Maz performs behaviors in a rushed, jerky way as though he is trying to “get it done” as fast as he can so he can get the food reward. He often performs behaviors without waiting for a cue. He nickers a lot during training, especially when he gets praise and is anticipating food. He also pins his ears a lot during training, has a high neck and head, tense jaw, and is dropped almost constantly. I wanted to see if I could unravel this learned response to training and help him relaxation around food while still maintaining a high level of motivation.

I started experimenting by altering training variables to see which combinations would change his level of relaxation and motivation. Using the same short chain of behaviors that he knows well we tried:

1. Clicker + NO Treat Pouch + Feed in Bucket

2. Clicker + Treat Pouch + Hand Feed (Control)

3. Clicker + Treat Pouch + Feed in Bucket (Pellets)

4. NO Clicker + NO Treat Pouch + Feed in Bucket (Cubes)


The combination that achieved the best balance of motivation and relaxation was #3 . The hand feeding triggers his anxiety the most. The clicker also triggers excitement, as it is now a learned stimulus, so I will continue to experiment with different bridge signals. Low value grass pellets created more relaxation vs. higher value hay cubes, especially a single cube which led to frustration.

To test the theory that hand feeding was causing the anxiety, I spaced four buckets around the round pen and asked him to walk with me to each bucket. His food reward was delivered in the buckets after being cued and marked for a halt. He was motivated and engaged but much more relaxed than normal with very little dropping. The time between food rewards was short in the first session. I can work up to asking for more behaviors or longer duration at the walk before directing him to a bucket.

I had a theory that not only hand-feeding but physical proximity was contributing to his over-arousal. So we combined physical distance with long-stemmed hay and no clicker. From this session we learned that:

• Physical distance keeps him relaxed

• Movement reduces the tension, but the effort involved reduces motivation.

• The hay was not motivating enough for the effort required. After about 10 minutes, he disconnected.

• When I cued a shoulder-in at close proximity, he dropped, but he did not drop when I cued the same movement at a distance.

As many behaviors, such as hoof lifting, require close proximity, I wanted to find a calming behavior so I could mark and reward for relaxation vs. the act of picking up his feet.

I tried several techniques, but when I slowed down, breathed deeply, and rubbed him gently between the eyes with the grooming glove, he let out a deep breath out and relaxed. I marked and fed for that. I rasped one foot at a time, stroked his forehead, waited for relaxation and then marked and fed.

With the warmer weather and only hay as a reward, Maz’s motivation started to wane significantly. So I started thinking about other ways I could boost his motivation without changing the food reward which would lead to overarousal. I was interested to see if I could motivate him with kickball, one of his favorite games.

He immediately engaged with the game and stay relaxed (no dropping). We also had a lot of fun! I am planning now to incorporate PLAY into our sessions as a way to keep him both motivated and relaxed in training.

I was interested to see if Maz would get overaroused when learning a completely new behavior that required more engagement of the SEEKING system. I introduced an exercise ball for the first time and taught him to play nose-ball. Once he understood the game and was starting to feel successful, he was engaged and interested while still remaining relaxed, even with only long-stemmed hay as a reward. This shows the power of the SEEKING and PLAY systems as intrinsic motivators that are also inherently rewarding.

Maz is relaxed and engaged when we play games that engage his brain. So I wanted to see if by alternating between games and another behavior that causes tension, the emotional balance would carry over.

To test the idea, I asked him to weave between some cones and then kick his ball or play nose ball. This was a great motivator for him and we saw much less tension compared with training sessions that do not include the PLAY breaks.

After figuring out the training variables that worked best for Maz, I wanted to work on exercises to lengthen his stride and lower his head and neck - stimulating a relaxation response.

We started by using the handheld target to establish a low head and neck position and then transferred to a voice cue and hand gesture so I could stay at a distance from him, as close-up work triggers tension.

I initially marked him for any approximation toward a lower head position in the walk so he would repeat it. He remained relaxed while he was long and low.