Explore every episode of the podcast Lead a Horse to Water

In this episode, I sit down with Coraline Plumat a presenter from the upcoming Professional Horse Trainers Forum, at Understand Horses.

Coraline Plumat of ⁠Une Leçon d’Ancrage ⁠ is a leading voice in Belgium’s R+ based equine training community and is a certified equine behaviour consultant CEBC with the IAABC.

Find Coraline on:

⁠Facebook⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠Une Carotte au Coin du Feu⁠ podcast in French Language

Coraline's presentation will be: Training day gone wrong: how to avoid it, and what to do if it still happened We've all been there. We had a plan, driving to the barn with high enthusiasm and beautiful mental images of how this would be a glorious training day. Then, somehow,  it all went sideways and we left the barn with this bitter feeling of having failed, ourselves and our horses. This talk will investigate the signs that we may sometimes miss that today is not training day, how to shift gears and still have some activities when conditions are not ideal and what to do to save the day without hurt if, unfortunately, training day still went wrong. 

Join us online at this year's Professional Horse Trainers Forum, hosted by Trudi Dempsey and Justine Harrison on 26 September 2026, tickets are just £50 for 7 hours!

For tickets and info ⁠The Professional Horse Trainers Forum

An audio only episode with me, Trudi, talking about how cooperative can we really be.

If you want to know how to supercharge communication with your horse, this is the place to start.

In Person Cooperative Care Weekend

Professional Horse Trainers Forum

If your ethos aligns with mine and you want to grow your training then join my monthly subscription Positive Horse Club for monthly meeting/webinar feedback on training and a supportive R+ based/clicker training community. Drop me an email trudi@equine.training or see here Positive Horse Club

In this episode, I sit down with Naomi Garner a presenter from the upcoming Professional Horse Trainers Forum, at Understand Horses.

Naomi began her career in equine podiatry in 2019, training with Equine Podiatry Training Ltd. Owning nervous horses herself shaped her desire to work with cases others often avoid. Over time, she developed a practical, welfare-led approach to supporting anxious, dangerous, and physically compromised equines. This led her to specialise further in behaviour change and positive reinforcement, continuing her education with Understand Horses. Naomi’s work focuses on ethical, non-forceful solutions that prioritise both horse and human safety.

In her presentation Naomi will explore what both horse and handler need for safe, welfare-led hoof care - good hoof care is not only about what is done to the feet, but how it is carried out. Too often, forceful handling is normalised, despite escalating fear and risk. This talk covers handling hooves, essential skills for both horse and owner, training alongside your hoof care provider, and retraining the “kicker.” Attendees will leave with practical tools to improve safety while advocating for their horse’s physical and mental wellbeing.

This conversation offers a preview of one of seven presentations at this year's Professional Horse Trainers Forum, hosted by myself, Trudi Dempsey and Justine Harrison on 26 September 2026, early bird ticket £35 but get one soon as the full price will be £50.

For tickets and info ⁠The Professional Horse Trainers Forum⁠

Find Naomi Podiatry Horse Training and on social media as Bare Remedy Equine Podiatry and Halcyon Equine on social media.

In this episode, I sit down with Milly Paton and Christa Culbert, two presenters from the upcoming Professional Horse Trainers Forum, to explore what makes training genuinely safe and effective for both horse and human.

Milly, a mental health nurse and positive reinforcement trainer, unpacks psychological safety as the foundation for learning. In her presentation she will discuss how distress and cognitive overload can be present even when a session looks successful on the surface, and how session structure, pacing, and learner agency support nervous system regulation in both horses and humans.

Christa will look at the role of patterns in communication, groundwork, and riding. She'll explain how thoughtfully applied patterns can build reliable behaviours, from husbandry to riding, and how they give horses a clearer way to communicate back to us, regardless of discipline or method.

Together, this conversation offers a preview of two of the seven presentations at this year's Professional Horse Trainers Forum, hosted by Trudi Dempsey and Justine Harrison on 26 September 2026, early bird ticket £35

For tickets and info The Professional Horse Trainers Forum

Find Milly and Christa...

https://www.christaculberthorsemanship.com/

https://millypatonhorsecraft.com/

In this episode I talk to Dr. Nicola Gregory, a psychologist with a lifelong passion for horses whose research has been asking questions about how well we actually read equine pain.

Nicola holds a BSc in Neuroscience from the University ofSussex (2000) and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Exeter (2011). Following her doctorate, she undertook a post‑doctoral position at the University of Portsmouth since then she has been based at Bournemouth University, progressing from post‑doctoral researcher to lecturer and now Principal Academic in Psychology.

Her research focuses on how humans understand others through non‑verbal cues, particularly facial expressions. Throughout her academic career, she has used eye‑tracking technology to examine how attention is directed within social environments and how we interpret subtle visual information. She is now extending this work into equine research, exploring how humans process cues from horses.

Find Nicola here

https://staffprofiles.bournemouth.ac.uk/display/ngregory

Join us at Understand Horses Live in June 2026

https://www.understandhorses.com/understand-horses-live

What happens when two behaviour nerds, a parked car, and a determined group of tourists get in the way? You get this episode.

Recorded in my car after a series of camera mishaps and unexpected background 'ambience,' this carpool podcast with veterinary behaviourist Gabriel Lencioni dives into the art of cooperative care, Horse‑Initiated Training (HIT), and the many ways we can give horses more agency in their own handling and healthcare.

Despite the technical hurdles, the conversation is rich, practical, and full of insight. We explore how small shifts in training can transform everyday procedures, why opt-ins for handling is important, and how trainers and vets can work together to create calmer, more confident horses.

A slightly chaotic recording. A seriously good discussion.

Gabriel is a Veterinarian and PhD student in Animal Welfare at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (FMVZ) of the University of São Paulo (USP). He is an IAABC CEBC and Elite Fear free certified professional. His main research field is in affective states in horses and the use of technologies (AI) as indicators during competitions. Gabriel has a special interest in positive reinforcement training and cooperative care approaches to veterinary procedures.

Find Gabriel on Instagram

Find my courses equine.training

In this episode, I sit down with Coraline Plumat of Une Leçon d’Ancrage to explore the current state of positive reinforcement–based equine training. We discuss the challenges of introducing R+, the importance of sharing knowledge, and how collaboration can help trainers and horses alike reach their full potential. Whether you’re just curious about new approaches or looking to deepen your practice, this conversation offers insight, honesty, and practical perspective from a leading voice in Belgium’s R+ based equine training community.

Find Coraline on:

Facebook

Instagram

Une Carotte au Coin du Feu podcast in French Language

Check out my courses here:

equine.training

And my subscription training club here:Positive Horse Club

In this episode I'm delighted to be joined by sisters Taylor and Christa Culbert.

We talk about offering choice to our horses in their lives and their training.

Christa is a horse trainer who lives in Bellingham, Washington with her husband, two dogs, and two horses. She has a BFA in painting and drawing, and is currently in a Masters program in Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare. Christa offers in-person and online horse training and behavior consulting to foster joyful relationships and improve equine welfare. She particularly enjoys working with unhandled horses and horses who struggle to fit into the domestic world, and the amazing human beings who support them.

Taylor is a horse trainer and English professor living in the Hudson Valley in New York State, and she recently completed her PhD in Theatre and Performance. Her research focuses on the history of animals in performance and how cultural narratives about animals shape the ways that humans interact with them in performance settings. Taylor’s research draws heavily on her practical experience working with horses and she currently runs a positive reinforcement training program at a local equine rescue.

Check out the first episode of their podcast (linked) for more about their background story.

The book that started it all for Christa when Taylor gifted it to her: Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches us About All Animals by Karen Pryor

Find Christa:christaculberthorsemanship.com

Facebook: Christa Culbert

Instagram: christaculbert2

And Taylor:Instagram: @thediscoursehorse

Facebook: Taylor Claire Culbert

My professional horse trainer course at Understand Horses

My cooperative care course with vet Gabriel Lencioni

In this episode I talk about habits. We often describe them as automatic and almost separate from conscious training, yet the processes that build them are the same ones that shape all learned behaviour. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning are usually taught as if they belong in different boxes. One is presented as passive association. The other is active learning by consequences. In practice they are almost inseparable.In this episode I look at how those two processes weave through the behaviours we repeat every day, and why understanding their overlap matters. When we see how inseparable they are, it becomes easier to understand why certain habits form so quickly and why others resist change. It also gives us a way to design environments and routines that support the habits we want, instead of relying on willpower alone.If you want some help in forming habits you can find me at www.equine.training where you can find all my courses and services.My flagship professional course begins in March 26 and the early bird price ends on 31st December.

Positive Horse Club

Fenzi course with Irith

My Professional Horse Trainer Certificate Course is now open for 2026 and there is a scholarship place available with applications closing at the end of November.

https://courses.understandhorses.com/courses/professional-horse-trainer-certificate

In this episode I’m delighted to be joined by Nicky Ross, an equine behaviourist with over 20 years of experience. Nicky specialises in exploring and nurturing the horse–human relationship and teaches equine behaviour both online and at home in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, where she lives alongside her herd of Shetland ponies.

 Her recent case study, published with CABI, explores how developing agency and giving horses the ability to make meaningful choices, can enhance the bond between horses and humans. Through her “Pony Adventure Walks,” Nicky invites her ponies to choose whether to take part, which route to follow, and even which person they’d like to accompany.

Nicky’s work challenges us to reimagine what partnership with horses can look like when we truly listen to their voices.

Find Nicky in all these places:

www.horseplayhighlands.com

https://www.facebook.com/horseplayhighlands/

https://www.instagram.com/horseplayhighlands/

https://www.youtube.com/@horseplayhighlands

https://www.tiktok.com/@horseplayhighlands

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicky-ross-950730326/

In conversation with-Irith Bloom certified professional trainer, behavior consultant and TAGteacher.

I hope you enjoy the conversation I had with friend and colleague Irith about training and behaviour including, parallels between horses and dogs and much more. Irith Bloom, author, presenter, trainer, and teacher, owns The Sophisticated Dog, a company that provides both peer-to-peer and trainer-to-pet-family services worldwide, as well as in-person training to select clients in Los Angeles. Along with Dr. Kristina Spaulding, Irith co-founded and is faculty at Carefree Companion, a program that helps people teach greater stress resilience and better emotional regulation to their non-human animal companions. Irith has been training animals since the 1980s and has worked with animals ranging from chickens and rabbits to dogs and horses—not to mention humans. A biologist by training, Irith is fascinated by the science of learning. She is a sought-after presenter at conferences and

seminars worldwide, and her writing has been published in countless online outlets, as well as in print media including her book “Your Puppy and You: A step-by-step guide to raising a freak'n awesome dog.” Irith is a CPDT-KSA, CBCC-KA, CDBC, VSPDT, KPA CTP, CSAT, CBATI-KSA, and a Fear Free Certified Practitioner (FFCP - Trainer). She is also certified in TAGteach, a positive-reinforcement method for teaching humans. Irith has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Pennsylvania. She is faculty at both Victoria Stilwell Dog Training Academy and Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, on the Board of Directors of the IAABC Foundation, a member of the Advisory Board for Pets for Vets, Chair Emeritus of the Education Committee of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT), and a former CCPDT Board Member. She also volunteers for National English Shepherd Rescue. Irith lives in Los Angeles. She is between dogs at the moment, but shares her home with a well-behaved spouse.

Courses at https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/people/786-people/faculty/37995-irith-bloom

Irith on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheSophisticatedDog/

We often think of behaviour produced with positive reinforcement as the only behaviour that can be shaped but of course behaviour produced using negative reinforcement can be shaped too. In this episode, I explore what constructional training is, how CAT protocols use R- to build functional skills, and where R- stops serving the learner and starts serving the trainer. Spoiler: for me it’s all about whose needs the behaviour is meeting.

As humans we might perceive many reinforcers in our world from edible delicacies to buying new clothes but often we feel limited with finding different reinforcers for our horses. This is a hypothetical discussion about using a 'time to relax' or 'giving a break' as a reinforcer.

https://www.equine.training/my-courses/ for my courses.

We consider your questions on:

Hunter training- balance and more

Choice vs Structure in training

Listening to horses

Reinforcers failing

Techniques we stole from dog trainers

X-species training

If you didn't catch the webinar you can do so at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd-rr-4HLVY

Thanks to those who asked some brilliant questions.

In my equine scent work session with Rum this week, I made a mistake that really highlighted the need for an errorless approach. He indicated on the wrong container, the blank without odour (in theory) and my instinct, was to offer no reinforcement, and redirect him to the search. Not really an errorless approach. In an errorless framework, we don’t let the learner practise mistakes. Instead, we set up the training so they always have a clear path to success. In scent work, that means making the right choice easy and reinforcing it well, while using free food to reset if they make an unexpected response. When Rum got it ‘wrong,’ the real error was mine, my container was potentially contaminated. I should have dropped food to reset and adjusted the setup to prevent it happening again. It’s about guiding the learner rather than correcting them, so they’re always working in a space where success is inevitable.

trudi@equine.training if you have questions

Please recommend the podcast, share it and like it.

In this episode my friend and colleague Katrina Per-Carruthers unpick some training fails and discuss solutions that are horse centred.

Mounting block problems, fence refusal and unwillingness to go forward were in our sights this time. If you have topics you'd like us to cover then do drop me a message.

Katrina Per-Carruthers lives in British Columbia, Canada where she trains a variety of species. Katrina has been a coach for over 15 years and is a passionate advocate for the use of humane training methods to improve animal welfare.

Find Katrina here:

https://www.instagram.com/leviosaequine

https://www.facebook.com/leviosaequine

https://www.leviosaequine.com/

I don't always recommend clicker training as a first option when I start working with a new client. Why? Well take a listen as I talk through a specific example and explain ways that I might add some R+ based training without the pressure of the trainer carrying food and having to be great at timing and mechanics.

How do I square this with working inside a LIMA framework?

As always questions and comments are welcome!

Email me at trudi@equine.training

The topic of male horses 'dropping' when training with food (clicker training) has reared its head again- I'm glad because it is a topic we need to consider.

In this short episode I will explain (again) why I don't think we should brush this topic under the carpet!

Warning- I talk about penises in this episode.

If you want help with your horse dropping or over threshold when training with food- get in touch, trudi@equine.training or www.equine.training

In this episode Dr. Katerina Junghansova (Kate) and I chat about cooperative care for horses. Kate is an equine veterinarian, lifelong equestrian, animal lover, and the founder of an educational project called VetCareTraining. Her mission is to promote safe, and ethical horse handling and training. She is really passionate about equine cooperative care, and she thinks it´s the future of equine health care. In her project, she offers online courses and individual online consultations. She also teaches clinics and seminars focused on helping horse owners, as well as equine professionals, handle horses in an easier, safer, more effective, and more ethical way during daily care, veterinary or husbandry procedures, and other real-life situations. 

Find Kate:

Insta

Threads

Facebook

YouTube

In this final short episode on target training I delve a little deeper into how and when I use targets in my training.

Questions? Comments? Drop me a message or email trudi@equine.training

The third (hop back and listen to the first two if you haven't yet) in the clicker training targets mini series.

In this one I discuss when I use targets in my training from cognitive enrichment to training movement.

If you want to learn how to train in this way then join me on my accredited professional trainer course in 2025 ⁠https://courses.understandhorses.com/courses/horse-trainer-foundation-certificate⁠

Drop me any questions trudi@equine.training

The second (hop back and listen to the first if you haven't yet) in the clicker training targets mini series.

In this one I discuss planning and setting up the behaviour- essential for all training.

If you want to learn how to train in this way then join me on my accredited professional trainer course in 2025 https://courses.understandhorses.com/courses/horse-trainer-foundation-certificate

Drop me any questions trudi@equine.training

My Understand Horses Trainer's course https://courses.understandhorses.com/courses/horse-trainer-foundation-certificate

My IAABC Foundation course https://iaabcfoundation.org/courses/equine-discomfort-ethogram/

My IAABC Foundation Journal article on targets

https://journal.iaabcfoundation.org/target-training-for-horses-hit-or-miss/

In this episode I talk to Chess about her journey with Gambit her young Exmoor pony. I met them when she needed help with his behaviour and the two have been a real joy to work with.

My new accredited trainer course is now live at Understand Horses

https://courses.understandhorses.com/courses/horse-trainer-foundation-certificate

Check out my IAABC Foundation course here https://iaabcfoundation.org/courses/equine-cooperative-care/

In this episode Jessie Sams and I finally got around to talking to her about her life and work with horses and other topics like a biopsychosocial model, the 3 C's of communication, choice and consent (with Emily Kieson) , compassion for human horse carers and lots more. Jessie Sams is an animal behaviour consultant with a degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science from the University of Greenwich. She’s currently a Provisional member with the APBC and is working towards her certification as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist. Jessie has a wealth of experience with horses, having worked with showjumpers and racehorses, and now focuses on using consent-based approaches and trauma-informed care to improve animal-human relationships. You can find Jessie on https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088499575807 and her and Emily Kieson's work at https://equineintl.org/ https://medwinpublishers.com/IZAB/a-preliminary-investigation-of-preferred-affiliative-interactions-within-and-between-select-bonded-pairs-of-horses-a-first-look-at-equine-love-languages.pdfhttps://medwinpublishers.com/IZAB/a-preliminary-investigation-of-preferred-affiliative-interactions-within-and-between-select-bonded-pairs-of-horses-a-first-look-at-equine-love-languages.pdf

Are science based or evidence based titles a good idea? How do we feel about science, especially in light of the recent dog study. Does science absolutely support R+ based/clicker training? How science has made me cross and how I'm learning to cut more slack! Heads up my Horse Trainer Foundation Certificate Course (accredited by Rural Skills) will be coming online in 2025, details will be released by Understand Horses very soon!

It will come as no big surprise that intentionally combining positive and negative reinforcement isn't something I'm huge on. I was surprised to hear experts/academics lack of understanding regarding things like shaping and backchaining and reducing reinforcement without frustration.

It's a bit ranty :)

As a young horse trainer I was very aware of creating situations where the horse could 'guess' the behaviour- we called it anticipation. Back in those days I didn't know about using reward based training but anticipation was a great way to create a willing and enthusiastic horse. Sadly some of the old ways haven't been passed on- in some cases that's a good thing, in others I think it means we lose a little of the common horse sense.

Join me in considering how we can motivate horses and be better trainers.

Videos showing behaviour professionals sitting out bucks and rears gain thousands of likes, why? Above all other areas of equestrianism shouldn't behaviour be seen for what it really is and not used as a social media magnet? Or maybe I'm old and jaundiced!

We owe every animal in our care the ability to know how to interact with our world and us. That requires some basic training. I rarely see the basics done well or even at all.

My courses at www.understandhorses.com and www.iaabcfoundation.org

I've had a tiring few weeks and my poor brain and body hurt. How might it feel for our horses when they are tired and we ask them to perform behaviours when training?

Taking note of changes in behaviour might help us spot problems early.

This is part 1 of my summer shorts 2024, if you have questions you'd like answering in another short episode message me!

This time on the podcast I'm joined by friend and colleague Dr Robin Foster. For a very long time I've wanted to dip into Panksepp's work on emotions, which in some small way has been adopted by the clicker training world, and finally I got to chat with Robin. We STILL didn't get to valence...I think another chat is needed soon. I hope you enjoy Robin's this thought provoking chat. Robin Foster has a PhD in Animal Behavior and is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), Certified Equine Behavior Consultant (CEBC) and Certified Fear Free Professional. After 20 years as full professor of Psychology at the University of Puget Sound, Robin retired but continued teaching and conducting research. Courses Robin teaches include an online graduate course in Applied Equine Behavior at Virgina Tech, an undergraduate course in the Behavior of Zoo Animals at the University of Washington, and a certificate course in Advanced Equine Behavior at the University of Guelph. Robin's research explores equine social behavior and cognition and horse-human interactions. She also serves as a research advisor for MSc and PhD students. Robin's Website Links that Robin references: We (Still!) Need to Talk About Valence: Contemporary Issues and Recommendations for Affective Science | Affective Science (springer.com) Three Pillars for the Neural Control of Appetite | Annual Reviews Affective Neuroscience Theory and Personality: An Update - PubMed (nih.gov)

In this episode I was again joined by the fabulous Heather McManamy of Equus Integratus.

Our focus was on bridleless riding but the skills we discuss go so much deeper than riding.

Heather shares some great resources on her website https://equusintegratus.com/ on Facebook and Instagram

Articles and videos can be found here

https://equusintegratus.com/resources/videosarticles/

In this episode I had the great pleasure of talking to Annabel Holmes, The Equine Ecologist a mum, ecologist and passionate horsewoman based in the Cotswolds. Growing up on a nature reserve in Suffolk, Annabel later went on to study Ecology, starting her career splitting her time between a feed company, and later in agricultural botany during the holidays. After university, while working in ecological consultancy and conservation, she turned her studies back to horses, to study equine behaviour and nutrition. Soon after having her baby (now a wild toddler), she combined her expertise and creativity to help horse owners manage their properties more sustainably. Drawing from ecological habitat management, permaculture and horse keeping methods growing in popularity, she now offers consultancy services from design to long term land management plans for all types of yards. Horses are a key part of the British countryside, and their positive effects on the land are undermined by management techniques that don’t always benefit horses either. Taking steps towards a more sustainable management style can have impressive effects on horses, benefiting health, training and development. For owners, this can result in more time to do what you want, and long term cost savings. For more information, follow Equine Ecologist, Annabel Holmes on social media, or visit www.EquineEcologist.co.uk For her upcoming events and courses: https://www.equineecologist.co.uk/services Annabel mentioned Soilscapes soil typefinder during the podcast: https://www.landis.org.uk/soilscapes/

In this episode I am thrilled to talk wild and feral horses with the wonderful Samantha (Sam) Couper PhD. We delve into Sam's back story right up to her present day training with her own horses and her work as a behaviour consultant.

Sam is Board Chair of the Onaqui Catalogue Foundation, a group dedicated to compiling citizen observations of the Onaqui wild horses in Utah, USA, in the pursuit of research and public education. With the foundation, Sam teaches a course on wild horses at the University of Utah three times a year. Sam ended a career in Materials Science to pursue education about wild horse behaviour and to become a full time behaviour consultant.

Where to find Samantha Couper PhD:

https://equineabcs.com

https://onaquicatalogue.org

https://www.youtube.com/@onaquiwildhorsesutahusa3122

https://www.facebook.com/equineabcs

https://www.instagram.com/equineabcs

https://www.tiktok.com/@equineabcs

In this episode I chat to Polly Smeath about rope halters and controlling horses when leading. Polly has an extensive background in the world of horses, a passion that has woven throughout her life since childhood. Born into a family with a history of racehorses, Polly's earliest memories include a vivid encounter with a tall, dark brown horse at the age of two. Her journey as a "pony mad youngster" began at the age of nine, marked by a memorable fall from a skewbald pony named Star Trek, who had been rescued with severe laminitis.   Undeterred by challenges, Polly persevered through early riding school experiences, determined to regain her confidence and with time spent at Anne Cory's yard, where she was exposed to her gentle lunging methods and innovative ideas about fitness regimes Polly flourished and after she followed the working pupil route at Oldencraig Equestrian Centre and then received a  bursary from the Leonardo Da Vinci foundation that took her to Denmark for training, an experience that influenced her deeply despite witnessing some unsettling practices.   Upon returning, Polly, now a mother, started forming her own opinions on horse care. Throughout her career, she has gravitated towards rehabilitating horses in need, focusing on understanding and connecting with them. Today, she primarily works in hoof care, specialising in helping horses express themselves and be heard, embodying a philosophy of awareness, lightness, and softness in her approach. Find Polly via the UK clicker training group on Facebook or get in touch with me and I can put you in touch.

Sooz Foster joins me again and this time we're talking self control. We consider horses and dogs, whether they can have self-control and how we can build build patterns to help.

You can find Sooz these days at https://soozdogtraining.co.uk/ or come and join me training at her new club https://www.dreamsdogclub.co.uk/

Or catch us both presenting at Understand Horses Live in July https://www.understandhorses.com/understand-horses-live

I was thrilled to be able to talk to Dr Eduardo J Fernandez on the podcast. Not only is he an amazing applied behaviour researcher but he is great at putting some of the more technical definitions into easy to understand terminology. Our discussion centres around training as enrichment but there were also some rabbit holes and side stories that we delved into. Eduardo J. Fernandez is a Senior Lecturer of Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare in the School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences at the University of Adelaide (Australia). He received his Ph.D. in Psychology (minors in Neuroscience and Animal Behavior) from Indiana University, where he worked with the Indianapolis and Cincinnati Zoo. He received his M.S. in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas, where he founded the Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals (ORCA). Most of his past and current work involves behavioral research applied to the welfare and training of zoo, aquarium, and companion animals. His past positions include a Visiting Professorship in the Psychology Department at Seattle Pacific University, a Visiting Professorship in the School of Behavior Analysis at the Florida Institute of Technology, an Affiliate Assistant Professorship in the Psychology Department at the University of Washington, a Research Fellowship with Woodland Park Zoo, and a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. While working with UW and the Woodland Park Zoo, he started the Behavioral Enrichment Animal Research (BEAR) group, which conducted welfare research with many of the species and exhibits located throughout the zoo. He currently runs the Operant Welfare Lab (OWL), which is dedicated to the use of learning principles to improve the lives of animals. OWL is also part of the broader Animal Behaviour, Welfare, and Anthrozoology Lab (ABWAL; abwal.com). Many of Eduardo’s past publications, research projects, and presentations can be found on his ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eduardo-Fernandez-27 Some of the studies/reviews that we mention can be found below and are open access. You can contact Dr Fernandez at: eduardo.fernandez@adelaide.edu.au Fernandez, E. J. (2022). Training as enrichment: A critical review. Animal Welfare, 31(1), 1-12. Fernandez, E. J., & Martin, A. L. (2021). Animal training, environmental enrichment, and animal welfare: A history of behavior analysis in zoos. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, 2(4), 531-543. Fernandez, E. J. (2020). Training petting zoo sheep to act like petting zoo sheep: An empirical evaluation of response-independent schedules and shaping with negative reinforcement. Animals, 10(7), 1122.

In this episode I had a fabulous chat with Heather. We had aimed to look at what draws people to more 'glamorous' 'from different world' trainers but it turned into a wonderful introspective (well certainly for me, I hope Heather enjoyed it too). We ask how to be credible. What are our insecurities How to collaborate and build connections. If you are a trainer, a coach, a consultant, a business woman, a horse lover...this one is for you. Heather helps horses and people learn to be comfortable with healthcare procedures using positive reinforcement training. She also help horses and riders with getting started under saddle, as well as ways to help develop confidence with riding. In her own words she's a failed traditional horsewoman. She understands traditional skills and methodologies, and how and why they work, but after thirty years working with horses she did not have the kind of success she has now with positive reinforcement training. She have had Fibromyalgia for nearly 40 years. This has given her deep insight into how chronic pain and fatigue affects all aspects of life, for people and animals. It's because of this that she's been drawn to study neuroscience, behavior, biomechanics, and so forth. Her life experiences with neurodivergence (because, she says, she has a weird brain) and chronic illness have given her some really strong opinions on the one-size-fits-all approach in American culture, and in the equestrian industry in general, particularly with respect to learning. Heather is on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/equusintegratus and her website: https://equusintegratus.com

In this final (for now) episode on cues I look at transferring cues which is great if you want to tidy up your complex cues or change your original cue for something more appropriate.

Please share these short episodes and let me know if you've tried any of my suggestions for improving your cues!

What to choose as a cue? Physical, verbal, tactile? What is clear, easy to use, easy to replicate?

Rebeccah Baylis is one of my fave students, we talk in this episode about a session that felt quite sticky at the start but ended well. Do you know when it might be acceptable to push on a little further? Should we always stop at the first sign of resistance? It's definitely a training conundrum. Find Becky and our shared events in 2024 at https://littlegreenstables.com/

Discrimination

Knowing what to do to get reinforced- the best friend of stimulus control (part 3) and discriminative stimulus (part 2).

How can you help your horse know what a cue means?

Please enjoy and share, Trudi

Stimulus Control

In this third short on my continuing theme of cues I'm looking at how 'clean' our cues are. Stimulus control is an essential part of developing cues, it helps us create a clear language that reduces the chances of frustration.

I share the 4 criteria of stimulus control and what we need to consider right from the get go in terms of cues.

What to do when? Does your horse know? Do you think you know what your cues are? Does your horse agree?

This short episode builds on the previous and looks at the idea of a discriminative stimulus- do you know what your SD is and does your horse agree?

I've done cues before but have we ever 'done' cues...this is the first part of a deep dive into cues. Send me questions and thoughts to trudi@equine.training and share this episode with your friends.

More soon, Trudi

What to do when things go wrong with targets and how to train a follow target, great questions sent in by a listener.

Failure is scary, so much that we might allow failure to stop us doing what we enjoy (horse training). Be brave, embrace the fear!

Reducing anxiety by playing with the temporal gap (aka what I call temporal tinkering) needs shaping the same as every behaviour. In this summer short I answer a question or two posed by one of my current course students. If you have any questions drop me a message or email trudi@equine.training