Marginal Gains?

The concept of marginal gains is familiar to elite sportsmen and women, the accumulative effect of multiple positive changes to training and performance tactics that provides the winning edge. But can food rewards also confer marginal gains?

Already this summer, competitors across the country will have emerged from the ring singing their horse's praises and offering them a Polo mint. But how did their horses even know the tasty reward was for a specific jump or particularly expressive trot? Can such a treat teach anything other than pleasant associations with the arena's exit?

Food rewards certainly did it for Beezie Madden last decade when she applied former Sea World trainer, Shawna Karrasch's On Target training to difficult horse, Judgement. When Beezie took on Michael Matz' former ride he wouldn't jump a puddle, so bad was his attitude to water jumps, but through the On Target system he fulfilled his potential as a top Derby horse with a tribute film from Spruce Meadows on his retirement to boot. So how did that work?

Marine mammal trainers use 'bridge' signals such as clickers and whistles to tell their dolphin students, right in the moment, that their effort just earned a fish – a kind of IOU note if you like. This extra piece of clear communication helps animals learn fast and well, especially when tasks are broken into progressive increments that give them a clue about what to do next.

Soon after discovering horses back in the Nineties, Shawna Karrasch became connected with John and Beezie Madden and set about developing her On Target system, which uses food rewards and bridge signals, with their horses. For the first time ever, even seasoned pros like the Maddens had a consistent and reliable way to reward their horses during training, increasing their enthusiasm for the job and adding another marginal gain to their performances. 

 

The On Target story hasn't stopped there. Nearly 20 years on Shawna is still working her magic, helping riders of all abilities get marginal and quite substantially more than marginal gains, by giving them extra clarity in their training, and better attitude from their horses.

Seasoned horsewoman, Helen Williams applied Shawna's On Target system to gift horse, totally wild and super sharp Lusitano, Sofia, after early efforts to tame her didn't quite have the expected results. Even with many years experience and expertise gained from years in the saddle, harking back to her teens growing up in India and riding with nothing but cotton for reins at the Presidents Estate Polo Club, Helen could only get as far as getting Sofia to eat from her hand. Clearly not enough when Sofia escaped and ran amok with the Glamorgan Hunt, jumping two five-bar-gates from a standstill. Amidst the ensuing chaos MFH Jacky Thomas stated, “That’s a cracking little mare with a hell of a jump – if you can catch her and break her, I’d have her as a Master's horse next season!” Although Mr Thomas might well have made his comments tongue in cheek, Helen did get to work on the mare, and that's when the On Target system came in.

Under my guidance Helen quickly found that using a clicker as a bridge signal gave her a way to tell Sofia which behaviour had earned her the hand fed titbits, setting her up for success. Helen could link the clicker to correct behaviour more accurately than simply handing out the food, helping Sofia to think more carefully about her actions. Now that Sofia knows which behaviour will be rewarded she is willing to cooperate. And she is happier and less reliant on treats as a result. This is because unlike a bribe, the bridge signal comes during the event, not before, and the food or other reward is given after. Therefore Sofia doesn't need food to guide her behaviour.

Quite a bit more than a marginal gain in this case! But if this is what the On Target system could do for something as wild as Sofia and as tricky as Judgement, just what could other horses and riders achieve?

Find out more when Shawna Karrasch comes to Pencoed College for her only UK public demonstration this year, at 7pm on Saturday 24th August 2013 where I will also be raising funds for Welsh cancer charity, Amser Justin Time. Further training will also be available at the Williams' farm near Cardiff. Visit www.jenninellist.co.uk to find out more or look out for the fliers.