Creating a Rewarding Environment

When horses want to be with you

Click here for the zoom recording of Jec Aristotle Ballou and me discussing this topic. Play Video
A Rewarding Environment goes beyond safe care. It meets a horse’s emotional needs so he can use his curiosity, intelligence, and problem-solving abilities; express his preferences, take initiative, and seek new experiences. This all helps him be a cooperative, thinking partner who learns faster, is more reliable, more resilient to stress, and wants to be with you. A Rewarding Environment has 3 elements:
1. Your horse’s living situation.
2. Your relationship with your horse.
3. The activities you do together. Throughout the article I have linked to other articles on my website with relevant information.

Friends, Forage, Freedom

Your horse’s living situation
Behaviorists often sum up what horses’ want as:
Friends (compatible companions)
Forage, ideally 24/7
Freedom to move around Realistically, perfect environments are rare. Many domestic horses lack the social skills to get along comfortably with others, and horses who do become friends are frequently separated by moves or turnout rearrangements. Unlimited forage is a health problem for many horses, and turnout areas often provide limited space to move. Herd Dynamics and Social Skills All you can do is make the best of the resources available, and know that if your horse is stressed anyway, it’s not his fault. Remember that stress related behaviors can be mistaken for intentionally "bad" behavior, but punishment only adds to the stress. Focus on making yourself a companion he wants to be with.

Your Relationship with Your Horse

A rewarding relationship is one in which your horse trusts that you have his best interest at heart. This relationship is known by many names, but I call it Protector Leadership because being his protector is the foundation of it. That is the topic of my book What Horses Really Want. This article gives the highlights. Protector Leadership Defined Conventional training focuses on obedient behavior, with learning based on Negative Reinforcement and repetition. This leaves little room for horses to express emotions or use their innate intelligence. Protector Leaders, in contrast, actively engage horses’ intelligence, tune in to their emotional needs, and listen to what they have to say.

Crossing this ditch was an accomplishment for Brandy

Positive Experiences
Here are a few examples of experiences that can enrich your horse’s life.
1. Encourage Investigative Behavior whenever he is interested in or anxious about something. It is prompted by the emotion of curiosity, and leads to learning and confidence.
2. Offer choices. Lack of control over one’s life is a major stressor. Even small choices can have a big impact on your relationship with your horse.
Choices: Why They Matter and How to Make Them Safe
3. Do confidence Building activities such as Horse Agility. Confidence Building Articles
4. Go for leadline walks with no agenda except to explore together.
5. Give him challenges at which he can be successful, like Brandy was at crossing the ditch above.
6. Give him a job he likes. The more he likes his job, the more intrinsically rewarding it will be.
7. Be playful. Make jokes. Play games. Laugh at mistakes; I was shocked how much faster my horses learned when I laughed at mistakes. Why Play with our Horses
8. Provide novel objects for him to explore. Try setting up a Treat Treasure Hunt in his paddock.
9. Introduce scent work. Rachael Draaisma explains in her book Scentwork for Horses.
Most important, tune in to your horse's feelings. When his body language tells you something is wrong, pause and consider how to address the underlying cause. When his body language tells you he's feeling positive, congratulate yourself and enjoy!