Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2426939 | Behavioural Processes | 2012 | 4 Pages |
Biting and chewing by horses on crossties can result in injury to the handler and damage to equipment. Operant-conditioning techniques have been used to train horses and could be used to reduce or eliminate undesirable biting and chewing. Presently, a differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior (DRO) schedule, in the context of a reversal design, was effective in reducing biting and chewing in two horses. In DRO schedules, a reinforcer is delivered contingent on the absence of a target behavior for a specified interval. Positive-reinforcement procedures offer an alternative to aversive-control techniques typically used in equine training and may provide for better equine welfare and horse–human interaction.
► Aversive-control techniques are widely used to reduce undesirable behavior in horses. ► A differential-reinforcement-of-other-behavior (DRO) schedule was employed presently. ► The DRO schedule was effective in reducing biting and chewing in two horses. ► Positive-reinforcement procedures offer an alternative to aversive control.