Equine Behaviour and Learning Patterns

The behaviour and learning patterns of the horse play a major role in his training process. These patterns are established by instincts, genetic makeup, and environment. We are not in total control of these patterns but to some degree we can help or hinder the direction they go in. These patterns are set at an early age, but I believe we can affect how the patterns develop if we are aware of what they are, and how we can use them in our daily training. Your training program should be flexible enough that you can customize it for each individual horse.

A horse’s behaviour patterns are based on his natural instincts for survival and his ability to process information. Factors such as physical or mental trauma, chronic hunger or neglect can seriously affect a horse’s behaviour patterns. A horse is a prey animal that uses flight as his primary survival mechanism; horses are defensive by nature. The horse’s lack of desire for confrontation tells us that he does not deal well with stress. He would rather run now and think later.

Learning patterns are established through the environment a horse lives in. This is where the quality and quantity of handling or training early in his life will directly affect how much a horse learns later on. The herd establishes these learning patterns initially, and they are continually developing as a horse matures. When we train the horse, we can use the patterns that have been established. By understanding what motivates the horse to act the way he does, we can change his behaviour by motivating him in different ways.

Horses are motivated by fear and by comfort. Other things, such as food and libido, do motivate some horses, but these are not motivators we can use effectively in an average training program. I will classify fear as a negative motivator and comfort as a positive motivator. Horses as individuals respond to these motivators in different ways. Negative motivators can gain positive results, just as positive motivators can achieve negative results. This is where a horse’s individual genetic makeup and his personality are uncontrollable factors.