellets.

My preference would have been to have something higher value, and a lot of it. Not to lure them along, but to reinforce such amazing behaviour in a situation where they had so many temptations and so much freedom, and still chose to do as I asked.

All four, without hesitation, followed me away from the open paddock full of delicious grass and along the road. All for the occasional bland pellet, which I was very stingy with, trying to ensure I didn't run out. Not because they'd stop following if I did - but because it was important to reinforce actually going back into their paddock at the end.

Two of them walked along calmly, while the other two had some fun jumping up and down the banks at the side of the road, just like dogs enjoying an off lead walk. But they stayed with me and came to target my hand when I needed them to stick close while we went around a bend in the road.

This happened thanks to lots of practice "leading" - first with no equipment, and then with the halter and lead on but never used to apply pressure as negative reinforcement or positive punishment. For a R+ trained horse the behaviour should be the same and they should follow cues regardless of equipment, because the equipment isn't there or needed for control.

I do understand the naysayers. Many people have trouble with horses even using the aversive methods humans have been "perfecting" for centuries. How could force free training alone possibly be reliable and safe? The scientific evidence about how and why positive reinforcement works with all species, in combination with the real world experience of those of us who use it, shows that it absolutely does.

Written by Kate Shaw and the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee

Puberty for my young colt Dustin approached quickly – time to practise those cooperative care procedures, hoping my plan for what I would need was good!

Wearing of a headcollar was in place, but no cues for leading or turning had been introduced or transferred to the headcollar, so we were left with target leading to get from A to B. At the time this omission seemed to not matter, but it did cause a minor problem due to the effects of sedative.

My main focus to prepare had been training for the intravenous (IV) injection, and in my youngsters case, training to allow a non-me (and male!) human to approach and perform the IV routine.

The other behaviour I envisaged needing (and had started training) was ‘stationary head’ training, to incorporate head still while the catheter was placed and the two injections were administered –

I started off with my modified chin rest, really a jaw rest, my cupped left hand positioned under his jaw where a cavesson noseband would go, with no weight in my hand. Once this behaviour was progressing, I then added my other hand to the front of his face (or where a blaze would run) after my under jaw hand was in place. Pause, click, treat.

My main focus with this boy had been ‘polite treat taking’, as adolescent males can sometimes be mouthy, plus teaching an equine how to behave calmly around food is really a much needed foundation behaviour.

Dustin was also a big boy, and a little gumby as he was growing, so a lot of my training had been with him in “Protected Contact” but basically with him behind a barrier. This kept us both safe, me from the accidental head swing or foot tread contact, him from my bad timing!

During training there was hay and grass available, and I was using pellets that were part of his diet as his reinforcement. Criteria for reinforcement was head in straight forward, or neutral position. Regardless of where I was. Face forward, neutral, working toward waiting calmly.

Well it turns out I had done so much of this, that while the Vet was preparing his gear, he noticed how still Dustin was with his head over the gate, and said "he is so still we could almost inject him there” so we did! His ‘stationary head’ was so good he didn’t even notice the needle!

Here was our only problem, once sedated our target leading failed to be effective enough for quick positioning – we needed to turn him to stand in the shade of the tree for the General Anaesthetic. Half way had to be good enough!

Apart from my turning over-sight, the whole procedure was calm and stress free (for equine and Vet, if not for the owner worrying if her training had been sufficient!)

Dustin stood quietly for his injections, sat on his brisket once awake for his recovery (his friends were quietly eating hay in the next yard in sight), and got up quietly an hour later.

A good outcome; and a good introduction to positive reinforcement co-operative care for our local veterinarian.

Written By Vicki Conroy & the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee

Food is a primary reinforcer. By which I mean, it's something that horses require to survive. Other primary reinforcers are things like water and sleep.

While it would be rather unethical to use water or sleep as a reinforcer, food is a very valuable tool when working with your horse.

"But isn't that just bribery - I want my horse to work for ME"

No living animal is intrinsically motivated by a desire to please us. The most common alternative to using food and positive reinforcement is to use pressure, punishment and fear.

In horse training this is often referred to as pressure and release training. An example of this would be keeping tension on the lead rope until the horse walks forward, at which point you drop the tension and the horse gets relief. Great! She has learned to walk forwards.

Have you ever tried this with a horse and not gotten the expected response? You’re pulling forwards, you obviously want them to walk forwards, right?

Well, for a horse, it’s not always that obvious. Many horses will feel the pressure and pull back against it, looking for relief (and a quick exit from your company). What then? Hmm, maybe tapping a whip on their rump will help them get the message. Ah, that’s got it. Now they’re walking forwards. You just needed to put some weight on the lead rope (Negative Reinforcement) and a whip (This is getting close to being Positive Punishment).

Imagine someone had a solid grip on your arm until you did.. something?? But you don't know what. You don't speak the same language as this other person, and they're not giving you any clues as to what will get them to let go. The relief you might feel when the grip finally does ease, would also be accompanied by negative feelings towards that person, and probably a reluctance to keep being near them. (Why is my horse so hard to catch?!)

Along with that tension and negativity, the other main issue with using this tactic is that you as the trainer always need to be the scariest thing in the vicinity. You might have a great grip on them, but suddenly when an air horn goes off, their first instinct will be to evade that bigger and scarier noise. In this scenario, the horse is unlikely to look to you to help them. You're the pressure person, and they want safety.

When you start training with positive reinforcement, multiple things will occur.

You’ll begin to develop a reinforcement history that will aid you in future emergencies. Sometimes trainers refer to this as adding some coins into the ‘trust account’.

You’ll begin to develop a Positive Conditioned Emotional Response, shortened to +CER. By frequently engaging in an activity your horse enjoys (positive reinforcement training), YOU yourself become a sign that something good could be about to happen. This +CER is a result of Classical Conditioning, you’ve heard of Pavlov’s dogs?

Next time you take some carrots to the paddock, think about how you’re using them. Are you feeding them at random? Can you use them to reinforce a behaviour you like? Try leaving the whip at home and see what you can accomplish only using the primary reinforcer of food.

It's knowing how horses learn, and teaching them in a way that makes pressure and intimidation unnecessary - it’s not a bribe!

Written by Madi Holmes and the PPGA Equine Sub-Committee

When we think about horse welfare, we often focus on physical health—good nutrition, hoof care, and exercise. But true welfare goes beyond the physical. A horse that is physically healthy but mentally broken or struggling is not a happy horse. Fear, stress, and loneliness can be just as damaging as malnutrition or injury.

When we observe wild horses, we see them living in strong, stable herds—where they form deep bonds, communicate constantly, and rely on each other for safety and comfort. Our domesticated horses share these same instincts and needs. When we isolate them in stables or paddocks or constantly change their social groups, we disrupt their ability to feel secure and at ease.

Many of us in Australia rely on agistment for our horses. While full-time stabling is less common here than in other parts of the world, many agistment setups have limited options, often offering only individual paddocks. Even when horses are kept in group paddocks, there is often continual change, with herd members coming and going. This instability disrupts social bonds and can lead to stress, anxiety, and even difficulty adjusting to situations or changes in daily life.

Horses are playful, curious, and deeply social. They need to roll in the mud, scratch on a fence post, and play with their herd. These natural interactions are essential for their well-being. If living through Covid and lockdown taught us anything, it’s how detrimental isolation can be to mental health. Horses are no different! They need companionship, choice, and control over their social interactions to truly thrive.

Promoting Stable Herd Environments for Better Welfare

While many of us may be limited in what we can offer due to time, budget and/or agistment restrictions, we can still advocate for better living conditions:

✅ Choosing options that offer consistent herd environments rather than frequent social disruptions.

✅ Encouraging agistment providers to prioritise long-term herd stability over constantly shifting paddock groups.

✅ Supporting the idea that horses should have companionship, choice, and control over their social interactions whenever possible.

Why a Stable Herd Matters:

✔ Social Bonds & Emotional Security – A consistent herd structure allows horses to form deep relationships, reducing anxiety and stress.

✔ Reduced Stress & Anxiety – When horses don’t have to adjust to ever-changing paddock mates, they become more resilient in daily life.

✔ More Choice & Control – Allowing horses to choose who they interact with, where they rest, and how they move helps create happier, more confident animals.

✔ Safety & Comfort – A stable herd provides natural security, reducing fear and reactivity.

✔ Fewer Behavioural Issues – Without social frustration, horses are less likely to develop vices like cribbing, weaving, or fence-walking.

Providing species-appropriate living conditions should be a priority in how we care for our horses. By promoting stable herd environments, despite our limitations, we can improve their mental and emotional well-being.

Let’s give our horses the life they deserve—one filled with companionship, choice, and security. "

Welcome to the Pet Professional Guild Australia Blog page.

The PPG Australia is a membership organisation representing pet industry professionals who are committed to science-based, force-free training and pet care. We have pet trainers (dogs, cats, birds and equine), veterinary behaviourists, dog walkers, groomers, and even people involved in doggy day care.

We are an official branch of the Pet Professional Guild, a worldwide organisation committed to advocating, educating and encouraging improvements in companion animal welfare through the use of fear free techniques.

We look forward to providing regular tips, tricks and thought provoking articles to help you learn more about your animal’s behaviour and how we can help them learn and have enriching lives.

So, I hope you will join us on this blog as delve into different training topics on a regular basis.

First off, there will be a post by Maddi Holmes from our equine sub committee. Enjoy!

- Sarah Campbell, President