Bella's Safe Place

John Braid
Jul 13, 2016
4 min read

I think it's strange how we view horses in this country. On the one hand, we see them as pets - and view them as morally important - to the point where many people were disgusted by the idea of eating horse meat when that particular scandal hit the headlines a few years ago. On the other hand, many horses have to work for their existence, are whipped and have metal bits put in their mouths. And if you really think about it, a stable is not so different to a cage. OK, the term 'stable' doesn't have the same negative connotations in our society. But in terms of confinement, surely they're the same? Some horses are in stables for the majority of their lives, yet there isn't the same public outrage that there is about chickens spending their lives in cages, for example. Which is odd because we eat chickens but we're horrified about eating horses.

Changing traditional views on horse care and training is at the heart of what SABRC do. There are 10 rescue horses at the centre: in some cases, owners couldn't look after them any more, some were saved from slaughter, some retired from life at the Riding for the Disabled Association. The horses at SABRC don't have to work or 'earn their keep' - they are cared for according to their behavioural and health needs on the basis that their lives are important in their own right.

SABRC use positive reinforcement to train their horses. Positive reinforcement works by rewarding a 'desired behaviour', usually with food. So, for example, if you want the horse to nuzzle your hand, you wait for the horse to naturally perform that behaviour and reward it by offering a food reward. A clicker can be used (so-called 'clicker training') to mark the moment that the horse performs the desired behaviour. The horse learns that the moment the clicker sounds is the moment that they are rewarded for. The simplified theory of this method is that if you are rewarded for performing a specific behaviour, you are more likely to perform that behaviour in the future.

In no way do I claim to be an expert on horse behaviour; however, I've been watching this type of training in action with Bella, a 22 year old Welsh-Cross-Spotted. The way she's responded to it so quickly feels worth sharing.

Bella has spent most of her life being transferred from herd to herd, never able to establish strong bonds with other horses. About two years ago, she was pregnant and on her way to slaughter. SABRC rescued her and have kept her outdoors - with access to shelter - in the same social group ever since . This now includes her foal, George. Over time, Bella has gradually been able to become part of the herd. Only recently have we seen her standing while the rest of the herd lie down - a sign that she is now trusted by the herd to 'stand guard', as it were. Over time, Bella has shown more and more of a horse's natural behaviours, indicating that she is more at ease with her situation (explained in greater detail in the caption of the photo, below).

Nobody tried to force Bella to engage with any type of training until she chose to. After about 19 months at SABRC, Bella started to interact with the humans at the centre. During training, she always has the option to walk away if she wants to. Training takes place on her terms.

Like with humans, a non-human animal's physical health is important but not the be-all and end-all. For example, many of us would prefer to expose ourself to physical risk in exchange for feelings of freedom, exhilaration and enjoyment (whether engaging in football, rock-climbing or bungee-jumping). We don't want to sit safely in a padded room, knowing that our health is safeguarded but that for all intents and purposes we're prisoners.

But the reality is that Bella might require veterinary care at some point, where restraining her to perform a procedure is necessary for her own wellbeing. SABRC are aiming to train her, using positive reinforcement, to be comfortable in such a situation.

Restraint is possible using a head collar. But such is Bella's aversion to head collars that we think she may never voluntarily put her head into it. The alternative solution which SABRC have chosen is to positively reinforce a 'safe place' for Bella - a place where she associates with positive experiences and happily returns to. The chosen place is a standard door mat. Last week I watched as Anna, one of SABRC's dedicated and passionate volunteers, clicker-trained Bella over a twenty minute period to place both of her front feet on the mat. Anna did so by rewarding Bella for each positive action that she took towards the mat: sniffing the mat, touching the mat, placing one foot on the mat, placing two feet on the mat. The hope is that this can be reinforced to the extent that Bella will develop such strong positive associations with this mat that even an aversive veterinary procedure won't 'poison' her against it. Then, restraint won't be necessary as she will voluntarily stay within her safe place when required.

Judging on the progress Bella made during her first 20 minutes, this might just be possible.