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R+ training, or using rewards to reinforce the desired behavior, is making its way onto the horse scene. Today, many horse lovers are delving into positive reinforcement and using treats, clickers, and targets to take their horse's training to the next level. However, especially for those just starting out, it can be hard to see how R+ transfers to the saddle.
Can You Ride With R+?
If you started training with R+ on the ground and are loving the changes you are seeing in your horse and your relationship, rest assured that same enjoyment and willingness can be brought under saddle. However, riding with R+ takes patience, focus, and a commitment to the principles of positive reinforcement.
When riding, most equestrians strive to...
Communicate with invisible aids
Have their horse flow effortlessly through their work
Perform sequences of maneuvers
The good news is- All of these can be achieved with R+!
On the ground, positive reinforcement often involves lots of stopping to get out treats and can include the use of clucky targets. Even though, especially in the beginning, riding with R+ will not look like traditional riding, it can be shaped over time to appear normal.
Horses ridden with positive reinforcement can enjoy better communication from their rider and a willingness to move off of the gentlest aids. Just like on the ground, you can shape increasingly more complex behaviors under saddle. However, unlike with traditional horsemanship, you will not be able to force your horse to do something they do not want to do or can't understand, therefore having patience and a sound shaping plan. is essential to riding with R+.
How to Ride With R+
Riding with R+ is not all that different from the R+ ground training you likely have been doing. You will ask for a desired behavior and give a marker signal followed by a reward. You can even still use food rewards when riding. Horses' necks are plenty limber to reach around and take a treat from your hand with riding.
Getting Started
When getting started, it can be hard to know how to implement R+ training into your rides best. Often times we are bringing many preconceived notions about what riding looks like and habits to the table that can conflict with our ability to effectively use positive reinforcement. To effectively delve into R+ training under saddle, we have to be willing to take a step back and relearn many aspects of riding.
Start Slowly
The most important thing to remember when riding with R+ is to take it slow! If your horse has already been trained to be ridden, you will have to take multiple steps back when adding in positive reinforcement. Your first couple of sessions may only contain 10 - 15 reinforcements, which might take less than 5 minutes to complete. However, these short initial sessions will help build willingness and excitement to be ridden. Over time, you can build duration in sessions.
Mounting
When clicker training, you want to break each movement down into small parts to teach sequentially. Mounting, which is essentially just asking our horses to stand next to the mounting block and allow us to get on, is an easy place to start.
When teaching a horse to mount with R+:
Line the horse up to the mounting block
Click and give a treat as soon as they are stopped in position
Climb on the mounting block
Click and reward a couple of times with you standing on the mounting block, leaning over them, etc.
Climb aboard and immediately click and reward
Stand still until you are ready to move off
** If your horse has never been sat on before, you may have to spread this out over multiple sessions starting with just steps 1 and 2 before slowly adding in more steps as your horse grows in their learning and confidence.
Walking/ Trotting
Asking your horse to move forward with positive reinforcement is very different from how the majority of horse riders were taught to ask. For those looking to ride strictly with R+, you cannot just use your legs or a whip to make the horse move forward. Even though those cues can be taught over time with positive reinforcement, they cannot be used initially without tapping into negative reinforcement.
Asking your horse to move forward under saddle begins on the ground with a solid vocal cue to move forward. Once your horse reliably walks when you say "walk on" and trots when you say "trot" (or whatever other vocal cues you use) you can begin work under saddle.
Teach your horse to walk under saddle by...
Giving a vocal command, like "walk on"
After they move forward (just a step or two in the beginning), click and give a reward
Over time you can build the duration to taking more steps and making laps around the arena
Reward frequently, especially in the beginning
Repeat these steps with the trot and canter
Turning
Turning with positive reinforcement under saddle can be complicated since you cannot initially just pull on the reins to make the horse move. Some riders continue to use a hand target from their horse's back to teach turning, however, it may be easier to begin this training on the ground so you can use the reins under saddle.
To teach turning on the ground you will need to put your horse's bridle on and have a target. Start by...
Standing at your horse's shoulder
Move the target to turn them in the desired direction
Once they start moving, put pressure on the rein
Click and reward
As your horse learns, decrease the time between offering the target and putting pressure on the reins
Eventually, your horse will understand that they need to turn when they feel pressure on the rein and you be able to phase out the target and reward the horse when they move to the slight pull.
Putting it All Together
When you first set out to begin riding with positive reinforcement, there will be a lot of stopping and rewarding. Rewarding after you mount, after every few steps, after turning. That is why starting slow is the best way to go. Take the pressure off yourself to make your rides look a certain way. Riding with positive reinforcement is a journey that will transform how you spend time on your horse.
Have fun with it and enjoy the process!