Does your horse find your rewards reinforcing?

But I already reward my horses! How is the On Target system going to be any better?

The best person to ask that question and more might actually be your horse!

What would their answer to the following questions be?

1. How much do you like the rewards I usually give you?
2. Do they make you want to work harder or any more enthusiastically for me to earn them?
3. Are you clear about what they are for?

You'll know if your horse is clear about what they are for. They will repeat the same behaviours that got rewarded more often hoping they'll receive the same rewards again.

You'll also know if they like them, because they will perform more enthusiastically for them, after all, what do you get out of bed and go the extra mile for?

If they don't like them, or don't understand what they were for you'll see no improvement, or even a deterioration in performance.

This is all because there is a difference between a reward, something good given to the horse, and a 'reinforcement', an immediate consequence of behaviour that has the effect of the horse doing that behaviour more often in future. A 'reward (positive) reinforcement' is when the reward precisely coincides with the desired behaviour, having the effect of the horse willingly offer more of that behaviour. To aid with timing, the reward reinforcement might be linked to a 'bridge' signal such as a word or clicker that is more practical to give during the right behaviour e.g. clearing a water jump!

So what does your horse think? Are your rewards reinforcing?

Find out more by attending the On Target demo with Shawna Karrasch at 7pm on Saturday 24th August 2013 at Pencoed College. Call Jenni Nellist on 07974 569407 or email jenni@jenninellist.co.uk for booking information.