It's About The Horse

bit · Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 4356 Location: Kansas

the kid will be graduating k state in may, major in psychology. She just told me about this when training animals.
When an animal doesn't know when they will be rewarded, lets say you are giving treats, but not every time, the animal will try harder. Not giving treats every time produces the highest rate of behavior. Hmmm. She said it's like gambling. You win just enough to keep you trying. Kinda of cool, huh?
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Clarissa · Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 5:11 am Post subject:

What is this word "intraval"? Or do you mean "interval"?

And yes I agree with the not giving treats every time but only once the task has been learnt.

Treats are then given for improvement not for just doing the task. So they no longer are given all the time the task is done.
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Hertha · Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 2:16 am Post subject:

Agree with Clarissa.

For TEACHING, the click/treat is for every step of the way to the 'perfect' end product.

Once the horse knows the new task well, variable reinforcement schedule helps keep up the interest level.

For some things, through, I like to click/treat EVERY time. Eg. horse comes to me, horse puts head into halter, horse stands quietly for mounting and a minute or two afterwards.

For these few things that (in my mind) are really important, the reward can become part of the total execution.
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Author of
*Book: N H STUDY GUIDE
*DVDs: Clicker Training Your Horse; Learning Universal Horse Language; 29 Ways to Ask Your Horse to Back Up; Building Your Horse's Hind End; Walking with Horses; Trailer Loading with Positive Reinforcement

PasoBaby_CarolU · Site Admin Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 9038

I agree with Hertha and Clarissa. I almost always treat when they come put their head in the halter to be caught. I think it's great behavior to reward. With young horses I also always treat when they are good with their feet. I want them to BE REALLY GOOD before it's time to start shoeing.
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Carol Nudell
Corazon de Oro Paso Finos

"The path to your horse's heart lies through your own."

Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots. - Words of Wisdom - Mhar

‎"Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss activities; Small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt

PasoBaby_CarolU · Site Admin Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 9038

BTW - Deb, when she graduates is she going to go work on any of the many horse/people training or corporate training programs? I've recently read about several of them and think that would be so much fun to combine 'horsenality' with training people to observe and lead.
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Carol Nudell
Corazon de Oro Paso Finos

"The path to your horse's heart lies through your own."

Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots. - Words of Wisdom - Mhar

‎"Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss activities; Small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Hertha · Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 6:59 pm Post subject:

I also always treat right after removing the halter and then play a liberty game with lots of treats which is sort of a seamless way of going from online to liberty.
_________________
Author of
*Book: N H STUDY GUIDE
*DVDs: Clicker Training Your Horse; Learning Universal Horse Language; 29 Ways to Ask Your Horse to Back Up; Building Your Horse's Hind End; Walking with Horses; Trailer Loading with Positive Reinforcement