Beyond Reinforcement Training – alternative options in horse training and behaviour

Original Air Date: 16th December 2021

Presenter Bio:

Debbie works with referring vets to resolve complex behaviour problems in horses and dogs.  She is a Clinical Animal Behaviourist registered with the UK’s Animal Behaviour and Training Council, a full member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Councillors and a Certified Horse Behavior Consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.  Debbie supervises university students on behaviour courses at masters level and mentors new behaviourists coming through professional routes.  She practices as a psychotherapist within a Transactional Analysis framework, using this modality to support her animal behaviour clients in implementing the changes that she recommends through her consultations.

Debbie has just finished her first year of Doctoral research in horse-human relationships in the Faculty of Business and Law at Manchester Metropolitan University, looking into the sustainability of horse riding in the contexts of training methods, welfare and social licence to operate.  She recently gave her first presentation of her PhD research methodologies at the Equine Cultures in Transition conference at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala.

Debbie writes articles and books on all aspects of behaviour and consulting, and presents talks and workshops internationally, both as an equine behaviour specialist and as a supporting expert in the Human Behaviour Change for Animals team, collaborating on psychology-themed projects.  She wrote the chapter on Equestrianism in the book Equine Behaviour in Mind, edited by international welfare consultant and behaviourist Suzanne Rogers, and has co-authored a book on equine evolution, behaviour and horse-human relationships, The Horse, A Natural History, published by Princeton University Press.  Debbie answers ‘Ask the Experts’ questions in Horse and Rider and Your Horse magazines, two of the UK’s best-selling equestrian monthly magazines.  

Debbie holds a first class BSc (Hons) in Psychology and an MSc with distinction in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare and is a graduate member of the British Psychological Society, and member of the British Veterinary Behaviour Association, Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour, Equine Behaviour and Training Association, International Society for Equitation Science, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, UK Centre for Animal law (A-Law) and UK Register of Expert Witnesses.

Presentation Details: Training techniques using positive and negative reinforcement are widely used by horse trainers and behaviourists seeking to develop new behavioural repertoires or to modify unwanted behaviour in horses.  Debbie will discuss other psychological principles of learning and explore where these fit within training and behaviour paradigms.  She will give examples how these principles can benefit training plans and behaviour modification and where they might be a preferable choice over the operant quadrants.

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