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Horses in the Classroom: Learning to Use Positive Reinforcement to Enhance Learning Skills

ALEXANDRA KURLAND

Author describes her educational curriculum based on her own knowledge of training horses. The two day program consists of a dialogue between students and teachers about what writing and training horses have in common and what makes good training; reading and discussing books that reflect humane treatment of animals; and role-playing games. Flashcards are left with the classes, allowing them to continue training exercises and writing projects.

KEY WORD INDEX:: humane, educational programs, animal welfare

About the Author

In 1987, when I began doing school programs after the publication of my first book, Teddies to the Rescue, I wanted to do more than simply talk about my books. I wanted the programs to reinforce the natural connection children have with animals -- a connection which often gets undermined by adults, but which I believe is important to a full and enriched life. The question was how to do this. The obvious answer was to draw on my background as a horse trainer and TT.E.A.M. Practitioner.

TT.E.A.M., the Tellington-Jones Equine Awareness Method, was originally developed by Linda Tellington-Jones as an alternative to traditional methods of training horses. It treats horses as partners who are capable of learning without the use of pain and endless repetition. TT.E.A.M. can dramatically improve a horse's soundness and riding performance through the use of body work and special riding and in-hand techniques. TT.E.A.M. TTouches help release tension and fear in the horse's body, while stylized leading positions give the horse a new awareness of his or her balance.

TT.E.A.M. training enriches the relationships that develop between people and animals. Gentle handling, communication, problem solving, and learning how to learn are some of the key elements which originally attracted me to TT.E.A.M. When I was invited to do school programs, I decided to take this optimistic and humane view of the world into the classrooms.

Linda Tellington-Jones was already involved in school programs through her organization, Animal Ambassadors International. She was very supportive in helping me to develop a program. What evolved was a program centered around the characters in my books. The children used them to find their own animal guides and to write stories of their own. The main visualization I used expressed the central TT.E.A.M. philosophy of caring for and connection with animals. Linda and I are currently working to convert this into a magical children's book about TT.E.A.M.

I have presented this program in various forms to thousands of children over the past five years. In 1992, I felt like a stage actor in a long-running production. I simply could not present the program anymore. I had to change the format completely. Over those same five years, I had been working with adults, teaching riding from a TT.E.A.M. perspective. I had always wanted to bring my horse training into the classroom, but I had never really known how. I could not bring a real horse to school, so the problem was how to create a quick point of reference for the children. I finally solved the problem via slides and videos, which brought my horses directly into the classroom. The children became actively involved in the training process through two role-playing games.

The first, 22-33-44 was developed by a TT.E.A.M. Practitioner, and the second was described by dolphin trainer Karen Pryor, in her book Don't Shoot the Dog. Both create a situation in which the children experience first-hand what it is like to be the "animal" being trained. I have shared these games with my adult clients, and I consider them to be an invaluable tool in helping someone to become a fair and effective trainer. Day one of my two part program focuses on developing a sense of fairness and empathy. Day two is about problem solving and learning how to learn. What ties everything together is a strong emphasis on creative writing and communication skills. What follows is an outline of the program I presented.

ANIMALS AS TEACHERS: DEVELOPING
COMMUNICATION SKILLS THROUGH TRAINING

PREMISE: Learning to become a good animal trainer is really a metaphor for learning to become a good problem solver and a caring individual. Training is about learning how to learn and about caring deeply for others. Good trainers make good citizens.

Day One Of A Two Day Program

I) Introduction:

To develop a rapport with the children, I introduce them to my children's books and show slides and a short video of my horse.

* "What do writing and training horses have in common?"

-- both require creativity

-- both require that you view the world from someone else's point of view

* Viewing the world from another perspective is the foundation of good training. It is also fundamental to developing good communication skills needed for superior writing, job performance, and social interaction.

II) Learning to Experience the World From Another
Perspective

* 22-33-44 (A training game)

-- before you train an animal, it is useful to experience training from the animal's point of view.

The "animal" is asked to "22" without being told what "22" is. The game leads to an open discussion of the humane treatment of animals and people.

* Reading

-- reading is an important part of the process of developing a strong sense of concern for others.

-- suggested books included Black Beauty and Charlotte's Web

* Animal Cards

-- each child receives a card which is theirs to keep

-- they are given an assignment of researching the natural history of the animal and then writing a creative story in which they imagine what it would be like to be that animal

-- the writing begins in the program, and is completed with their teachers.

Day Two -- Learning How to Learn - A Training Model

Steps to Becoming A Super Trainer

The children experience training first-hand in a game in which they are both the trainers shaping the behavior and the "animal" being shaped. The game is introduced through a discussion of training.

I) What makes good training?

* Good training does not hurt either the handler or the animal

-- a reminder that injuries can be emotional as well as physical

II) Good trainers are good problem solvers.

* Other characteristics include patience and compassion

* "What else can you add to the list?" - an open question to the children

III) Good problem solvers never start with their goal.

* To train a behavior, good trainers break the exercise down into small steps. The more steps you have, the easier the training will be.

* This allows your trainee to experience early success leading to a desire to want to learn.

* It creates a world without limits.

The Training Game

Simple behaviors, such as sitting down, standing on one foot, or picking up a plastic cone, are shaped by the student trainers. They cannot talk with or touch their "animal." They can only communicate by applauding when their trainee presents a useful behavior. Both the trainer and trainee are involved in a creative, problem solving process. The children all get a turn at being the "animal." They are told to move about at random, just as an animal would. Behaviors which contribute to the pattern the trainers want to shape are rewarded with applause. The trainee must learn to use the positive reinforcement as clues to solving the puzzle of what the behavior being shaped is.

The Training Game goes far beyond pure entertainment. For both trainer and trainee alike, it teaches cooperation, consideration, patience, creativity, self-esteem, communication skills, and above all, problem solving.

Follow-Up

Each class is given a deck of flash cards which will enable them to continue to play the Training Game. The teacher is left with a training exercise for small groups, which can be used for a writing project.

Application and Observations

In October 1992, I presented this program to approximately 200 children in grades one through five. The program was enthusiastically received, and the results were fascinating. I brought to the classroom the perspective of a horse trainer. I have seen the transformation of young, green horses into highly trained, focused individuals. What I encountered in the school were very "green" learners who did not know how to use positive reinforcement for problem solving. I was reminded of one of my adult clients who played the "animal" in a similar game. I was able to train her to turn on a water faucet, but not with positive reinforcement alone. She would move away from a negative signal, but even when I was applauding wildly every time the faucet was turned on, she could not connect the applause with her action. We talked about her reaction later. She told me she had grown up in a family that used very little positive reinforcement. Punishment and negative reinforcement were the norm. She did not know how to respond to positive reinforcement because it had not been a part of the vocabulary of her early life. This was reflected in her horse with whom she wanted a loving relationship. She showered the horse with kindness. The problem was that it was indiscriminate. She did not know how to use rewards to shape behavior, and the result was an out of control, dangerous horse.

What I saw in the children was a similar inability to work for and use the positive reinforcement provided by the trainers. One third grader, for example, was to sit on the floor and spin around in a circle. He began by presenting a variety of behaviors. He was a bright, inventive child. He walked in circles,waved his arms about, he picked up cones. Finally, he sat down. The entire class erupted into applause. He stood up. No applause. He went through another cycle of random behavior before finally sitting down again. The class applauded. He stood up and looked around vaguely for something else to do. Even though he had watched other children be the "animal", when it was his turn, he could not connect the applause to his actions. I had to prompt him with questions to get him back down on the floor. Then he suddenly understood, and within seconds, he was spinning around in response to our cues. His face broke out in a beaming smile. He had solved the puzzle, and his classmates weren't just applauding. They were cheering him.

Working with animals can teach us how to give and receive positive reinforcement. It is easy to understand the connection this has to learning, and to the development of healthy long-lasting relationships. What is not so obvious is its connection to preventing dysfunctional and addictive anti-social behavior. If a person has difficulty recognizing and receiving satisfaction from positive reinforcement, s/he is more vulnerable to the stimulus of, for example, a drug induced euphoria. Learning how to give and receive positive reinforcement shields us from destructive, manipulative behavior. It is essential to developing self-esteem, and a caring attitude for others. The whole discussion of how we train and handle animals is really a metaphor about how we treat ourselves.

Several weeks after the program, I made a follow-up call to the school. The teacher I spoke with told me her class was still playing the Training Game. The children were having a wonderful time with it, and she was noticing a change in their study patterns, particularly in their math skills. They were learning how to chunk down problems, and they were working together better. She was delighted with the experience animals had given her students.

Alexandra Kurland

B.S.
TT.E.A.M. Practitioner
Delmar, New York

Alexandra Kurland earned a B.S. from Cornell University. Her interests there were wildlife ecology and animal behavior. She is a TT.E.A.M. Practitioner and a student of dressage. She also teaches riding with an emphasis on handicapped or problem horses.

Alexandra divides her time between writing children's books and training horses. She is the author of Teddies to the Rescue, Edgrr, the Bear Who Wanted to Be Real, and Sara's Story: The Bear That Nobody Wanted.

"My niche in the riding world is a very specialized one. I don't show, though I work with many riders who do. Eleven years ago, when my personal horse was only two, she was diagnosed as having severe spinal cord damage. It was not a painful condition, but it destroyed her balance. She was the one who led me to TT.E.A.M. Through that work, and later the dressage training, I was able to reverse the damage that was done to her coordination. She became my best friend and teacher, and introduced me to the world of high school dressage. What she taught me about balance, coordination, and gait development I am now sharing with my students to improve their horse's performance. What she taught me about love is a priceless gift which I share with them and with the children."

For additional information regarding Alexandra's program and books, you can reach her at 110 Salisbury Road, Delmar, NY 12054.

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