Food rewards don’t work with my horse

And

You can’t train ‘X’ species with food – they are not a predator

How often have you seen ideas (fallacies) like these? 

All animals MUST eat, or they die. 

So food has value for all animals, all individuals, all species. 

No special circumstances, no prior learning needed. ‘Food is a good thing’ is hardwired!

Food HAS value, although sometimes it may be higher or lower – for example tastier, less obtainable, or the animal may be less hungry or more hungry

Just because the food doesn’t require chasing and catching, doesn’t mean the animal can always eat without working for it. Even grazing animals will forage for better grazing and look for the tastiest bits. In some weather conditions the search is for any grazing they can find.

So

Did you try R+ with your horse and think he wasn’t motivated by the food? 

If so there are factors to consider other than the food itself that could be causing the problem – it won’t be that the horse isn’t food motivated. He is alive – he eats!

Below suggestions may not include all possibilites – 

Always adapt your training plan to your horse and yourself. Engaging an experienced R+ trainer to help start you off is recommended.

Firstly – his safety

Although a scared or frightened horse can snatch at food as a calming or displacement behaviour, normally a stressed animal won’t eat. 

And they certainly won’t have the brain space to be working out your puzzles if they are stressed, they will be focussed firstly on their own safety.

Set up your training so your horse feels safe. 

Train in sight of his friends; train in an area he is accustomed to; train where he feels secure; Utilise people he feels comfortable with for training; Objects he is comfortable with; keep an eye out for ‘novel’ things - eg is there a new tractor parked too close to somewhere he usually feels safe?

Timing – are you trying to train at a time his friends are being fed? When he is usually fed? When the neighbours horses are running around excitedly? When the kids are doing yahoo after school?

Start with a behaviour with no prior baggage – 

if there are already bad associations with what you are asking, that can be an impediment to further learning, it will certainly contribute to reducing his ‘buy-in’ and his enjoyment

Is he physically able to do what you ask?

Is what you are asking too hard?

Can you break the behaviour into smaller, more achievable pieces?

Does he value the food reward you are offering?

Can you reward more? The consequence may not match the effort

Can you start your teaching with an easier behaviour? 

Build difficuty as he progresses with his training

Is he worried he will get the answer wrong? 

Often traditionally trained horses are TOLD what to do, not given the opportunity to think for themselves, or work the answer out for themselves. 

Many WILL have been ‘corrected’ for offering the ‘wrong’ behaviour, so may be worried about offering a ‘reply’

The history of, or feeling of ‘not being allowed’ to answer or have a voice, would be responsible for many horses that are disinclined to participate – NOT the fact that horses don’t chase the food they eat. 

They have evolved to forage for 16hrs per day after all.

Surely we, as the supposed ‘brains’ of the partnership, can set up the context and antecedents in such a way that our horses choose to participate in exchange for food reinforcement? 

The benefits will be fulfilling.

Written by Vicki Conroy for PPGA Equine subcommittee