Horse Behavior

(from "the Horse" magazine, May 2008 issue, page 18).

I read recently that young horses appear to learn faster if they receive food as a reward, according to researchers from France. Yearling horses in the research project were split into two groups - reward group and non-reward group. If horses in the reward group responded appropriately to voice commands, such as remaining immobile while a trainer performed grooming tasks or certain veterinary procedures, the researchers rewarded the horse with grain pellets. (Horses in the non-reward group were not rewarded with grain if they responded appropriately). On average, horses in the non-reward group took 5.2 hours to complete their training, whereas horses in the reward group took 3.7 hours to complete their training. The researcher also stated that the slowest horse in the reward group still performed and learned tasks faster than the fastest horse in the non-reward group.