Shaping on a Point of Contact pt 2 Asking not Demanding
About this episode
The episode discusses the importance of shaping on a point of contact in positive reinforcement training for horses, contrasting different training methods and their effects on horse behavior.
This is part 2 of our conversation about shaping on a point of contact. In Part 1 we began the conversation with Dominique saying she doesn’t believe you can fully reap the full benefits of positive reinforcement training if you don’t understand and use this concept of shaping on a point of contact - at least when you’re working with horses. That’s a strong statement to make. As always, contrast is a good teacher. Dominique has been watching trainers in the barn where she keeps her horses using treats to teach some behaviors and traditional commands to teach others. The difference in the demeanor of the horses under these different contexts is striking. The change reminded her of the poisoned cue research that was done by Dr Jesus Rosales Ruiz and his graduate student, Nicole Murray roughly twenty years ago. So that’s where we began - with a description of the research and the implications for horse training. When the research first came out, the conclusion was negative and positive reinforcement shouldn’t be mixed. When you do, you’ll end up with poisoned cues. My response was to say: but we would never use the lead in the way that it was applied. In the experiment, when the dog…
Topics covered
- positive reinforcement
- horse training
- shaping on a point of contact
- poisoned cues
- behavioral research
Keywords
- shaping
- positive reinforcement
- horse behavior
- training methods
- poisoned cues
More episodes of Equiosity
- Episode 381 Shaping On A Point of Contact Pt 1 - Poisoned Cues
- Episode 380 The Very Best Behavior Part 4 - Transforming Grass into a Carpet of Motivation
- Episode 379 The Very Best Behavior Part 3 - The Evolution of Default Behaviors
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