Ally Schultz

Intern/Mentor GT
Annotated Source List
Anderson, A., & Brown, K. (2007, July 1). Understanding Horses Part 7: Yielding to
Pressure. Retrieved from http://www.thehorse.com/articles/19162/understandinghorses-part-7-yielding-toIn this article, the author uses a scenario to explain how she trained an
uneducated horse to yield to pressure. The author uses a rope halter because it encourages
the horse to release to the pressure being applied. She says that reward must be present
for the horse to understand that giving to the pressure will result in a momentary release
of the pressure. It is simply obedience and a response to a pressure. Its not the pull that
teaches, its the release. You also have to teach the horse from both sides.
This came from a well renowned website with writers that have PhDs, etc. This
one in particular is written by a DVM. The information is not bias and is very useful.
There is a specific scenario present that helps understand. I can use this when talking
about positive reinforcement, yielding to pressure, and basic training when starting a
horse.

Bauson, L., & Heleski, C. (2008). Addition of positive reinforcement enhances learning a
frightening task (but only for the frightened horses). Journal of Applied Animal
Welfare Science.
This article states that the addition of positive reinforcement into a training
schedule would be beneficial to the horses wellbeing as well as rate of learning. The first
experiment was to make a horse cross a tarp, half with negative reinforcement (pulling
the lead rope) and the other positive reinforcement (oats and praising). It was found that
the 6 out of 9 horses who failed this experiments from the negative reinforcement group.
Also, after a second attempt and positive reinforcement, 50% then succeeded. It was
found that the negative reinforcement group was more likely to fail but those who
succeed the task did it much quicker than the other group.
This is very informative because it has numbers and stats that relate to this article.
It only applies to horses that can become frightened so this experiment does not relate to
all horses. Have there been other attempts to prove this theory? Can it be backed up with
further research? This can be used if I need an experiment to show with numbers and a
strong outcome.

Bayne, K. (2002). Development of the human-research animal bond and its impact on
animal well-being. Oxford Journals, 43(1). Retrieved from
www.oxfordjournals.org

This source is a journal. The author gives many differing viewpoints as to how
human-animal bonds form (from other researchers). The focus of the journal is about
laboratory animals and humans. The provision of care or nurturing pattern will most
likely lead to a formation of a bond. In laboratories, not allowing anesthetics or force to
be allows for a deeper, more trusting bond between the trainer and animal. For training
to be successful, communication must be effective enough for both species to
understand. Overall, a positive reinforcement program will ensue achievement of the
goals set. Interestingly, research has shown that talking to animals can reduce a person's
stress and blood pressure (Friedmann et al. 1983).
Although it talks about laboratory animals and the staff, the information also
includes people and pets. This is very useful for training and bond information. The
author incorporated many different researchers/experiments through out the text to
support the ideas. I can use this to talk about the bonding aspect of my project and bring
up what others think about it. Also, I can use it for experimental means.

Birke, L. (2001). "Learning to speak horse": The culture Of "natural horsemanship"

Society and Animals, 217-239.
In this journal, the author talks about the differing views on natural horsemanship
(NH). People say either it is good for their wellbeing, or the owner end up confusing the
horse. Whatever methods used should take into account how the horse views things to
clear communication. It is said that ordinary horse owners want to find ways of
working with their horses mainly with respect. The author advocates that NH is to be
kind, natural to the horse, and gentle. Technologies , such as a whip, are different in
conventional training and NH. All kinds of technologies can be abusive and people
should reinscribe meaning.
The article is all over the place because it doesnt just focus on NH but also about
things such as monetary value of the horse. This seems to be bias when giving examples.
The author makes sure to put in things such as a time when a NH trainer tied a horse up
overnight to a pole, etc. What does ordinary mean? What exactly is a cultural change?

Brown, S. (2004). The Human-Animal Bond and Self Psychology: Toward a New
Understanding. Society and Animals, 68-86. Retrieved from
https://www.animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/528_s1214.pdf
This source is a journal. Self-psychology and self-objects play along one another
and help balance out the person as a whole. An example thoroughly used in the journal is
the human-animal bond (animal being the self object). Research has shown that
companion animals can have a calming effect on people who are in stressful conditions
(Allen, Blascovich, Tomaka, & Kelsey, 1991). The self-object evokes cohesion to the
self. The journal goes into how without a persons companion animal they feel empty and
depressed. These animals also have developmental effects in children as well as
supporting figures for special populations.

The journal is very helpful because it adds in many definitions and examples for
what it is trying to say, such as the three kinds of self-objects. It is easily readable and
organized well, which makes it easy to understand the concepts. This is more
psychological and I dont know how much I could use it. It is an overall view and I need
more specific.

Fraser, L. (2013, December 1). How Horses Learn - The Science of Horse Training
Part 1. Retrieved from http://goodhorsemanship.ca/how-horses-learn/
This article states that how animals learn is constantly changing. There are two
main categories of how horses learn: associative and non-associative learning. In nonassociative learning, if the horse is constantly exposed to a stimulus, it will become
sensitized to you. It overall helps them learn to react or not react to this stimulus in the
environment. It allows them to filter out the unimportant information and they do this
naturally throughout their entire life. In associative learning, the horse makes relates
between things and this is then divided into two other categories, classical and operant
conditioning. Associations with two or more signals are classical conditioning while
associations between signals and outcomes is operant conditioning.
I can use this if I need to use specific wordings of the type of training and
conditioning horses go through naturally as well as with the trainer. This is not long but
pretty detailed. It includes examples of both associative learning processes.

Fureix, C., Pags, M., Bon, R., Lassalle, J., Kuntz, P., & Gonzalez, G. (n.d.). A
preliminary study of the effects of handling type on horses emotional reactivity
and the humanhorse relationship. Behavioural Processes, 202-210.
This journal experiments the affects of traditional training (halter leading,
grooming/brushing, lifting feet) and natural horsemanship (desensitizing, free lunging) on
emotional reactivity (ER) and the humanhorse relationship (HHR). The 6 horses were
handled for a certain amount of time and then had to repeat tests they did before handling
as well. It was observed that the ER of horses in both groups decreased after handling.
Horses of both groups tended to spend less time exploring the arena, and more time
performing behaviors categorized as object exploration. Whinnying and head movements
were less frequent among horses in the natural horsemanship group when isolated from
their group, introduced in the arena and confronted with new objects, possibly indicating
a reduction in anxiety. The study suggests that natural horsemanship exercises could
improve horses HHR, whereas ER seems to be influenced similarly by the two types of
handling tested. The results are compatible with previous experimental studies stated in
the journal showing that handling exercises reduce the stress experienced by horses and
improve their emotional reaction when alone.
The journal includes many graphs and detailed explanations of the experiments
done. The analysis and overall results are not completely clear. It includes possible

sources of error. I can use this when talking about training and the affects of different
ways.
Gates, R. (2011, September 6). The Chord Of Connection [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej8CNXn7YpY
In this video, Robin Gates speaks in a horse clinic about proper communication
with horses. It is states that to move through to next step, must have a cord of
connection meaning any sort of bond with that horse. Traditional trainers find what they
dont like, resist it, then proceed to erase it. To achieve this connection, you want to
lead where the horse wants to follow without resistance. She then talks about how you
shouldnt get on a horse if he doesnt want you to. Also, you cant continue being
unaware of a loss of connection or the relationship will become more and more worse.
This video is very reliable because the trainer speaking is well known in the
training community and has proof that her methods work. It is easily understandable
because she gives real life examples to further her argument. What exactly is the cord of
connection? I dont know how much I can use from the video although it is interesting
and informative about communication between human and horse.

Hall, C., Goodwin, D., Heleski, C., Randle, H., & Waran, N. (2008). Is there evidence of
learned helplessness in horses? Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 249266.
This article is about an experiment done on dogs (as well as cats and rodents) that
were unable to escape a painful shock and this interfered with their ability to learn an
avoidance task. This relates to traditional methods of training horses which has
conditions the horse can not overcome, leading to a feeling of helplessness. According to
the article, traditional training methods rely on negative reinforcement and if this is not
done at the time of the behavior, this will cause confusion in the horse due to its
inescapability from the situation as well as learned helplessness.
The authors seem to be very educated. The article is short but very informative.
Ideas such as cats/dogs/rodents results are compared to possible results of horses. Where
did the title learned helplessness come from? Can it also be considered obedience? I
can use this when talking about training in certain situations.

Hausberger, M., Roche, H., Henry, S., Visser, E. A review of the human-horse
relationship. (2008). Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Retrieved from
www.ethologie-cheval.fr/
This is a journal. According to the journal, horse-related incidents occur amongst
all horse people but the time spent for the interaction between horse and human had an
impact (vet/farrier compared to its owner/caretaker). Recent studies show that their
occurrence depend more on the frequency and amount of interactions with horses than

on the level of competency, suggesting a strong need for specific research and training of
humans working with horses. This also includes how to properly interact with horses. It
talks about different aspects of the horse (behavior, etc) that can affect a bond.
This journal was written by people in the Netherlands. It includes a lot of other
experiments and researchers. It is easily readable and organized well, which makes it
easy to understand the findings. It was helpful because it gave information as to how to
interact and what the impacts are on both species.

Hernandez, J. (2001). Training failure among yearling horses. American Journal of

Veterinary Medicine, 62(9), 1418-1422. Retrieved from
http://www.ufvetmedepidemiology.com/
This journal compares the financial returns from pinhooked yearling horses
(bought and trained for 5 months with the hopes of reselling at 2 years old) with severe or
mild training failure (how many training days lost due to different factors) and the
financial returns of these same horses with planned (physical abnormalities) vs nonplanned training failure. In the tables provided, it is shown that lameness is the main
reason for training failure, along with planned training failure and respiratory disease.
Horses with mild training failure brought in 24 times the amount at two years old than
those with severe training failure.
Not only does this journal provide easy to understand data tables, it explains why
the study is much different from others previously done. Also, this mainly focuses on
financial returns of training when certain factors come into play. This is not very useful
because it is very specific when who it experimented with.

Hoefer, K. (n.d.). Nipping. Retrieved from http://sweetironfarm.com/wordpr

page_id=60

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This article focuses on nipping mostly. The main ideas are establishing leadership
and personal space, what behaviors to look out for and get rid of, establishing respect,
familiarity leads to contempt, and how voice commands and posture can affect the
relationship between the horse and human. It says that if baby talk is used, the energy is
low and submissive and the horse will think he is the new leader. You must pretend like
you are talking to a coworker because then it would read off to the horse that they must
respect you. Also, they can read your posture so if the trainer is slumped, and walking
slow, the energy transferred is low, and if the trainers head is high and shoulders back, the
horse will have the same energy level of high as the trainer.
This is useful when talking about how voice commands can help or hinder a
situation. Being aggressive as well as being submissive is a key point that was mentioned.
The article thoroughly goes through how voice and posture affects a relationship with
human and horse but mainly focuses on nipping. After reviewing the rest of the website,
it is evident that the author is very knowledgeable and trustworthy.

Horse Training Equipment-- What You Need to Know. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.horsetopia.com/articles/basics-of-ownership/horse-trainingequipment---what-you-need-to-know.html
In this article, the author says that using the correct training equipment will
produce a well-trained horse with no confusion in the process. The things that also affect
the horses learning are their herd instinct. Horses want a leader to follow and the trainer
must be the leader. When trained well, the horse will give its head to the leader/trainer.
Formal training should start around age two and lunge whips are very helpful when
starting ground training. The equipment should be introduced slowly so that you do not
loose the horses trust.
This is not as useful as I was hoping. Although, I could use this when talking
about what to use and not use when training, basic information about training, and herd
instinct information. It was too short for my liking but the information didnt seem bias.

Jones, L., & Lieberman, B. (2006). The ultimate horse behavior and training book:
Enlightened and revolutionary solutions for the 21st century. North Pomfret, Vt.:
Trafalgar Square Pub.
This book is written by Linda Jones who created her own bonding, trusting, and
training methods. In the foreword, she says for a horse best to understand, the human
must be consistent when on ground and on back. Pain gets in the way of learning and
must be eliminated in the training field for a successful training session every time.
Overall, the Tellington method is used to release tension and discomfort from the horse. It
enhances the well-being of the horse and influences their personality. It can expand a
horses capacity to learn and cooperate willingly. It is also known to deepen the humanhorse bond. Not only does this help training in the present, it can help in the future
because Tellington says it releases the memory of pain at a cellular level when using
TTouch (specific movements made with hands on the horses body). There has been a
research project using this that was designed to see if beginner riders could retrain a
problem horse using this specific training method. Results showed all riders had
successful results.
This is a good source to use to compare different kinds of training methods. Also,
this relates to positive reinforcement. These people are reputable trainers and writers
because they have published multiple books with great reviews from the results people
experience. This section of the book only explains how this method can be positive for
both horse and human.

Knig von Borstel, U., Pasing, S., & Gauly, M. (2011, December 31). Towards a more
objective assessment of equine personality ... Retrieved October 21, 2014.
This journal is about how performance tests on 39 Warmblood stallions that asses
the horses performance as well as breeding aptitude. These tests are mandatory for a
stallion to keep their breeding licenses. Their heart rate, behavior, and heart rate
variability from the stallions were recorded during the performance tests. Behavior
pattersn such as stumbling and tail-swishing were recorded and averaged in a table. The
analysis showed that there is a relationship between personality traits and behavior
patterns. There was also a correlation between behavioral observations and scores from
personality tests. It also showed that present scores lack objectivity and may not be a
good reflection of the true, underlying trait. Endingly, the behavior under saddle is
important because if reflects the best circumstances horses will be priced in the future.
This journal is very reliable due to the fact that they also compared results from
the past. Also, they used tables to organize their information. The discussion clears
everything up but the conclusion is very confusing. What does heart rate have to do with
behavior?

Laam, W., & Laam, S. (2012, January 1). How Horses Learn. Retrieved from
http://www.kbrhorse.net/tra/horslrn.html
In this article, it says that trainers that understand the habits of horses will have a
much easier time teaching the horse specific tasks. Also, the horse will be less stressed,
causing a positive atmosphere. According to the author, It's not pressure or curiosity
which cements the learning process, it is the timing of that point of release. Horses also
learn by copying either other horses or a human. It is considered a visual process.
Repetition is a good way to create behaviors, both good and bad. Clicker training is a
good way to teach the horse to not mug the person for treats but makes them search for
the correct behavior to get the treats. Lastly, herd hierarchical pressure is important when
training because the human must establish their ranking in order for the horse to have
respect and listen to the human properly. As problems the person presents get more
complex, the person must show that the upsetting stimulus is OK by doing it him/herself
or having the horse watch another do so.
I can use this article when talking about good horsemanship and how leadership is
important when training a horse. I can also use this to talk about releasing pressure and
horses visual learning. This article is very detailed and also includes pictures.

Lamm, S. (1997). Bits and their proper use. Retrieved from http://www.kbrhorse
.net/tra/bits01.html
In this article, it explains the three different types of bits: snaffles, gags, and
leverage bits. Snaffles are the most widely used because they have a direct rein effect.
Gags are mostly used for racing, but the reason the author put it in is because snaffles can

have the same affect as gags do when they are not used properly. This could be that the
horse ends up leaning on the bit and then running away with the rider. Leverages,
depending on how long the shanks are, multiply the amount of weight put on the horses
mouth, making them very strong bits. There is also information about how to prevent
making a snaffle act as a gag bit so the rider is more safe.
This article is very helpful when talking about different types of tools trainers will
use. It is specific and adds pictures to clear up confusion. It also backs up facts with
physics in a sense. It is reliable because it is backed up with other resources and the
author has written many more sources/article.

Leste-Lasserre, C. (2013, August 14). Positive, negative reinforcement in horse

training compared.
In this article, it confirms the effectiveness of positive reinforcements. Both
methods of reinforcement are to be seen equally effective in young, feral horses. The
researchers separated the horses into two groups, and one used positive reinforcement by
giving a treat when the horse stepped toward the trailer and the other group got tapped by
a whip until the moved forward. Both had the same outcome but the positive group
showed more investigative behavior that is best for their welfare. The negative group
showed more avoidance behavior. The trainer said, Certainly the negative reinforcement
horses were seeking to get away and maybe didnt know yet that the correct answer was
indeed going forward.
This article will be helpful when talking about the different reinforcements and
what the outcomes could be. This seems unbiased and done by the University of
Wisconsin to understand learning theory in horses. The author is the person who did the
experiment with the young horses and was explaining her results and her thoughts on
why they occurred.

Lloyd, A., Martin, J., Bornett-Gauci, H., & Wilkinson, R. (2007). Horse personality:
Variation between breeds. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 369-383.
This journal explains the differences in personality between different horse
breeds. The survey of 25 questions compared dominance, excitability, protection,
sociability, and inquisitiveness. There was found to be many differences between the
eight different breeds. The highest amount of variation between breeds was found
through anxiousness and excitability. Dominance and Protection showed the least
variation. They made sure that the test would be accurate by previous testing done by
another researcher.
This journal is somewhat accurate because since it was a survey, all people judge
differently; one might score a calm horse a three out of ten while the other person, a one
out of ten. They made sure their method of surveying was going to be a good one because

they used previously examined methods. They had more Arab horses out of all different
breeds though. This is helpful when discussing outside things affecting

McCall, C. A. (1990). A review of learning behavior in horses and its application in horse
training. Journal of Animal Science, 75-81. Retrieved from
http://www.journalofanimalscience.org/content/68/1/75.full.pdf
This source is a journal that talks about the different effects on horses when using
either negative reinforcement (punishment) or positive reinforcement (reward).
Experiments such as picture discrimination and positive/negative reinforcement has been
used to show that horses respond to both reinforcements. Early handling experiences
decrease emotionality and increase learning abilities of horses. Horses also have a good
memory, which allows them to form general solutions to problems.
The journal is organized well and is very informative on reinforcements for
training horses. It gives experiments used in the past to support the authors ideas. The
author is from Univ. of Connecticut. This is very useful because it is about a main focus
in my project (different kinds of reinforcements).

Mclean, A. (2008). Overshadowing: A Silver Lining to a Dark Cloud in Horse Training.

Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 236-248.
This article talks about how overlapping stimuli can be harmful or good to a
horses welfare. Thinking as though it is harmful, the author said from more than one
stimulus, the horse could learn helplessness as well as conflicting behavior. On the good
side, it is a method of desensitization of a certain stimulus is more than one is present and
one is stronger than the other. The response to the bad stimulus would be dulled.
According to the author, this method of desensitizing is rapid particularly with highly
aversive stimuli, possibly because attentional mechanisms are diverted to re-acquisition
of the (initially overshadowed) learned response.. This means that this method is the
quickest way to desensitize a horse and many people have adopted this way of
desensitizing.
This article gives examples of real life situations and stimulus. Also, it is well
organized and expands upon ideas in previous paragraphs. Because of this, it is easy to
read and understand as well as relate to. Also, this article mentions something about
learned helplessness; this is from another source being used too. I dont know if I can
use this in particular but it is helpful for me because I learned more about desensitizing.

Melson, G. F. (2003). Child Development and the Human-Companion Animal Bond.

American Behavioral Scientist, 31-39.

In this journal, it is said that companion animals are hardly a rare phenomenon; a
recent survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association reported that 70% of all
households with children younger than age 6 and 78% of all households with children
older than age 6 had pets. Animals enrich these childrens lives as well as researchers
understanding of cognitive and social development. Studies show children are fascinated
with live animals more than nonliving due to their communicative nature. Companion
animals provide good learning opportunities.
The journal is more informative about the childs development than the total
picture including the animals role. There is not enough detail to support anything specifc
but does give a bit of an overview of animals roles in humans lives and how bonds can
affect human development. I dont know how much I can use from this but I can
definitely reference it.

Meredith, R. (n.d.). Mastering Natural Horsemanship: Using Pressures To Shape The

Horse. Retrieved September 10, 2014. http://www.meredithmanor.edu/
This is a journal. Ron Meredith shows how to train a horse properly with pressure,
reward, and no punishment. He makes a point when he says punishment is not training
and if the horse did something, it is because he learned it from you (the trainer). The
article also says that to communicate properly, you must use the correct language; these
training aids turn into the language between horse and human and have to be taught with
baby steps so the communication between the two is not lost. The main point is you must
give the horses time to learn and do not rush. Once they have learned something, reward
it and it shall come a behavior.
As the President of an equine learning based college, Meredith is able to
respectfully use his experiences while teaching and in life to explain key points of the
article. The main ideas are explained well enough for anyone to understand. These claims
are also written well enough for anyone to attempt to repeat the scenario to prove or
disprove the outcome. This is useful for the training aspect of my project.

Murphy, J., Arkins, S. (2007). Equine learning behavior. Behavioural Processes, 76, 1-13.
This is a journal. Behavioural and learning processes in the horse are likely to
influence not only equine athletic success but also the usefulness of the horse as a
domesticated species. It says that the horse that can learn and understand concepts are
better equipped to succeed in human-horse relationships as well as in the training
environment. It develops ideas on the impacts of negative and positive reinforcement.
There is also information about the horses memory and how it is tested using experiments
such as a maze.
This is a good source because it talks about all aspects of the learning
process of horses, from the trainer, the horses memory, and their cognitive ability. It is

very well organized with an easy to understand content table. There is a picture to support
an experiment as well.

Parelli, L. (2009, February 1). Putting the Relationship First. Retrieved September 10,
2014. http://www.parelli.com/
In this article about human and horse relationships, Parelli shows that time to
build a relationship with a horse will allow the horse to respond to you as a trustful
leader. Small things such as waiting for the horse to come to you instead of using a halter
and unending pressure/force to get him to do what you want is mentioned as something
that will change the entire chemistry between the two species. The horse needs to feel
safe around the person to inevitably gain the trust and confidence needed for a horse to
carry out simple to complex tasks the handler is asking.
Being known for her training methods around the world, she is able to explain the
steps and why these steps need to be taken to create a good relationship with horse and
human. She knows the limitations of all horses in question and gives adequate
information pertaining to all situations. She uses personal experiences to provide correct
and useful information for any reader to try. This is very helpful because I cannot only
reference it, I can use it to better my knowledge on what to research.

Pavia, A. (2004). Softening a horses hard mouth. Horse Channel. Retrieved from
http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-training/hard-mouth-horse-17266.aspx
This article is about how to soften a horses mouth to the bit, meaning the horse
pulls back when the rider asks for the horses head or gives rein cues. The horses who do
this have learned to resist the bit. Poor training and riding are usually the reason the horse
does this. They mainly do this to brace themselves away from pain. The cure is to go
back to basic training. One trainer in the article says that she goes back to bending
exercises. One must resist using a harsher bit because it will only make the issue worse.
To retrain the horse, the rider must have a good, balanced seat. You can begin to soften
the horses mouth by starting at a standstill and asking the horse to bring his head to his
shoulder but releasing the pressure immediately following the release of his head.
This article can be used when talking about possible issues when training a horse
but also how to fix it. It can also be used when referring to basic training. It is effective
because it is well organized and there are many quotes from reputable trainers. It is
helpful because this information is not well known.

Rask, L. (2011-2014). Using horse training voice commands. Retrieved from

http://www.lovehorsebackriding.com/horse-training-voice-commands.html

This article informs readers about how to train their horse to move in any
direction using their voice. It gives the most common commands and explains that pitch
and tone is very important for a horse to understand. The author also includes how to
start, what not to do when voice training, and the dangers of unintentionally training a
horse to perceive some commands wrong. The person training must make sure that the
horse has a strong training background before adding another layer to their training by
adding voice commands.
This is useful when talking about how voice commands can impact training when
used appropriately and inappropriately. It is very informative and can be backed up with
other sources. This is not from a professional journal but is still reliable. On the website,
there are many other sources to look at written by the same author and it is shown that
this author is very reliable and knowledgeable

Sappington, B., & Goldman, L. (1994). Discrimination learning and concept formation in
the Arabian horse. Journal of Animal Science, 3080-3087.
This journal is about how the learning ability of horses can be related to the
species (ex: Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, Arabian, etc) and/or previous experiences. It is
based on an experiment using reward for a desired behavior and no reward for the
undesired behavior. Results demonstrated that complex pattern discrimination ability in
horses can be linked to the ability to form and use concepts to solve problems. From this,
people can conclude that training horses must be in a specific way or the horse will not be
able to decipher what the trainer is asking. The point of the study was to test the ability
of horses to perform at this level of the hierarchy of learning skills. As a whole, this
study proves that horses use previous experiences to complete training tasks. Horses can
apply their ability to solve tasks also under saddle by the knowledge gained from the
completion of easier movements, making it easier to learn more complex movements.
This study can be useful to trainers when assessing their future ability to perform.
I can use this when referring to differing opinions on how some horses learn and
what can affect their learning rate. The purpose of the study is an overall help to me
because reward is a focus on my hypothesis as well as the future ability of the horse. This
seems not to be bias due to only discussing the results and not favoring one side of the
results. There are graphs and tables to help understand as well. What exactly is the level
of hierarchy of learning skills? It doe not explain it well enough.

Steen, R. (2012). The basics of training a joyful horse. Retrieved from

http://www.joyfulhorse.com/NewWeb/basics.shtm
In this website, it talks about issues when training offsite quickly to then go home
and go back to the habits it had before training. Real learning for horses takes time and
patients. Horses will become more willing to learn if they realize they are capable of
doing the tasks the handler is asking of them. Some of the basic tools horses need to
know is the horse must stop with the handler, move forward when asked, soften and

give to pressure, and go backwards. When releasing the pressure, this is a reward to
the horse and they will eventually learn what the handler has been asking without making
a fuss about responding to the stimulus. It keeps repeating wall of energy.
This is useful when talking about basic tools when training a horse or having the
horse respect you and inevitably bond with a trainer. These create relationships. The
article does not seem to be bias, but the author does state her opinion and experiences.

Training your horse. (2014). ASPCA. Retrieved from https://www.aspca.org/petcare/virtual-pet-behaviorist/horse-behavior/training-your-horse

This article says that every interaction with a horse is a training experience for
him/her. Taking it slow around horses is best when handling because they are flight
animals and when they dont feel safe, they cannot learn as well as they could. Rewarding
good behavior is best done immediately so the horse understands which behavior should
be repeated. Attempting to force a horse to perform a behavior creates more problems
than before. The trainer must be patient for success. Overall, horses learn through
reinforcement. There are two kinds of rewards-one type is to give the horse a treat
instantly and the other kind is to release the pressure. You could also use negative
reinforcement, which is taking something away. It must continue until the desired
behavior is attained, then it stops immediately. Timing is important for reinforcement. To
help mark a behavior the second it happens, trainers often use behavior markers such as
a clicker as to catch the behavior when it happens. Reinforcing behavior must also take
persistence.
This article can be used when talking about different kinds of reinforcements.
Also, it gives specific information about both kinds of reinforcements. It is not as detailed
as it could be. It is effective because they organized it in a way that made main ideas
stand out. This is also credible because it was written by ASPCA.

Visser, E., Vandierendonck, M., Ellis, A., Rijksen, C., & Reenen, C. (n.d.). A comparison
of sympathetic and conventional training methods on responses to initial horse
training. The Veterinary Journal, 48-52.
This journal compares the effects of sympathetic (like natural horsemanship)
training and conventional training. Two groups of Warmblood horses were separated into
two groups, one with conventional (CT) and another with sympathetic (ST). CT group
had limited contact and a very fast training schedule. ST had all day turnout and the
training schedule was adjusted to the individual horse. It was seen at the end of the
experiment that the higher use of familiarization in ST horses explains the lower fear and
stress levels. ST horses snorted less than CT horses and had a lower heart rate. Both
training methods produce the same level of technical performance, but ST reduced stress
which is beneficial to the horses overall welfare.

This article is very helpful due to the fact that it is a controlled experiment and a
clear outcome. There are graphs, visuals, and tables. The conclusion and discussion are
not as long as they should be.

Von Borstel, U., Duncan, I., Shoveller, A., & Millman, S. (2008). Transfer of nervousness
from competition rider to the horse. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science.
This article measured the transmission of nervousness from rider to horse
through heart rate. Being able to identify factors that cause fear in horses can help
minimize accidents and improve welfare for both human and horse. Researchers in this
suggest that since horses can sense fear and nervousness in its rider, it can have a
detrimental effect. In the experiment, a rider was made nervous by being told the horse
will be startled with water. Later in the course, they were startled by an open umbrella. It
was seen that the horses heart rate was the highest during the time the rider was nervous
but low at other times of the course. It was shown here that the more experienced the
rider, the lower the risk the horse will induce nervousness and from this, the more
experienced rider can prevent dangerous fear induced reactions while riding.
This article ties in a small aspect of my research because it is about feedback from
the rider to the horse. This affects bonding and overall performance. There are numbers
given as to how likely these things happened during the experiment and it is very well
organized. All authors came from high standard universities. I can use this when and if I
do my own experiment. Also, this can be used when implying sources of error
(nervousness reduces proper results for some experiments).

Waran, N., Clarke, N., & Farnworth, M. (n.d.). The effects of weaning on the domestic
horse (Equus caballus). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 42-57.
In this journal, it observes different environmental factors on the effects on a
weaning foal. Its goal is to provide the best, least detrimental way to wean with the
reference of many other articles. It concludes that foals should be weaned into as natural
an environment as possible. Introducing foals to the feed that they will be expected to eat
after weaning should be started before weaning begins. This can prevent gut sensitivity
that may account for weight loss and growth problems during the weaning. Foals appear
to respond best to a gradual process of weaning which includes social contact with
compatible others so that foals are not subjected to aggression and social competition
through bad grouping during the weaning process.
The journal is very informative and the researchers must be trustworthy because
the article is in an educational book. It is well organized and looks at every aspect they
are trying to research. The conclusion is also very clear and how they got to that was as
well. I can use this if I talk about the development aspect of horses and how that later
affects training.

Wickens, C., Heleski, C., Bursian, S., & Clark, K. (2008). Investigating cribbing and
weaving behavior in horses in Michigan. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare
Science.
This article informs others about behaviors (cribbing and weaving) that are signs
of unhealthy horses, how prevalent it is, and its risk factors. This was mainly a surveytype experiment. Out of 2,376 horses. Cribbing had a percentage of 4.9% and weaving
was 2.3%. 79.6% the people who were surveyed said that these behaviors have a negative
impact on a horses health while 23.1% said that these behaviors hinder learning and
training ability. While many, over 88%, try to stop this behavior through cribbing collars,
others try through social contact and turnout.
This gives insight to a specific population that has many horses. This article also
shows how people are attempting to stop the behavior and what they think about it. The
authors back it up with percentages and how they contacted these people. I can use this if
I need to use numbers and examples. The information is limited to cribbing and weaving
though.