One of the largest points of online debates and confusion amongst horsemen and women exploring the work of R+ after coming from a traditional horsemanship environment is the topic of “pressure”
A rather ambiguous word, in the context of horsemanship, “Pressure”, is most used as a all around term for anything ranging between a simple look at a horse, to waving a flag stick, to pushing your hand against a horses body, to whacking the horse with a whip or stick.
In traditional horsemanship, this pressure, and the consequent relief of that pressure, is the motivation for the horse for nearly everything us humans ask them of.
Whether that is the initial touches, the basic handling on the ground, or under saddle work, it’s how the majority of the horse-world operates. The term “pressure and release” is most commonly used to describe this process.
You’ve most likely heard the saying “horses don’t learn from pressure, but rather the release of pressure”
In behavioural studies, this is described as Negative Reinforcement, the removal of an aversive stimulus to strengthen a behaviour.
In the case of negative reinforcement, or pressure and release, pressure is a aversive stimulus.
However, that doesn’t mean all use of pressure is = to negative reinforcement or pressure and release.
Pressure can be used as a cue also, in which case it would be a non-aversive kind of pressure.
This kind of pressure will not motivate the horse to initiate a behaviour, unless there is a different form of motivation available to the horse. Also callee a “tactile cue” this is the kind of pressure used in R+ training. It is used when we want to transfer a visual, or auditory cue to a physical cue.
So what is really the difference between those two kinds of pressure, and how do we know which one is being used?
The determining factors are primarily:
What is the motivation for the horses response to the pressure
How was this response taught
What are the consequences, if the horse does not respond.
Taking for example, the pressure of your leg, to move a horses shoulder.
What is the motivation for the horses response to the pressure
If, in order for the horse to respond with moving their shoulder, pressure must be applied to initiate the behaviour, and if removing the pressure at the very moment the horse does as desired, is the reason the horse continues to respond to the pressure, then negative reinforcement/pressure and release is being used.
If a different (non-pressure) cue can be used to initiate the behaviour, the pressure can be removed at any point, and an appetitive reinforcer or reward is the reason the horse continues to respond to the pressure, then a R+ pressure cue/tactile cue is being used.
How was this response taught
In order to first teach the horse to move their shoulder over
If we apply our leg pressure, and release the pressure when the horse moves their shoulder over, without another form of reinforcement/motivation being used, then negative reinforcement/pressure and release is in play.
If instead, the shoulder moving over was taught by asking the horse to step over a matt, or the horse was taught to move their shoulder towards a target, with the pressure not being introduced used until the behaviour is understood by the horse, then it is a R+ pressure cue/tactile cue you’re seeing.
What are the consequences, if the horse does not respond?
Say, you apply the pressure with your leg, and your horse doesn’t respond with moving their shoulder, but instead, they ignore it, or they push into your leg.
If the consequences of that, is an increase of leg pressure, then we’re talking about negative reinforcement/pressure and release.
If the consequences of that is no increase of leg pressure, or a removal of the pressure, we are talking about a R+ pressure cue or tactile cue.
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