One of the most mis-understood aspect of horse training is the recognition of when horses are above threshold.
What are thresholds?
Thresholds can be used to show us when horses are in a calm emotional state or when they are experiencing fear. Therefore, we can then make changes to create a successful training environment.
When horses experience fear, a common response is to dismiss or ignore the fear in hopes it will go away. In some cases it will disappear, however, this often results in horses entering a state of learned helplessness. Fear is an emotion, therefore horses do not have control over when they are fearful. It is vital to remember that we cannot reinforce fear, therefore we cannot train a horse to be fearful, however clumsy training can cause fear! The same goes for horses being calm, we cannot reinforce this and so we are unable to train a horse to be calm. The only way we can reduce fear is to gradually expose them to situations they may find frightening. It is important that we expose horses to situations they may find fearful gradually, this is where we can implement the idea of thresholds.
Figure 1 below shows a traffic light system, this represents different threshold levels we may see in our horses. There are a variety of behavioural responses we can see from horses when they are in these different threshold levels.
Figure 1 (Authors Own, 2023):
When horses are in the ‘red’ phase, they are often in their fight or flight response. Common behaviours we may see here can be: running away, bucking, rearing, kicking, striking, triangulation of the eye and elongation of the muzzle.
When they are in the ‘yellow’ phase, they are usually in freeze or looking around response. This is the stage when behaviours such as: rapid eating, body tension, freezing, fidgeting, slight triangulation of eye and increased respiratory rate are usually seen.
The ‘green’ phase is usually one of relaxation. Behaviours we commonly see are: relaxed eating, full attention to training, relaxed muzzle and soft round eye, resting a hind limb and normal respiration rate.
Training cannot occur in the ‘red’ phase as the horse is only focused on survival. Some training can occur in the ‘yellow’ phase but it is always recommended that all training should occur in the ‘green’ phase.
So how do we reduce a horses’ fear response?
One of the key factors is learning which behaviours indicate your horse is in each phase. A qualified Equine Behaviour Consultant will be able to help you understand which behaviours indicate which phase your horse may be in.
Once we have an understanding of which phase your horse is in, we can begin to understand what situations cause them to increase their stress levels. This could be, being in a specific place on the yard because they have negative associations with it due to always seeing the vet in this place, or it could be that they find a plastic bag in the bush frightening. We can then establish at what distance the horse feels confident away from this place/object. We can utilise positive reinforcement training and systematic desensitisation in order to gradually approach this place/object and change the horses emotions in these situations. It is vital that this is done at the horses pace and they are not forced into a situation that causes them to go over-threshold.
What do I do if they go over-threshold?
Firstly, relax yourself! It is sometimes easier said than done, but try to maintain a level of relaxation within yourself. Allow the horse to move away from the situation they are finding frightening (when safe to do so). Remember we cannot reinforce fear, so allowing them to move away from something they find frightening will not make them ‘worse’ next time. Allowing them to move away from the situation will actually help build their confidence and trust in you that you won’t restrict their escape if they are frightened! Once you have moved to a place they are confident, allow their emotions to come back down. Offer them some forage and wait until their respiratory rate and behavioural responses are back down to green. The length of time it takes your horse to return to a relaxed state can vary from horse to horse. You can then begin reintroducing them to the situation they found frightening. Ensure you use a systematic desensitisation approach and positive reinforcement where appropriate.
When learning about your horses threshold’s, it is vital to pay close attention to their subtle body language signals. These will be the first signs that your horse is beginning to get anxious. From here you can learn how to prevent situations worsening.
Always seek advice from a qualified Equine Behaviour Consultant that has a full understanding of equine behaviour to help you understand your horse.
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