Attempting to understand behaviour or teach something new will be more of a hit or miss affair without a fuller understanding of equine learning. Luckily for us in the 21st century a great deal more is formally understood about how horses learn now compared to at any time in the past. Although the very best horsemen have always had an intrinsic understanding and practical application of what is now known as ‘learning theory’. The reason for this is that application of the scientific method has allowed formal discovery of equine learning that has always existed.

There are three very basic forms of learning that horses utilise on a daily basis:

• Habituation and sensitisation
• Classical conditioning
• Operant conditioning