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Especially for those just embarking on their horse training journey, it's easy to get lost in the myriad of terms and concepts that describe how to train effectively. Even for those that have been training horses successfully for years, new scientifically-based training methods are rapidly growing in popularity and can leave traditional trainers confused as to how to properly integrate new methods with the old.
All scientifically-based training will fall into four basic categories. These make up the four quadrants of training that explain how to reinforce or correct behavior to get the desired outcome. Once you gain mastery over the four quadrants, your training goals will become easier to meet, and you will open up a sound pathway for communication between you and your horse.
Reinforcement
Reinforcement refers to an action that leads to an increase in desirable behaviors. There are two distinct types of reinforcement: positive and negative. Both work in opposing ways but will ultimately lead to an increase in the response you are training for.
R+ (Positive Reinforcement)
Positive Reinforcement (also referred to as R+) increases desired behaviors by providing a reward to the horse after displaying the correct response. Positive refers to the addition of a desired stimulus to increase a behavior. Many trainers use a marker signal or clicker and food although anything that is rewarding to the animal can be used as a reinforcement.
Positive reinforcement is rapidly making its way onto the mainstream horse training scene. By relying on positive stimuli and rewards to mark and encourage behaviors, trainers can quickly train new responses and create a willing participant. There are numerous benefits to R+ training.
Examples:
Clicking and giving a horse a treat after performing a trot transition
Telling a dog "yes" and handing them some food as soon as they sit down
A teacher praising their student when they hand in their work on time
R- (Negative Reinforcement)
Negative Reinforcement (also referred to as R-) increases a desired behavior by removing an aversive or annoying stimulus as soon as the correct response is given. It involves causing mild discomfort to the horse until they perform the correct behavior and then immediately removing the stimuli so they can create an association between escaping discomfort and that behavior. In the horse world, this type of training is often called "pressure and release."
Examples:
Tapping a horse on their hindquarters until they yield them away
Flicking a lunge whip behind a horse until they start trotting
The beeping sound in a car continues until you buckle your seatbelt
Punishment
Punishment refers to an action that leads to a decrease in undesirable behaviors. There are two distinct types of punishments: positive and negative. Like with reinforcement, they both use opposite methods to achieve the goal of decreasing a given response.
P+ (Positive Punishment)
Positive punishment (also referred to as P+) decreases an undesirable behavior by adding an aversive stimulus to discourage the response. Positive punishment deters unwanted behaviors by adding annoying or aversive stimuli as the animal displays an unwanted response. Just a few decades ago, P+ was the go-to method for many animal trainers but is now getting phased out in favor of more humane and effective forms of training.
Examples:
Giving a horse a slap on the cheek after they bite at you
Squirting a cat with a water bottle when they eat the plants
A teacher assigning extra work for students that are disruptive during class
P- (Negative Punishment)
Negative punishment (also referred to as P-) decreases an undesirable behavior by removing a desirable stimulus to discourage the response. Negative punishment removes the horse's ability to continue the behavior, taking away the intrinsic reward they get from performing it. Eventually, they learn that displaying that undesirable behavior leads to the removal of something they want.
Examples:
Putting a horse on a lead rope so they can't reach the grass after ignoring your cues to stop
Putting a dog on a leash after they chase a squirrel
Giving a child a timeout for yelling so they can't play or interact with their siblings for a period of time
