Methods within the Method

Many people think of R+ training as 1 technique, 1 method. But R+ is an entire learning quadrant, any time you reinforce a behavior by adding something the learner likes, R+ is happening. There are millions of ways to utilize this as a tool. We, as horse trainers, have spent thousands of years finding and developing hundreds of ways to utilize R- and punishment to be effective and even over recent generations to be used more gently and thoughtfully. R+ has just as many methods, approaches, techniques, and levels of coercion within it.

Before we begin trying to alter our horses' behavior we have got to ensure our horse is physically, emotionally healthy and living an appropriate lifestyle. We can't ask our horses to be their best selves if we're not giving them what they need.

Most "normal" horses will fall within a baseline R+ techniques. This would include basic behavior training, using shaping, targets in a variety of ways, capturing, and so much more. We build distance, duration, overcome distractions, and behavior chains to build these behaviors into a more real, complete life. When dealing with fear we use enrichment, counter conditioning, and such. When dealing with unwanted behaviors, we replace them with appropriate alternatives.

Then there are times where our horses are more sensitive, maybe with past trauma, overwhelming fear, or maybe have been shut down repeatedly. With these horses sometimes we have to dip into more consent and choice-based focus. We can support our horses by building more ways to communicate and work together through hard things.

There are also times where time is against us and we're needing to push a little harder, a little faster than we typically might in a regular situation. In these cases we might need to mix in some techniques that are slightly more coercive, controlling, limited choice, even a little aversive, when it's necessary and appropriate.

This is nowhere near an exhaustive list. But you can see how many, many different approaches and techniques and methods there are and can be within R+ to be more empathetic, thoughtful, choice and consent-focused or more controlling, forceful, and rushed when those times come up in life where we have to do more than we're ready and able to do thoughtfully.