#Positive reinforcement training these Horsemen

[imagine-darksiders]

Imagine calling the Horsemen terms of endearment and watching them melt because nobody has ever given them nicknames that mean anything good before.

For Death, hearing you call him 'Dear,' for the first time in casual conversation nearly makes him choke on his non-existent spit.

You aren't paying attention when you see War one evening and blithely call out, "Hey, Handsome," and the largest Horseman immediately has to leave the room before you catch the flush creeping up into his ears.

You hit Strife with a 'Morning, Cowboy,' or 'Hey, Treasure,' and he turns to mush.

Fury gets called 'Champ,' once and it fluffs her ego so much she does everything she can to try and get you to call her that again, all the while pretending she hates it. Call her 'Tiger' and she practically purrs.

[brujahinaskirt]

Just some lil' thangs you might not notice about the level of detail RDR2 puts into Arthur's interactions with horses if you aren't personally experienced with horses:

[Sorry if this has been done! I couldn't find a post like it in recent tumblr history, and hope I can at least add some thoughts that haven't been analyzed to death already!]

(First, a note about me: I was raised on a quarter horse ranch and trained by a cadre of old-school cowboys in the Western tradition. Some of them were excellent teachers and some of them were crabby-faced bastards who thought "horsemanship" = engaging in a constant war with your horse... which gives me a little insight into positive and negative horsemanship styles on display in RDR2.)

(Second, thanks to fellow horsegirl @mangocats for helping me compile this list!)

(Third, a simple note to say that although I playfully use the term "horsegirl" in this post, the notes here apply to any gender. Same goes for the use of terms like "horsemen," which is not commonly used in the Western equestrian world to indicate a rider's real gender.)

Now, without further ado:

Press X to Calm. Arthur uses a tried-and-true low-stress, gradual escalation method of approaching and calming a spooked horse that begins with establishing physical contact with one hand and slowly increasing contact until the horse is fully calm and is once more amenable to human direction & commands. This is usually a preferable method to getting a frightened horse under control imo, but it's a "soft hand" method, and not something you always see in machismo-loaded equestrian circles. I've written about this a little in another meta post, so I won't get too deeply into it here.

Overall Horsemanship Style. You'll notice that while he does occasionally drive them hard in emergencies such as escaping the law or chasing a train, Arthur never "forces" his horses to comply with commands; in other words, he doesn't use his strength to try and bully a horse into doing something, like crossing a river, or physically punish a horse to "desensitize" it. "Forcing" horses to do things using tack designed to create discomfort or using raw bodily intimidation + fear & pain-motivated negative reinforcement is a tragically common tradition in old-school Western riding (and still advocated by some popular TV equestrians whom I think are straight-up animal abusers... if you know you know). It's dismal, but for a lot of the cowboys I know/knew, when a horse isn't obeying, you need to "show it who's boss." Arthur never approaches animals this way. By contrast, especially for the time period, he is exceedingly patient with horses and animals in general. We can even see this in his dialogue to wild horses; when they gradually calm down after the initial "breaking in" process, Arthur usually says something companionable like, "See, we're friends now."

And a sub-point on that: Horsemanship Temperament. Arthur never gets mad at or yells at his horse. Even when he gets chucked to the ground, he'll yell DAMN, THAT HURT, and then it's back to trying to calm the spooked horse. Which is exactly the right attitude to have. (Though if you've never been hurled face-first into a pile of sun-baked manure because your horse saw, idk, a twig on the road, you might not appreciate how even-tempered a character Arthur is for never succumbing to the temptation to yell, "COME ONNNN GIVE ME A BREAK IT'S A STICK YOU SILLY BITCH!")

Horse responsiveness. The horse emotional cues in this game are incredible, from their reactions to other animals and weather events to their reactions to Arthur. You can see the horse's neck muscles tense and relax when being calmed, their eyes changing in size, their head drop and raise in response to the reins, and their annoyance seeping through with stomps and pinned ears well before they start to spook. When Arthur speaks to his horses, you can even see a subtle ear flick backwards as they listen to him. When he gives certain commands (such as a mild squeeze of the knees to speed up a bit), a calm and attentive horse will often issue an affirmative snort; this is incredibly lifelike and essentially a "roger roger" between horse and rider. I was also impressed that Arthur uses his thighs and his knees to cue his horse more than his heels. Usually you just see the dramatic heel cues in in video games, but in real life, a rider gently but firmly squeezes their knees/thighs far more often than laying into their horse with boot heels, which is a fabulous way to get sent to the moon. One thing I would have liked to see is more riderless idle horse animations. Lazy or bored horses do a very classic pose where they rest their weight on one side, cock a hip out, and jauntily kick a back hoof up. It would have been right at home at the hitching posts in RDR2, and the horses are otherwise so lifelike, I find myself missing this little pose.

Historical bits. As players, we don't have much choice with this, since Rockstar matched bits to saddles rather than letting us customize them. With that disclaimer out of the way: Arthur uses a wide range of bits, some of them much harsher than others, designed to offer more control over a difficult horse's head through pressure points within the mouth. This is historically sound and far from obsolete in modern horsemanship, though I would certainly avoid using some of the harsher bits in RDR2 on my horses to avoid hurting them accidentally. That said, it's important to note that "harsh" control bits (like those wickedly straight-shanked bits you see with some of the cooler saddle styles) aren't instantly or automatically painful. While many of us modern horsegirls may frown upon the just-for-the-hell-of-it use of many styles of old-school, Wild West bit, in the hands of an experienced horseman with a good sense of appropriate rein pressure (which we can assume Arthur is), even a curb bit should not be a tool of pain. In the hands of a novice, however, some of those bits would absolutely hurt a poor horse's mouth and are typically reserved for troublesome (potentially dangerous) animals who may need to be curtailed quickly. I'm assuming Rockstar chose them for style more than characterization... but I do wince when I see those hard stops with the straight shanks, every time.

Horsetalk. We all know Arthur baby talks horses, and that his babble to his horse increases in affection with bonding level and varies a little depending on the horse's sex. But he also does something peculiar and frankly delightful with his vocal modulation on certain horse chatter lines. In those moments where he seems to go a little vibrato, warbling his voice as he talks ("waiaiaiaiaiaiaiat! come bahahahahack!" he calls after a fleeing mustang), Arthur is actually mimicking calming/positive horse sounds (usually a friendly nicker or a greeting whinny) in an attempt to communicate in horse language. While I think a TON of horsegirls have secretly nickered at our horses when no one else is around the stable, making horse noises at your horse is not a "traditional" training technique, and imo is something other gang members would definitely make fun of him for. It is also very adorable. I wanted to add that while horses are excellent at noise commands (like whistles, clucks, kisses, etc.), they usually aren't very good at identifying spoken word commands, including their own names. Therefore, the majority of the talking Arthur does to his horse is just free companionable chatter, much like we babble to our house pets. The command is in the cluck, the leg pressure, the yah, the rein slap; it's not the spoken, "Come on, girl, here we go!" That's just Arthur being a horsegirl.

Saddle checks. If you pay close attention, in cutscenes and in the map, Arthur will occasionally reach down and test various pieces of his saddle. This is particularly true with checking the cinches (those big straps that loop behind the front legs and under the belly), which good riders often do, as saddles can adjust during a ride. Straps that are too tight or too loose will cause a horse discomfort, since they change the way the saddle rests upon them and distributes the rider's weight. You can even watch the saddle shift when Arthur mounts and dismounts, reflecting the changed distribution in weight! This honestly floored me the first time I saw it. Rockstar really consulted people who know their stuff.

Bad Habits. IMO, Arthur's a little slouch-backed in the saddle. This is noticeably worse if he's hungry or sleepy, but even well-fed and rested, his shoulders drop and curve out his spine more than is ideal. This won't hurt his horse, but it will come back to bite him directly in the lower back as he ages, and I argue it's probably biting him in the ass a little now. (More on that below.) Arthur's "behind the horse" etiquette isn't particularly lifelike. In RDR2 (as in life), sometimes idling or benignly messing around behind a horse will cause them to randomly kick, and any equestrian knows not to hang out aimlessly in the kick zone. IRL, if you're about to walk close behind a horse, it's good etiquette to reach out and gently lay a hand on a horse's hip to let them know you're going to pass behind them before you step into the kick zone. I would have liked to see an animation for this, but I'd guess this would have been a real pain to animate without "locking" Arthur in place (as with the petting and brushing animations), so I can't really count this against him in good conscience. He also holds his reins in a full fist rather than between the appropriate fingers. This is a novice mistake, but I'm guessing this is an animation choice more than a characterization one, because I can't imagine getting those wobbly rein physics to rest perfectly between a model's wee little fingers. Which brings us to...

Reins. Arthur keeps a pretty tight (though not oppressive) grip on the reins when he has a horse in motion, facilitating quick communication from rider to horse and increased emotional response from the horse, and he tends to use both reins when he isn't holding something else. This increases control and often allows for clearer communication between horse and rider in comparison to the laxer "rein knot" one-handed Western style. More on that point: Arthur sometimes holds the reins in one hand. This is not lazy horsemanship, but rather a mainstay of the Western riding tradition; holding the reins in one hand allows for a rider to keep one hand free for whatever they might need... usually rope/weapons. Using two hands, one rein in each, does deliver much more refined control (especially with a nervous or inexperienced horse), which is why you often see Arthur switch between one- and two-handed riding. Rockstar also makes the clever choice to make reins “stretchy” so they move with the neck and simulate rider give and restraint, rather than having them just flop around at a static length. This makes reining feel a lot more dynamic and responsive, in my opinion.

Bareback vs. Saddle: To Rockstar's credit, riders' carriage when bareback is entirely different from the saddle carriage animations, and displays a lower center of gravity.

This note is a bummer, but it is, I feel, an important one to know. Arthur is WAY TOO BIG to ride a significant number of horses in the game. Horses are not bikes or cars. In real life, it's extremely important to consider a rider's weight and height and general carriage when matching them with a horse, especially for long-distance rides... and unfortunately, Arthur is prohibitively huge. If I saw a man Arthur's size astride that teeny little Morgan, boots tips damn near dragging, I'd give him a piece of my damn mind. That said, it's just a video game, so if you love that white Arabian or that sweet little Morgan, ride without shame; you are not hurting a pixel horse! But if you're into max realism or a horse an experienced rider like Arthur might conceivably choose for himself, go for something larger, leggier, and stronger. Though Rockstar fictionalized their breeds a little bit, I think one of their taller well-balanced styles like the Dutch warmblood, standardbred, Hungarian, Andalusian, or even one of those svelte Americanized Belgians suits Arthur much more comfortably. Online's Kladruber would also be an excellent choice for Arthur. (Ain't nobody saying SHIT to Arthur Morgan on a heavy breed like a Shire, though they aren't well suited for everyday long-distance all-terrain riding, and I feel sympathy pains about that leg spread just thinking about it. Speaking of...)

Real talk about Arthur's "swagger": Though I'm 100% sure it's a dominance thing for some crusty ol' cowboys, most equestrians don't saunter around Like That TM because they are listening to Rod Stewart croon If You Want My Body And You Think I'm Sexy at all times. That "swagger" is just... well... to be blunt, it's sort of what happens to your gait after you spend all day with your legs straddling a big animal moving on rough terrain. Hang out with some adults who have ridden horses daily since they were wee beans and they'll tell you allllll about what it can do to your posture. Contrary to cowboy jokes, it's not so much about being bowlegged (which is massively exaggerated as it pertains to horseback riding) as it is about lowering one's center of gravity to compensate for things like muscle strain, spinal compression, and lower back pain. Due to the high impact nature of riding, many career horsepeople develop chronic back problems and "swaggers," and for some it's eventually more comfortable to ride than to walk. Not saying you can't hc an Arthur who struts his stuff, of course! Just saying that, for those of you who might struggle to reconcile Arthur's blisteringly low self-esteem in his physical appearance with his "swagger," here's a horse world answer.

Knights Templar'ing it. This is another bummer for a ton of cute fanfic scenes, but riding two-to-a saddle is really not good for a horse. It's not just about raw weight, but about the distribution of that weight and where the pressure rests on a horse's back/organs. A bean like Little Jack sitting right in Arthur's lap isn't going to add too much stress to a horse big enough to carry a tanky dude like Arthur comfortably, but a whole second adult sitting behind a saddle is a very different story. Imagine the difference between carrying someone piggyback versus having someone stand on your spine! It's all about the position. Larger breeds can tolerate riding double for a while, but it should not be done for long distances, and it definitely should not be done if a rider expects to need heavy exertion from the horse. Adults riding double doesn't happen too often in RDR2 (usually just during an emergency), so this isn't a critique of Rockstar or Arthur; it's more so a helpful realism note for fanworks. An experienced horsegirl like Arthur is sure not to ride double casually. Pro-tip: If you want someone to teach your (non-bean-sized) OC how to ride a horse, consider having the teacher controlling the horse from the ground via a lead/lunge line while your OC sits in the saddle.

Oof, that smarts... When Arthur picks up hay bales with short sleeves on/bare hands, he makes a soundless "OOF OOOH EEEE OUCH" face. The first time I saw this, I absolutely lost it with glee. Anyone who has moved hay (or straw; they're different!) with bare arms knows how prickly and scratchy and itchy it is, and it's loving little touches like this that make RDR2's horses feel so darn real.

That's all I can think of for now! I hope this list was at least somewhat helpful, even if it's far from an all-encompassing resource on horsey stuff in RDR2. Happy riding, meatverse horsegirls & virtual horsegirls, and remember to always thank your horse :)

[baylone]

No-Reinforcement Training

*I use the term “trainer” to refer to anyone who works with a horse

If you are an equestrian, you might have noticed a recent shift in popular training theory! More and more horsemen are moving away from more “traditional” training methods that cause stress, pain, and psychological damage to horses. People have gone bit-less, have renounced the use of punishment, and are more critically analyzing Negative Reinforcement. This is all pretty cool, because it is a huge step toward ethical training methods. THE PROBLEM is that I keep encountering trainers, owners, and riders who have made the choice to step away from traditional methods, but have not developed a new training method to replace the old one! Rather than change the -R methods, they simply fail to use any effective reinforcement at all. 

In an attempt to use “kinder,” “gentler” more “humane” training tactics and restrict the use of -R, a lot of horsemen end up just becoming passive and ineffective as trainers. There are ways to use -R correctly, effectively, and humanely, but some trainers just use it less and more passively, or don’t use it at all. If you are going to avoid or abandon -R, you must replace it with Positive Reinforcement. This is what these trainers are missing, reinforcement. 

Let me give you an example: The owner of a boarding and lesson stables in my town introduced me to a lesson horse named Shamone who would bolt into her stall. This was an extremely dangerous behavior, as Shamone would well up with anxiety as she approached her stall, and then charge through the door, dragging anyone holding her rope or running over anyone in her way. The owner told me that Shamone had had the behavior for months, and that they combated the habit by walking slowly to the stall and making Shamone stop and wait before entering. She also told me that she was against any whipping/punishment to fix the behavior. This was all good, but it was obviously ineffective. The training process lacked reinforcement. Shamore wasn’t being punished for bolting, but she wasn’t rewarded for going slow either, and the core of her anxiety was not being addressed. Because the desired behavior was being asked for, but not reinforced, Shamone was unable to make a connection to the training and overcome her habit. 

I see this lack of reinforcement all the time. Owners struggle with their horses, unwilling to cause their animal discomfort or pain for the sake of training, but hesitant to use +R. Some are completely unaware that +R training exists! The best training method is the one that works and results in a content, well adjusted horse. Proper Negative Reinforcement is better than half-assed reinforcement. 

[yesilovehorses-blog1]

Mountain Bikes on the Trail? No Problem for Prepared Horses

New Post has been published on http://lovehorses.net/mountain-bikes-on-the-trail-no-problem-for-prepared-horses/

Mountain Bikes on the Trail? No Problem for Prepared Horses

In addition traditional obstacles, riders are now sharing the trail with an increasing number of hikers, cyclists, baby buggies, and motorcycles and ATVs, which can be unfamiliar, fast, loud, and terrifying to many horses.

Photo: Michelle N. Anderson, TheHorse.com Digital Managing Editor

Few things are more enjoyable than riding through the forest, coming around a bend in the path, and having the sky open to a breathtaking mountain vista. But, today, equestrians are sharing the trail with a growing number of outdoor enthusiasts, and a rider might instead come around a bend in the path to encounter a group of day hikers or off-road cyclists.

In urban equestrian areas, off-leash dogs and baby buggies are often as common as horses. These unfamiliar, fast-moving, and loud objects can frighten horses, causing them to startle, panic, rear, or bolt. 

A few strategies can help prepare your horse for these contemporary trail obstacles and increase safety.Few things are more enjoyable than riding through the forest, coming around a bend in the path, and having the sky open to a breathtaking mountain vista. But, today, equestrians are sharing the trail with a growing number of outdoor enthusiasts, and a rider might instead come around a bend in the path to encounter a group of day hikers or off-road cyclists.

In urban equestrian areas, off-leash dogs and baby buggies are often as common as horses. These unfamiliar, fast-moving, and loud objects can frighten horses, causing them to startle, panic, rear, or bolt. 

A few strategies can help prepare your horse for these contemporary trail obstacles and increase safety.

Know the Trail

Trail rules vary, but even in designated equestrian areas where horses have the right of way, people don’t always follow trail etiquette. Other trail users might be unfamiliar with local ordinances, and they often have no experience with horses. Before heading out on a ride to explore a new area, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the trail and the park rules.

Prepare in advance by learning about the park’s flora, fauna, and terrain, as well as who you’re likely to encounter. Some trails can be crowded, but others—like the stunning Pacific Crest Trail in Washington State—limit hiking group size and exclude motorized vehicles and bicycles. The primary reason is to prevent wildlife disruption, but these restrictions also benefit horseback riders.

Joining an established group of riders, who have a wealth of local knowledge and experience, is one way to learn more about your region’s equestrian trails. In my state, the Back Country Horsemen of Washington is one such group; its members work with federal park agencies to maintain trails and advocate for equestrians.

Prepare Your Horse

Historically, trail riding has involved traversing ravines, wildlife run-ins, and bushwhacking through heavy brush. Trail obstacle courses were designed to simulate and prepare for some of these challenges, and course designers threw in a few manmade obstacles, such as mailboxes and gates. In addition to these traditional obstacles, riders are now sharing the trail with an increasing number of hikers, cyclists, baby buggies, and motorcycles and ATVs, which can be unfamiliar, fast, loud, and terrifying to many horses.

Positive or neutral experiences with obstacles beforehand can help your horse remain composed when coming across them on the trail. The first step is to simulate encounters in a controlled way. Training should involve three basic processes:

Gradual exposure;

Systematic desensitization; and

Generalization.

Setups promote habituation, which is a decrease in response to the object with repeated exposure. You can achieve habituation through desensitization exercises.1 In systematic desensitization, the horse initially experiences a mild or weak version of the object, and when he no longer takes particular notice of it, you increase the intensity progressively.

For example, a bicycle might initially be parked and ridden at a distance from the horse, then progressively brought closer across several training sessions. After desensitization training, the horse should be much less likely to react to a bicycle on the trail. You can use this method with a variety of novel encounters, including hikers with backpacks and strollers.

In real-life encounters, some objects approach the horse head-on while others sneak up from behind, so you should also include these elements in the training setups.

“Approach conditioning”1 is a desensitization technique for this purpose. For example, the rider or handler might encourage the horse to follow and approach a bicycle that is moving away from it. The “approach” behavior is reinforced when the bicycle retreats, and because it poses no threat, the horse will remain calm and get closer to the bicycle across sessions.

Generalization training is a final step; it involves repeating the exposure and desensitization exercises in several locations, at different times of day, and with a variety people. By doing this, the calm reaction you worked so hard to achieve is more likely to generalize to other contexts, including trail rides.

Take-Home Message

With increasing regularity, horses are sharing the trail with more people, including hikers, cyclists, and dirt-bike and ATV riders. Concerns raised by horseback riders have prompted me to add new elements to our local Trail Obstacle Challenge event, including a stroller, bicycle, and miniature horse and cart, all of which are frequently encountered on the trails where I ride. The desensitization and generalization training steps outlined in this commentary can help prepare your horse for chance encounters with these obstacles.

References

1 McLean, A.N. and Christensen, J.W. (2017). The application of learning theory in horse training.  Applied Animal Behaviour Science 190, 18–27

About the Author

Robin Foster, PhD, CAAB, IAABC-Certified Horse Behavior Consultant

Robin Foster, PhD, CAAB, IAABC-Certified Horse Behavior Consultant, is a research professor at the University of Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington, and an affiliate professor at the University of Washington. She holds a doctorate in animal behavior and has taught courses in animal learning and behavior for more than 20 years. Her research looks at temperament, stress, and burn-out as they relate to the selection, retention, and welfare of therapy horses. She also provides private behavior consultations and training services in the Seattle area.