They say 'ignorance is bliss.'
With education comes responsibility. When we begin to learn more about more ethical ways to care for our horses, it can feel incredibly overwhelming at first. Suddenly we're inundated with the newest research in holistic health, species-appropriate care, and ethical training methods. This shift can often come with a lot of guilt, and questions around whether or not we're truly doing enough for our horses.
If these feelings are something you've struggled with, this episode is for you.
They say 'ignorance is bliss.'
With education comes responsibility. When we begin to learn more about more ethical ways to care for our horses, it can feel incredibly overwhelming at first. Suddenly we're inundated with the newest research in holistic health, species-appropriate care, and ethical training methods. This shift can often come with a lot of guilt, and questions around whether or not we're truly doing enough for our horses.
If these feelings are something you've struggled with, this episode is for you.
While I strongly believe that positive reinforcement-based horse training is the way forward, negative reinforcement is still prevalent in the horse world and is therefore worth discussing. I'm not here to judge or shame anyone for using one method or another, I simply wish to share my experiences and suggestions on how to ethically and mindfully apply negative reinforcement techniques.
In this episode, I discuss:
- How to skillfully and ethically apply negative reinforcement
- Why I choose to use positive reinforcement over negative reinforcement
- Real-life examples of how R+ training improved my R- training both personally and professionally
And more!
For many equestrians, owning a horse means keeping them at a boarding facility. Boarding facilities allow owners to meet their horse's needs without having to own the land to do so. And while this opportunity is a fantastic arrangement for many, it can sometimes create challenge when it comes to training and keeping our horses in a way that isn't considered traditional.
In part two of this series, I share some practical strategies on how you can meet your horse's needs at a boarding facility, and how you can continue training with R+ while setting your horse up for successful handling by the boarding facilities staff.
For many equestrians, owning a horse means keeping them at a boarding facility. Boarding facilities allow owners to meet their horse's needs without having to own the land to do so. And while this opportunity is a fantastic arrangement for many, it can sometimes create challenge when it comes to training and keeping our horses in a way that isn't considered traditional.
In this episode, I share some practical strategies on how you can meet your horse's needs at a boarding facility, and how you can continue training with R+ while setting your horse up for successful handling by the boarding facilities staff.
In this week's episode, we dive back into the series, "What's holding you back from trying R+?" I posed this question to my social media followers several months ago and can't wait to dive into the answers with you! There are many legitimate concerns and doubts when it comes to switching over to using positive reinforcement to train your horses. In this series, I'll offer my suggestions and perspective on how you can overcome your doubts and try a new way of training with your horse!
In today's episode, I discuss:
- The R+ community being divisive and exclusive
- Perceived lack of choice (the horse just being in it for the 'cookie')
- Lack of representation outside of groundwork (not many R+ trainers ride/show)
And more!
What's holding you back from trying R+?
I posed this question to my social media followers several months ago and can’t wait to dive into the answers with you on my podcast! There are many legitimate concerns and doubts when it comes to switching over to using positive reinforcement to train your horses. In part 2 of this series, I’ll offer my suggestions and perspective on how you can overcome your doubts and try a new way of training with your horse!
In this episode, I discuss how you can overcome doubts of:
- Lack of knowledge
- Information overwhelm
- Fear of getting things wrong
- Lack of accessible information
And successfully begin your R+ training journey!
In this week's episode, we dive into another series. This time, we're talking about 'What's holding you back from trying R+?' I posed this question to my social media followers several months ago and can't wait to dive into the answers with you! There are many legitimate concerns and doubts when it comes to switching over to using positive reinforcement to train your horses. In this series, I'll offer my suggestions and perspective on how you can overcome your doubts and try a new way of training with your horse!
In today's episode, I discuss:
- Whether or not it's even possible to successfully train a horse with R+
- What happens if the food runs out
- How to go about transitioning to R+ training when your horse is already well trained
Plus a super exciting announcement about TWE Academy! Listen to the end to find out more!
Have you ever wondered if it's possible to ride with positive reinforcement? Maybe you're confused about how to train tactile cues without using pressure, or wonder whether it is possible to compete with an R+ trained horse. In this episode, I answer common questions, doubts, and myths about riding with positive reinforcement.
Remember my social media post where I asked you all what *couldn't* be trained with R+? Thank you to everyone who commented, sharing their take on behaviors they believed would not lend themselves well to an R+-based approach. I decided to go through the comments on my podcast, diving into some myth-busting and explaining how I might teach the behaviors mentioned with R+. The answers might surprise you!
In this episode (part five of this series), I dive into how whether or not R+ can be used in the following situations:
Make sure you catch all 5 parts of this series!
Check out the following videos for examples of R+ being used to train horses to pull a cart.
https://youtu.be/4x_CebxLCYE?si=G__Sr8gdvemZFW1e
https://youtu.be/4x_CebxLCYE?si=bkzZQHbQOZEP4NI1
https://youtu.be/qmCmrcQM53o?si=HpdAq7XiyIfv4-us
https://youtu.be/4oM1AQxZJxI?si=olrupX6bExj4TuGc
https://youtu.be/RnkvIfsF7iA?si=jaroamIV7sZoB-m8 Monty Gwynne: Equispeak.com Peggy Hogan: ClickerTrainingHorses.com
Remember my social media post where I asked you all what *couldn't* be trained with R+? Thank you to everyone who commented, sharing their take on behaviors they believed would not lend themselves well to an R+-based approach. I decided to go through the comments on my podcast, diving into some myth-busting and explaining how I might teach the behaviors mentioned with R+. The answers might surprise you!
In this episode (part four of this series), I dive into how whether or not R+ can be used in the following situations:
If you missed parts 1, 2 & 3 be sure to head over and give them a listen!
Remember my social media post where I asked you all what *couldn't* be trained with R+? Thank you to everyone who commented, sharing their take on behaviors that they believed would not lend themselves well to an R+ based approach. I decided to go through the comments on my podcast, diving into some myth busting and explaining how I might go about teaching the behaviors mentioned with R+. The answers might surprise you!
In this episode (part three of this series), I dive into how whether or not R+ can be used in the situations of:
Be sure to stay tuned for part 4 of this series! And if you missed parts 2 & 3 be sure to head over and give them a listen.
Remember my social media post where I asked you all what *couldn't* be trained with R+? Thank you to everyone who commented, sharing their take on behaviors that they believed would not lend themselves well to an R+ based approach. I decided to go through the comments on my podcast, diving into some myth busting and explaining how I might go about teaching the behaviors mentioned with R+. The answers might surprise you!
In this episode (part two of this series), I dive into how you can safely implement R+ with:
And more!
Be sure to stay tuned for part 3 of this series! And if you missed part 1, be sure to head over and give it a listen here.
Welcome to season 5 of TWE podcast! After a long break from recording episodes in 2023, I'm so excited to be back.
We kick off the first episode of season 5 by sharing some BIG life updates on the TWE herd, including moving homes, herd changes, and more!
I also share my personal and business related goals for 2024.
Then we dive into some myth busting! A while back I posted a photo on social media, asking commenters to share behaviors that they believed COULDN'T be trained with R+. In this episode and the one that follows, I'll be sharing my take, which is that R+ works for ALL behaviors! I'll discuss how you can go about teaching your horse that specific behavior using R+, and share some tips and tricks along the way. In this episode, we evaluate 3 behaviors.
- Long duration ridden behaviors (dressage tests, jump courses, trail rides, etc.)
- High school dressage movements
- Tactile cues (Cues that look like traditional R- cues)
So tune in to see just how you can teach these behaviors with R+!
Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thewillingequine/message
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Season 4 of The Willing Equine Podcast has been filled with so many wonderful discussions and interviews. I'm so grateful for everyone who joined me as a guest on the podcast, and for the thoughtful conversations that we shared. And of course, thanks to my listeners for following along!
In this episode, we're taking a ride through some of this season's most popular episodes. We hope you enjoy!
Show Notes:
4:45 - From Episode 55 // Mistakes As Learning Opportunities
15:59 - From Episode 57 // A New Outlook on Equine Assisted Therapy with Julia Alexander, LCSW
24:22 - From Episode 59 // The Hoof's Impact on Behavior : A Conversation with Alicia Harlov
35:00 - From Episode 60 // Behavioral Medication for Equines with Janna Dewey
43:05 - From Episode 63 // Bringing New Horses Home
Podcast Transcript:
Have you ever wondered if R+ trained horses are safe around kids? Maybe you're concerned that if you give your horse a choice, they'll become dangerous around children! In this episode, I address these concerns, and discuss how R+ trained horses are actually safer around children!
I share some personal anecdotes from my own experiences with horses and children, talk about some of the reasons why traditionally trained horses may be more prone to explosive and dangerous behavior, and share my process for helping horses be comfortable, confident, and safe around kids.
Podcast Transcript:
https://www.thewillingequine.com/post/episode-69----kids-and-horses
In this episode, I answer a listener's question about introducing a horse that has poor social skills to a herd
I talk about the importance of being proactive with our weaning practices and foal management, addressing gut health and physical discomfort, how to set up your pastures to minimize resource guarding, and so much more
Podcast Transcript:
https://www.thewillingequine.com/post/episode-68-helping-horses-with-poor-social-skills
In this episode, I dive into operant and classical conditioning, and explain how positive reinforcement itself is not actually a 'method.'
I talk about the importance of being flexible in our training styles, how every horse and human is an individual with a unique learning history, and how different training styles work for different learners.
Podcast Transcript:
https://www.thewillingequine.com/post/ep-67-r-is-not-a-method
In this episode, I share some tips on how to sift through all the media and marketing that we consume.
I talk about how social media can't share the whole story, the importance of being educated on the latest research, and how to spot red flags in marketing.
Episode Transcript:
https://www.thewillingequine.com/post/episode-66----beware-of-flashy-marketing
This episode is dedicated to my gelding Cash, who passed away recently. I share his story and how he was a shining example of just how valuable a non-ridden horse can be.
Podcast Transcript:
https://www.thewillingequine.com/post/episode-65----senior-horses-and-the-non-ridden-equine
