Whispering Horse | Horse trainer

Whispering Horse

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Businesses
• Local service
• Pet service
• Coach
• Horse trainer

25.01.2022 A very interesting study was done to explore the concept of object directed curiosity in young equines, indicating improved cognitive processes/abilities later in life. What I found super interesting was the results of one of the tasks within the study. They found that only half the horses passed the test utilising Negative Reinforcement to elicit a behaviour. Then guess what??? NEARLY ALL the horses passed the test utilising Positive Reinforcement!! "The horses were also t...rained in two learning tasks when 10 to 12 months old. In the first, involving negative reinforcement, they had to learn to move away from pressure applied at an increasing rate on their hindquarter in 10 attempts. Half succeeded." "The positive reinforcement test was a visual discrimination task. The horse had to learn that only one of two distinct containers (differing in size, shape, colour and pattern) contained food, with the container’s positions switched. Nearly all the horses (39) passed." (That's 39 out of 44 horses) The study concluded: "The authors said their results are the first to suggest that novel object-directed curiosity could be central to cognitive performance in horses across different types of learning tasks; an association that has previously been demonstrated mainly in humans and primates." The result raises interesting questions in relation to fostering of curiosity and the impact of such manipulations on cognitive processes in domesticated animals. https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//curiosity-notable-factor-le/

25.01.2022 People keep horses in stables, or in yards, or in handkerchief sized paddocks alone. It's similar to keeping a Monarch butterfly like a Sea Monkey. "Conclusion: The distances travelled by feral horses were far greater than those previously observed for managed domestic horses and other species of equid. Feral horses are able to travel long distances and withstand long periods without water, allowing them to survive in semi-arid conditions."... https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com//j.2042-3306.2010.002

24.01.2022 More interesting information on yawning in equines. "Since a high frequency of yawning was related to increased frustration in horses kept in a restricted stabling environment (Fureix et al. 2011), it may also be supposed that the lower frequency of yawning in horses observed in undisturbed social groups may reflect increased welfare in equine groups living in favourable conditions satisfying their behavioural needs. Increased occurrence of yawning in domestic situations coul...d thus attract the attention of caretakers to make the alterations to improve the welfare of their horses. While the precise relationship between the causes, contexts and functionality of yawning remains to be explained, this study contributes to the general knowledge on this behavioural pattern in herbivores." https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00114-016-1395-7

23.01.2022 Does whipping horses hurt them? Some great reasons in the article, why we need to #ditchthewhip https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//ten-reasons-stop-whipping-r/

21.01.2022 What a great little video showing the training of a giraffe for hoof trims with Positive Reinforcement. I really like the way the trainer explains what she is doing and she is one patient lady. https://youtu.be/UGidFB_gzOk

20.01.2022 More work has been done since this was taken, but at least the track is virtually mud free year round! https://youtu.be/mpT2VnYx43c

20.01.2022 3,000 people now like my page and over 3.1k follow Whispering Horse! Thank you to everyone !

19.01.2022 Whilst we recognise that when used safely and responsibly, electric containment fencing for livestock and horses can be an acceptable intervention in terms of efficient and safe herd management, we would encourage further research into alternative, non-aversive interventions to contain livestock that do not have the potential to result in negative welfare outcomes. https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//hotwire-vet-body-seeks-alter/

19.01.2022 If you wouldn’t subject your dog to certain ‘tools’, why subject your horse or support or collaborate with others who do so??

18.01.2022 Shaping to build creativity. "Many clicker trainers play a game with their dogs that I have nicknamed "101 Things to Do with a Box" (or a chair, or a ball, or a toy). Using essentially the same procedure we used at Sea Life Park to develop "creativity" in a dolphin, in each session the dog is clicked for some new way of manipulating the object. For example, you might put a cardboard box on the floor and click the dog for sniffing it and then for bumping it with his nose, unti...l he's pushing it around the room. The next time, you might let the dog discover that pushing the box no longer gets clicked but that pawing it or stepping over the side and eventually getting into the box is what works. The dog might also come up with dragging the box, or lifting and carrying the box. One dog, faced anew with the challenge of the box game, got all his toys and put them into the box. Click! My Border terrier once tipped the box over onto herself and then scooted around under it, creating the spectacle of a mysterious traveling box. Everyone in the room laughed hysterically, which seemed to please her." Karen Pryor (Don't Shoot The Dog, 1984)

18.01.2022 This is a really interesting experiment that was videoed about Separation Anxiety - the bane of all equestrians!! I wouldn't call it R+ versus R- but more likely Counter Conditioning with some contingency on food, versus force. I didn't see any removal of aversives contingent on behaviour in the second scenario (R-). The horse basically had no choice and we could easily call it flooding and we can see how easily that can slip into traditional training, when the horse has ...no choice and no way to escape. I do experiments with my horse that has a strong R+ history and I get some very interesting results. It doesn't affect our relationship or training, as we have a very strong and long history of R+ and the results and her behaviour are very interesting. I often see how context specific some behaviour can be ie. how she can shut down in specific circumstances and be hugely enthusiastic and expressive in other contexts. https://youtu.be/16IKb7JEWXE

17.01.2022 Horses are not dogs. They don't enjoy chasing their food like dogs. They've spent millions of years finding their food lying around everywhere for them.... Yes they may sometimes have to work for it, such as digging it out of the snow or reaching up into the elusive branches above them. But they never have to chase it. It does not run away from them. Then there is play. Horses play with other horses. They play rough, they bite, they kick, they rear, they chase and then they stop and bite again. No horse ever, carried food in a bag and gave some to their horse friend and then said, "here chase me for the food and pretend we are playing!" If WE carry food at any time and feed it to the horse, via associative learning, we become paired with food, we represent to the horse, the possibility of acquiring food. Removing food contingently is potentially Negative Punishment. So even if you run and dodge and laugh and your horse chases you, they most likely think you have food and are trying to work out how to get it and may become frustrated and angry at why you are running away and removing it from their reach. They may be experiencing Extinction. This is not fun and it's not play for the horse. ***** See if you can spot the moment Mercedes transitions from enjoyment to something else. If you cannot see it, watch it again. #clickertraininghorses #positivereinforcementforhorses https://youtu.be/FDg9qREQbrk

17.01.2022 When an animal has discovered it cannot predict or control a situation, learned helplessness can occur, stopping the release of stress-induced, problem-solving dopamine, she explains. Whereas dopamine can flood three or four lobe areas in a healthy individual, the brain of one experiencing learned helplessness essentially suffers a dopamine drought. https://thehorse.com//the-slippery-slope-to-learned-helpl/

15.01.2022 It's very exciting to see they are developing a Fear Free Veterinary Certification Program for Equines now! Certified dog, cat and avian professionals can the...n go on to do a discounted KPA course on Positive Reinforcement training, (although there isn't one for equines yet) including how to apply this to training new behaviours, cooperative care, learning body language, etc. It would be pretty exciting to see KPA develop a course for equines as well!! Bring it on!

15.01.2022 A couple of simple stretches and some great advice. "Over time, you will get to know your horse’s body better. Each exercise session is an opportunity to evaluate their progress, watch how they respond and quickly notice when things are ‘not quite right’. If one day they are not as flexible as they were yesterday or a week ago, you have the opportunity to get these problems addressed before the rest of the body has to compensate too much." https://horsesandpeople.com.au/3-beneficial-stretches-for/

14.01.2022 Lookie what we built for the horsies!!!

13.01.2022 "In my life and work with horses I have come to appreciate one thing. Horses don’t wake up one day to make your life hard. They don’t want to be difficult. Horses want to have an easy life. They are flight animals that try and preserve energy as much as possible. Horses will exhibit high energy behaviour for a few reasons: mating, fight, flight and play. If a horse uses too much energy other than for survival it might get eaten by the next predator. The same thing is true for... showing pain." (Dr Lena Clifford, BVSc, PhD, Member IVCA) https://horsesandpeople.com.au/learn-to-recognise-the-subt/

13.01.2022 I can never share this one too much. If in doubt, look at the enironment/context, is the animal enjoying species specific living conditions, the Five Freedoms and Five Domains and is the behaviour excessive, repetitive or seemingly lacking in purpose for the animal?

13.01.2022 Opportunities to browse is important enrichment for equines

12.01.2022 #unlabelme #ditchdominance

10.01.2022 What does a Start Button look like? (I love the expression on her face and her clear enjoyment of the training even though it was raining.) Something that has really stood out as a big light bulb moment in my journey learning about Positive Reinforcement and force free training, is the concept of our horses offering behaviour and being active participants in their own training. ... I knew my horses were willing, I could see they were enthusiastic. But the difference between having the power to offer behaviour and something being done to us, no matter how subtle and how small the increments - well there's a big difference. I recall a time I was at the dentist. I'd skipped lunch and was rushed and stressed when I got there and then the full force of anxiety about the dentist hit me by the time I settled in the dentist's chair. My heart started pounding and I think I had a bit of a 'low sugar' moment as the adrenaline chewed up the last of my energy reserves. But I have a great dentist and seeing my discomfort, she supplied a quick energy replenishment and let me compose myself. What she then did was give me the option to stop or continue and I elected to continue. That in itself, in hindsight, is powerful - when given the freedom of choice, we can choose that which seems the harder choice. She advised me that at any time I felt uncomfortable and wanted to stop or needed a break, I could raise my hand and she would stop straight away. The thought alone, that I could halt proceedings at any moment and that I was a consenting and active participant, was the difference between electing to continue and not jumping up and heading home. As I lie there hearing the drill and the comforting encouragement of my dentist, I marvelled that I felt confident to continue and I reflected on the parallels with my horse training. There is a big difference between doing something to another being, no matter how kindly or well intentioned, subtle or systematic and having their active participation. This is the key to good training and good welfare. I hope you enjoy the little fun ad hoc video I made of Mercedes and myself. I could not have progressed without her willing and enthusiastic participation. This was a horse with an unhappy history with muzzles and she would become giraffe like and inflexible around muzzles in the past. I didn't necessarily aim for her to wear a muzzle, the training was 'just in case' and more to change her feeling about them. https://youtu.be/PAHoVcSiIGY

09.01.2022 The stories people tell themselves about whips, crops, carrot sticks, etc are very creative and don’t make a lot of sense. If it wasn’t having an effect on the horse, why would you carry one?? Photo Credit: Alize V Muckensturm @ Fairhorsemanship: Humane, science-based horse training

09.01.2022 Just as Skinner drives the car and Pavlov is the cans rattling behind, (Friedman) - environment, context and prior learning history influences behaviour, emotions are the cans rattling behind.

08.01.2022 I wrote recently about the horse's point of view in crossing over, this is a great write up from the human's point of view. There are always 2 learners in Positive Reinforcement training!

08.01.2022 Does your horse understand the click? The clicker is known as a bridging stimulus, it literally creates a bridge between the time the click or bridge or marker signal is used to mark behaviour and when the food (primary reinforcement) is delivered. The bridging stimulus or marker or signal or click, is a sound that tells the animal yes that’s exactly what I want and what I want more of in the future.... When we repeatedly pair the sound of the click with food (primary reinforcer) it develops meaning and value to the animal. It means food is coming, it’s a promise and it becomes a secondary reinforcer as well, it is paired with food, therefore represents food. But it needs to be regularly and consistently paired with a primary reinforcer, or it will lose its value. When we start clicker training, if we are consistent, have good timing and consistently pair the click / bridging stimulus with food, the animal learns what it means and listens for it carefully. This is why the click is so powerful. It can be a precision instrument and it can also be used as a really solid whoa in horses. Does Mercedes understand the click? https://youtu.be/TjUYPW_MT60

06.01.2022 "Physical discomfort or emotional stress are the most likely reasons that your horse is yawning. It might be in anticipation being bridled or ridden; however, what happens before he yawnssuch as being groomed, saddled, or girthedis probably a more important clue. This is because animals tend to yawn after the stressor is taken away (for example, many horses yawn at the end of a strenuous work or when the bit is removed). " https://thehorse.com//why-does-my-horse-yawn-during-brid/

04.01.2022 A long read, but some fascinating facts about equines. It's a shame so much of it is related back to riding, show jumping, competing, etc (that's the Equitation Science component ). But nonetheless, very interesting facts. "Researchers, in a recently published review, examined more than 180 studies exploring elements of equine vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Maria Vilain Rørvang, Birte Nielsen and Andrew McLean, writing in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Scie...nce, sought to gain an overview of current knowledge of the sensory abilities of horses and their importance for equitation science." https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//horses-perceive-world-surpr/

02.01.2022 "Horses are flight animals!!" Well, so are we! Think about it for a moment?... https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-fight-or-flight-re

02.01.2022 Traditionally, most horses have no rights, no say over their own bodies and must put up with being touched any time and any where, with no protest. Humans have hands! We must touch things - reach out to a horse's head and stroke them. Most horses do not like being touched on their heads, most horses do not like being touched at all except in specific circumstances. Horses don't have hands, they don't walk up to other horses and touch them on their faces or anywhere. When t...hey are itchy, they may allogroom or when they are playful, they may play a game of bitey face. But horses do not regularly touch each other. Consent is important. Ask before you do and stop if you think it is not welcome. This is about dogs, but applies equally to equines. https://fuzzylogicdog.wordpress.com//if-theres-no-enthus/