Elephants, Enrichment and the Power of Positive Reinforcement

I came across a fascinating study recently (thanks to Rachel Bedingfield 🙏) that beautifully supports something many of us have seen with our own horses:
When animals associate their experiences with something positive, they become more optimistic and resilient—even in uncertain situations.

Here’s what the researchers found:

🧠 Elephants used past experiences—and the emotional value of those experiences—to make decisions about ambiguous situations.

🐘 They showed a clear "positive bias":

• They approached an ambiguous positive cue 3x more often, and
• Responded to it twice as quickly compared to a cue associated with a negative experience.

In contrast, when the ambiguous cue was associated with something negative, they were slower and less likely to engage.

🐴 Why This Matters for Our Horses

This is the emotional groundwork of what we do every day with compassionate, positive reinforcement (R+)...

Regrets from the road...On a recent trip with a young horse recently, I watched my own horse drink readily and frequently while the youngster wasn't so sure of doing this on the trailer. Oh how I wish I had thought not only to condition drinking on the trailer for the young horse and also regretted having not put it on cue. Thankfully, it was a short trip and I brought salt for his food.

BUT, what a great winter weather activity and one that can be done in small spaces too. 

Considering training your horse to drink on cue???

🪣It can be done through:

• capturing the horse drinking and rewarding with food after they are finished, and eventually adding a cue.
• Or it may be done by shaping the behavior through selective bridging and feeding as the horse get's closer to the water.
• Of course, it can help to have a horse that is already thirsty such as one that has recently consumed salt, has just been worked, or is coming in from the sun on a warm day etc. 
• You might be wondering do I cl...

Have Reservations about Sending Your Horses to Professional Trainers including those Who use Positive Reinforcement? Totally understandable. Sometimes it's the best thing ever and other times....well you've heard the stories. (this is first post in a series about myths and sending your horse to a trainer)

As horse owners, we know how deeply connected we are to our equine friends. The bond you share is unique and special, filled with moments of joy, challenge, and growth. But when it comes to considering sending your horse to a professional trainer, it’s completely normal to feel a mix of excitement and apprehension as you want the best for your horse. You might worry about your horse’s well-being, the training methods used, or even what others might think. Such a valid way to feel.

  Let’s take a moment to explore some myths surrounding professional training, particularly those that use positive reinforcement, and hopefully ease your concerns.

**Myth 1: Professional Trainers Only Use Hars...

✨ Calm, Confident Connections: A Positive Reinforcement Clinic Experience for Compassionate Equestrians ✨

Trust, clarity, and consent—these are the fundamentals of a powerful horse-human relationship. Whether you're new to R+ (positive reinforcement)/clicker training or experienced, there's always room to refine behaviors, deepen your bond, and teach essential skills with kindness.

🌿 Positive Reinforcement for Practical Horse People is a unique clinic designed around YOUR goals! (whether under saddle, or on the ground – all disciplines welcome) Before the clinic, you'll share what you'd like to focus on, and together, you’ll experience progress while you’re here and a take home plan for continued success. Relationships with results—that’s our mantra!

📅 April 4-6, 2025 | R+ Clinic Schedule | Burgaw NC

🐴 Friday Afternoon: Arrive, settle your horse, and join our evening gathering for intros, dinner, and discussion about your intentions, dreams and goals.

🐴 Saturday:

✅ 2+ coaching/tr...

In positive reinforcement (+R) training, we often believe we’re reinforcing one behavior, but our horse may have an entirely different idea about what they did to earn that reward. This little misunderstanding can make a big impact on your training results and your relationship with your horse!

✨ Ask Yourself: What does my horse think they are being reinforced for? Why does my horse think they got rewarded? ✨

Taking a moment to consider this question can be a total game changer building our confidence and that of our horses too. When we align our intentions with what we are doing and cuing / what the horse perceives, we can create clearer, more consistent communication—and that means faster learning, less frustration, and a more trusting connection.

If this tip helps you, we’d love to hear about it!: What was happening in your training, and what shifted when you tried this perspective? ⬇️

Happy clicking! 💙

Melissa

PS Clinic dates and registration links can be found here: https://w...