TrulyTrust Student Portal

The basics of learning

and motivational theory

Understanding how horses learn and are motivated so we can improve the manner in which we train our horses

Ever wondered how horses actually learn in training? Why they are motivated to actually participate in training? Is pressure and release the only way in which horses learn? Can horses learn by watching other horses? How does this all work? Well come and find out in this class. Grab a coffee or a slice of cake  and learn more about your horse!  

When I started out working with horses I thought there was only one way to motivate them, only one way to teach them something new, and when that way of training didn't work I didn't know which way to turn. The progress I made with my horses was slow, they didn't understand what I was trying to teach them and I didn't know how else to do it.

But what if there were various ways in which horses could learn a single task? Imagine having the knowledge to adapt training and switch between methods, so that if one way didn't work you could change to something else that worked better for that individual horse and his situation. 

I believe every horse is different, every environment and situation is different, every owner is different and we should adapt training to find a middle ground of what is best for everyone. But in order to be able to do this we must expand our knowledge and learn about the different ways in which horses learn, not only to know which trainer to contact to help us but also to know how we should adapt our way of interaction with our horses.

In this class you'll learn about:

• The different ways in which horses learn  (operant conditioning, social learning, classical conditioning are discussed)
• and how this applies to our training and interaction  
• The different factors that drive motivation (the motivational theory of Lichtenberg applied to horse training)

This is a class within the Equine Learning and Motivation series consisting of 3 parts, this is part 1.