In this series we'll take a look at the most common problems that afflict many horse trainers and horses, whether they use negative or positive reinforcement techniques or a mix of both.   Of course horses are learning all the time, so when I say trainers I mean anyone who has any interaction with horses but most especially riders.  As a rider,  it is important to consider what we are teaching the horse each and every time we ride.  Are we strengthening a consistent message and therefore making our horse more enjoyable to ride each time or are we being inconsistent and making our horse more confused and worried?

In this first article we will look at 3 very common and very basic training sins.

Sin Number 1. NOT RELEASING. 

AKA: Releasing late, Not shutting up once you have got what you wanted or nagging.

How often have you heard "leg on", "push him forward" and similar instructions?  But there is very little emphasis on releasing the leg aid, rein aid or of rewarding the horse for doing what was asked.  Frequently, a horse will be asked to move forward, when it complies, the rider instead of releasing the aid and therefore confirming to the horse that this was correct, decides that it wasn't straight\fast enough\ from the hindquarters or a myriad of other things and keeps the leg on, constantly changing the criteria on the horse and therefore constantly confusing the horse about what was requested.  The horse gives up in frustration and is blamed for laziness, stupidity or bad attitude.  

TIP - the key to negative reinforcement is the RELEASE!  This release should happen immediately upon the horse complying to the initial request.  When you release the pressure NOT when or how much you put it on, is what tells the horse what you want. 

Sin Number 2. RELEASING TOO EARLY.

AKA: Not getting what you want when you ask or giving up.

We're dealing with negative reinforcement here, of course.  The trainer\rider simply 'gives up' asking the horse while it's performing the wrong behaviour (or hasn't started the correct behaviour).  Frequently the leg or rein pressure is released, if a horse bucks or kicks out due to the fear of the rider.  Unfortunately, this confirms to the horse that this is what is required - because the signal to the horse of the correct action is 'release of pressure' - and so it will continue bucking or kicking thinking this is what the rider is asking for. However, even simple behaviours are subject to this - trying to handle a horse's ears or wash its face can quickly become an almost impossible task if the horse raises it's head and the handler releases.

TIP -  You must only release pressure when you get the behaviour you want.  If you are releasing because of fear of bucking, rearing or kicking seek help from a more experienced rider or try retraining the behaviour from the ground.

Sin Number 3. TOO LITTLE REPETITION. 

When learning, repetition is first required in order for the horse to 'guess' what is wanted.  Only by repeating the aid\behaviour\reward pattern will the horse learn what you want reliably.  Additionally repetition will establish the correct muscle development and establish the correct neural connections.   Having established what is required, it is all too common for riders and trainers to go on to the next phase and the next phase and the next in the training programme without much thought for repetition. 

TIP - Whether using negative or positive reinforcements you must make sure that the horse understands the basic requirements first.  This means that you must have established that the horse will respond correctly for many repetitions before you attempt to move on to the next criteria.  Get a basic response correct first and only then add the 'frills' of straightness, lightness, speed or any other criteria.

In the next articles we will look at other sins such as; training session length, consistency, emotional involvement and progression...