Flying Hawk Farm

07/04/2024

hear ye! hear ye!

01/19/2024

Enjoying a lovely winter day

10/03/2022

Obviously they are hugging it out

10/03/2022

This is such a good perspective to have!

10/03/2022

What if it’s not about winning? What if it could be about learning to understand each other and motivate each other instead? 🤔

Especially with the chestnut mare 😂
credits: Pinterest

10/03/2022

Well worth the read!

Horses don’t use positive reinforcement with each other. They use pressure.⁣
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Right…?⁣
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Honestly, this is like comparing apples to oranges, and utilizing it as an argument *against* positive reinforcement is rather nonsensical.⁣
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Don’t get us wrong: we are NOT arguing *against* pressure/release as motivator in training. In fact, Maddy teaches it in a refined, ethical way in the Horse-Human Connection Academy (HCA)✨⁣
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But to say that horses don’t use positive reinforcement with one another, so it’s not a good training tool, is rather misleading.⁣
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It’s hinting that pressure/release is more natural to horses, and therefore a better motivator.⁣
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But horses also do not ask one another to canter perfect 20 meter circles, or run a clover leaf pattern at full speed 🐎 THAT is the unnatural element in this equation.⁣
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𝗦𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 “𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹” 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲/𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀.⁣
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They’re both viable motivators in behavior modification (training), categorized under operant conditioning 🤷🏻‍♀️⁣
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Plus, horses derive safety, comfort and pleasure from one another. Experiencing strong social bonds is both enjoyable, and essential to their basic needs as herd animals.⁣
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They’re not constantly using pressure on one another to get what they want, and they’re certainly not asking for anything outside of the other horses’ instinctual behavior.⁣
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They’re grooming one another, regulating nervous systems together, working as a team to scan for predators, mirroring emotions… the list goes on and on.⁣
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There’s a relationship between horses that goes far beyond the use of pressure — one that we as humans cannot replace in order to get what we want using pressure and call it “natural”⁣
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Training is necessary for horses in our human world…⁣
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And using positive reinforcement in your training to create an even exchange of value for a horse’s effort lights her up, and gives her a reason to go above and beyond 🦋⁣
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So don’t let the debunked “it’s not natural” argument hold you back from trying out such a life changing approach🥕⁣
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-written by MM team 💕

09/19/2022

Oh how much I wish more people understood this concept!
There is so much pressure to be riding all the time
To be constantly pushing and preforming
It’s not good for us or our horses
Enjoy the journey!

09/19/2022

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Carltonlima Emma, a Fell Pony and one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite horses, and head groom Terry Pendry, pay their final respects.

09/19/2022

We still have six stalls available for full care board!
Pm for details

09/19/2022

Pretty much 😝

09/17/2022

How to use positive reinforcement with a food-obsessed (or even aggressive) horse🥕🐴⁣
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The #1 reason cited for avoiding positive reinforcement (despite its life-changing results) is a fear of creating a “cookie monster”⁣
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Or worse… doing so, and not knowing how to fix it — other than never use food rewards again 😩⁣
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Food is a POWERFUL motivator. That’s what makes it such a great tool for training.⁣
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Imagine it like a fantasy movie where the protagonist suddenly gains new powers. It’s chaos — until she learns how to channel and use the magic for good🌬✨⁣
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There are many reasons a horse may be “treat crazy.” From a natural tendency toward being a foodie, to traumatic circumstances where food was scarce (neglect, mustangs on the range running out of resources), to traditional domesticated horse lifestyle where they have 2-3 meals a day instead of forage access 24/7.⁣
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Thankfully, there is a way to heal these dis-regulated food feelings 😌⁣
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And reap the rewards of using food in training without the chaos 🪄⁣
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🥕 If possible, prioritize providing 24/7 access to forage using a slow-feed method⁣
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🥕 Before you begin a session with food rewards, feed loose hay and/or set up an enrichment game with food so the horse doesn’t start out hungry⁣
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🥕 Feed big handfuls, especially at the start of the session⁣
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🥕 Use low value food rewards! Avoid sweet treats for health + training purposes. We recommend Timothy hay pellets or broken up cubes as a food reward⁣
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🥕 Use a high rate of reinforcement (feed frequently), prioritize setting the horse up for success, and rewarding relaxation⁣
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Each of these things decreases a sense of scarcity around food, which is often the underlying cause for anxiety with treats.⁣
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You won’t have to do all of these things forever. Over time, your horse will associate training time with relaxation, and you can drastically increase the duration of time your horse can comfortably go without a reward.⁣
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Maddy teaches on this topic in *great depth* in the Horse-Human Connection Academy (HCA) ♥️ if you’re struggling with this, we have MUCH more to share to help you.⁣
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Comment your questions below 💫⁣
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-written by MM team

09/17/2022

“POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS GREAT AND ALL BUT IT TAKES FOREVER TO DO ANYTHING”

I hear this a lot, and my response to this is a couple of things:

1️⃣Any training approach will take longer if you are inexperienced, because of the nature of learning something new. There will be more bumps in the road, more learning curves, and more mistakes. You have to learn and practice to become proficient. This is not to dissuade you from trying positive reinforcement, but to encourage you to work with a professional so that the process goes smoothly and quickly for both you and your horse.

2️⃣ When the horse is given a choice to participate, and is shown consistency and consideration for their emotional well being, oftentimes positive reinforcement and clicker training is the faster route in the long run because you don’t have to fight your horse to do anything. It may take some time for your horse to get to this point, but if you take the time to teach them they have a voice, the training process goes much quicker and is SO much more enjoyable for all involved.

Start buttons, clicker training, and giving the horse a choice and control over the outcome may seem to take longer at first, but ultimately is the faster and safer route to the end goal.