The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out

NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.

Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com  

AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com

Topic: What is positive reinforcement as a training tool and is it better than negative reinforcement? We use both types of reinforcement for training our horses all the time. Positive reinforcement is a way we can say “yes” when our horse offers something we want. Negative reinforcement is a way we can say “no” when our horse offers something we don’t want. Types of positive reinforcement are treats, food, doing nothing, or providing a sense of safety and comfort. Types of negative reinforcement are the “aids” we use while riding, tugging on a lead rope, pushing our horse away from us or pulling our horse towards us. Neither type of reinforcement is inherently good or bad – even though I think the names are unfortunate – we are simply having a dynamic yes-no conversation with our horse during any interaction by using both types of reinforcement. And we need them because the conversation is nonverbal!

Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org

The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/

Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer

Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/

The post Horse Geeks Episode 131: Positive Reinforcement appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.