Can you help settle an argument?

hippo-horse

hippo-horse

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I have been having a long running "discussion" with my (non-horsey) oh, the main point being do we communicate with horses or condition them?I have now reached the point where Im not sure if he is just trying to wind me up for his own amusement and would love to know what other people think.Then I can either blind him with logic or get some humble pie in. Discuss:D
 
We do both, of course! We HAVE to communicate with the horse to get him to understand what is expected of him - but we also have to 'condition him' - so that he knows if he ignores our communication, it will not be in his best interests!

Tell your OH that training horses is very like training OH's - you ask him, then you tell him, then you have a raging RANT at him - and then you withdraw all priveleges for at LEAST a month!
 
im not sure i really understand the question, but i shall give you my answer anyway... some people communicate with their horses and their horses can be their very best friend and provide much needed love and affection! some other people are ignorant and may communicate but do not listen to their answer (if this makes sense) i suppose im trying to say some people just ask and expect things of their horses and treat them as machines not friends...
x
 
I think we use communication to condition them... if that makes sense.

We use actions that they understand to teach them what is right/what we want and what is "wrong"/ what we don't want.
 
JanetGeorge said:
We do both, of course! We HAVE to communicate with the horse to get him to understand what is expected of him - but we also have to 'condition him' - so that he knows if he ignores our communication, it will not be in his best interests!

Tell your OH that training horses is very like training OH's - you ask him, then you tell him, then you have a raging RANT at him - and then you withdraw all priveleges for at LEAST a month!
Click to expand...

ummm only a month?????
 
Thanks for your perspectives! The main point of contention seems to be about non-verbal comunication.For example, my horse has an itchy hind leg.While I am grooming her she lifts her leg to her mouth, has a small itch,looks at me and puts her hoof down.I scratch the itch for her because I feel she has comunicated that she would like this.The oh says the horse has me conditioned to do this for her.
 
Your OH is misusing the term 'conditioning' then (sorry OH!). In classical conditioning a neutral stimulus becomes conditioned when it is associated with a stimulus of significance and ends up producing the same result as the stimulus of significance, i.e. Pavlov's dogs ended up salivating (the result) both when they were fed (stimulus of significance) and when they saw the men in the white coats (neutral stimulus). In operant conditioning, conditioning refers to the process by which voluntary behaviour is modified in response to stimuli from the environment, e.g. if the environment keeps rewarding you for behaviour X then you are more likely to repeat it.

Neither of these is the case here for you. Your horse has discovered that you are available for scratching and is asking you to do it, presumably you do it to please your horse. If anything you have conditioned the horse to ask for this.
 
a good owner will comunicate listen and respond but alas some dont listen or talk to thier horses - body language here folks - but bully and try to dominate - alas they are the losers. im chilled easy going and understand my horses will make mistakes (dont we all) and well i get so much more back :)
 
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