A step by step guide for you and your horse
Shaping training AKA ‘Successive approximation’ is a flexible training technique in which an end training goal is broken down into a series of small, sometimes minute, steps.
Each step helps to build the next step until finally, the end goal is reached.
In this guide, we’ll take you through the benefits and desired outcomes of shaping training for horses, and provide a step-by-step guide to implementing shaping training with your horse.
What Are The Benefits Of Shaping Training For Horses?
If you know anything about goal setting then you’ll know that one of the important principles of successful goal setting is to break each goal down into smaller achievable goals, or steps. Each step builds on the previous one until finally, the big goal is achieved.
The reason for doing this is that, sometimes, big goals can appear overwhelmingly ambitious. We then get discouraged and give up. But – when we break those large goals down into smaller bite-sized pieces, suddenly achieving the big goal isn’t so impossible after all!
Shaping training for horses uses similar tactics.
Breaking down complex behaviour
By breaking down a complex behaviour into smaller steps, we not only help the horse to better understand what we’re asking, but we also set up a firm foundation for the behaviour we want.
Some of the more specific benefits of shaping training for horses include…
- It breaks down complex behaviours. Shaping enables trainers to break down complex activities into smaller, more achievable steps. This approach makes it easier for the horse to comprehend and execute the desired behaviour.
- It is a gradual progress. The step-by-step nature of shaping ensures gradual progress and avoids overwhelming the horse with too many demands at once. This incremental learning process then contributes to a positive training experience.
- It allows for more versatility in training. Shaping can be applied to teach a wide range of different behaviours, from simple movements to more complex tasks. Essentially, if the behaviour can be broken down into small steps, using shaping training is possible.
- It is extremely adaptable. Because shaping training is very adaptable, it can be used successfully with horses of all different skill levels.
Shaping training can also be used in conjunction with something like a clicker to mark the desired behaviour just prior to the reward. In fact, depending on what the horse is learning, it often is.
What Are Some Of The Drawbacks Of Shaping Training For Horses?
Shaping training is not an easy tool for inexperienced horse people. It requires some knowledge of horse psychology and behaviour.
For example, you need to be able to spot even the smallest action the horse makes in the right direction, and reward it. Too often we miss these small subtle clues that the horse is responding favourably because we’re looking for the big reaction.
If we are teaching the horse to load on a float for example, we may miss the ear moving in the direction of the float or the lean forward towards it.
These are subtle signs that the horse is focusing or thinking about moving forward but we ignore or miss them because we’re asking for a step towards the float instead.
So, we persist in asking for the step, and in the process, the horse gets confused, anxious, and upset.
However, if we notice the ear or the lean forward, understand what they mean, and reward the horse, we can then build on that focus to ask for the next step, which is to take a step towards the float.
What Are The Desired Outcomes Of Shaping Training For Horses?
With shaping training for horses, we want to achieve several outcomes…
- We want the horse to eventually master a particular behaviour that may be difficult to master in a single step. By teaching the behaviour step by step, we can teach to horse to perform the desired behaviour in logical increments. This method encourages a systematic approach to learning, ensuring the horse comprehends each component before moving on.
- We want to build confidence and trust. The incremental nature of shaping training helps to build the horse’s confidence as they master each step. When we positively reinforce each achievement, it fosters trust in the training process and in their relationship with the handler.
Step-by-Step Guide To Shaping Training For Horses
1. Start with a plan.
Identify the behaviour you want to teach the horse. To use the example we used earlier, you want to teach the horse to walk onto a float. However, it could just as equally be something more complex, like teaching a high school dressage movement…
2. Create your steps
Break up the behaviour into a series of small manageable steps based on what you think your horse can achieve. Using our float-training example: if the horse has never been near a float, the first step may be just getting a good look at it. Followed by taking a step towards it… Then several steps… Then walking right up to it. Putting one hoof on the ramp, then both front hooves, then all 4… You get the idea!
3. Write down your plan
Writing down the plan, including the steps you want to take to achieve your end goal has a number of benefits…
- It sets it all out in black and white so you can clearly see how each step logically leads to the next step, and tweak as required.
- It provides a guide to refer back to should you need to go back and repeat a step.
- You mark your progress so you know where you’re up to, and where to start your next training session.
- It helps you identify if you’ve skipped a step, or lumped several steps together and made too big a step.
- You can use it make notes and evaluate your training so you can improve your training for next time.
4. Swing into action
Start your first step i.e. grab the horse float and get your horse. Let the horse see the float, and reward it for standing still and looking at it. This may seem like overkill – why does a horse need to learn to stand and look at a horse float? However, horses are not born knowing how to float load and if they’ve never seen one before, it can be a very scary object!
5. Repeat as necessary
This is to cement the behaviour before moving on to the next step.
6. Gradually increase the difficulty
Once the horse is comfortable around the float, ask for a step towards it. If this proves difficult, look for other smaller steps to reward (the ear or a lean mentioned earlier). The idea is to keep progressing forward even it means adding some extra smaller steps.
Some tips to help you and your horse
Do your preparation before you start. This is where writing down your plan helps you get organised and prepared. ‘Winging it’ doesn’t really work with shaping training!
Be prepared to be patient…very patient… because you will be lifting the bar in small increments each step, which may seem ridiculous to you but nevertheless… You may for example think asking for just a single step towards the float is wasting time when you could march the horse all the way up to it instead. However, if the horse is wary of this horse eating, monster-hiding contraption you’ve just introduced it to, even moving one foot towards it may be a big deal for it!
One step at a time
Work on one step at a time, master it, and then move on. If you are working on having the horse look at the float, don’t ask it to move onto step 2 (taking a step towards it) until you’ve reinforced step 1. You may get to step 2 (and beyond) during the same training session but equally you may not. Yes – be prepared to be patient.
Once you’ve started a training session, maintain momentum, and keep things consistent.
Following on from this, don’t stop a training session for no good reason. Being fed up is not a good reason…
If something doesn’t work out as planned, change the plan.
If the horse fails to grasp something or plays up, take a step backwards and re-establish the previous step.
Then… end on a good note; this is standard practice for any type of training!
When you move on to a new step, don’t incorporate the previous step into it unless the horse’s behaviour warrants it. Move directly to the new step.
Know what you’re doing next so you can keep the momentum going; this is where having your plan written down helps.
Final Thoughts About Shaping Training For Horses
Shaping training for horses offers benefits that extend beyond skill acquisition. By breaking down complex behaviours, making steady but gradual progress, and fostering confidence and trust, shaping can become a cornerstone in your training, creating a positive and successful training experience for both yourself and your horse.
