06/16/2023
Horses, being social creatures, have a natural affinity for touch, and allogrooming, the act of grooming each other, promotes bonding.
This bonding isn't limited to just their own kind. Research shows that when humans spend time gently rubbing or scratching a horse at the base of its withers, they can create a strong connection with them too.
This gentle act of touch not only helps to build a bond, but it can also make interactions and training with them more effective.
But how effective is touch when teaching horses new behaviours?
In the past, studies have shown that social interaction between horses and humans can act as a kind of reward, or "reinforcer," during training.
However, some trainers argue that tactile interaction (patting, rubbing, or scratching) isn't as effective as food rewards.
A recent study by the University of Texas examined whether touch, like wither scratching, could be used as an effective reward in training two horses and mules.
The process started with teaching each animal when they could expect a reward and how to respond to it. After that, a series of steps (known as "shaping") were followed to determine if touch could help them learn two new behaviours: "stay" and "come."
Across all cases, the horses and mules were able to learn the commands "stay" and "come" with touch as a positive reinforcer.
This shows that touch can be used as an effective reinforcer when training equids.
However, the study also suggests trainers keep in mind how and when the reward is delivered, as this can play a significant role when touch is used in this way.
For the full story check out the paper: Equines do not live for grass alone: Training equines using social interaction as a reinforcer.
Authors: Maasa Nishimuta, Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Sean Michael Will, Mary Hunter https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jeab.786
