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When your horse gets too pushy or even threatens to bite or kick, it's natural to feel concerned. Most of us have been told that feeding a horse when they're behaving poorly only encourages more of that behavior. It seems logical, right? Positive reinforcement, after all, is all about rewarding behaviors we want to see more of. So, if we reward pushy, aggressive behavior, we'll get more of it. Or at least, that's how the story goes.
The conventional wisdom leads us to two typical options: either punish the bad behavior (correction) or withhold the reward (extinction). But what if I told you neither of those approaches is the best option? In fact, both can actually make the situation worse.
Let’s break down these two common strategies and explore why they aren’t always effective, and what you can do instead.
The Problem with Punishment and Extinction
Punishment can take two forms:
Positive punishment, where we add something unpleasant, like smacking the horse for biting.
Negative punishment, where we take away something desirable, such as removing food when the horse starts getting pushy.
The goal in both cases is to reduce undesirable behavior. However, punishment can lead to unintended consequences, especially when working with horses that may already have complex emotional relationships with food.
Then there’s extinction—withholding the reward until the horse stops exhibiting undesirable behaviors. The idea here is to wait for the horse to stop being pushy, biting, or kicking, and then reward the desired behavior.
While these strategies can work in the short term, they often have longer-term negative effects. Horses, especially those with a history of food-related anxiety or aggression, can become more frustrated, stressed, or even more dangerous. This is why many trainers and horse owners might ultimately say, “No more hand-feeding; this horse just can’t work with food.” In reality, it’s not the hand-feeding of food that’s the issue—it’s how we’re approaching the training and supporting our horses.
Understanding the Root of the Problem: Emotional Triggers
What many forget is that problem behaviors often stem from emotional roots, not simply learned behavior. Horses that bite, kick, or become overly aggressive around food are likely doing so from a place of anxiety or insecurity.
Many horses, especially those with challenging backgrounds, have unhealthy relationships with food. Whether they were weaned early, had limited access to forage, were exposed to herd situations with resource guarding, or have experienced food being withheld during training, these experiences can shape their behavior and how they feel about food. They may associate food with scarcity, stress, or competition, leading to problematic behaviors like aggression or pushiness.
The Missing Piece: Classical Conditioning
While operant conditioning—reinforcing specific behaviors—gets a lot of attention in training, we sometimes overlook the powerful role that classical conditioning plays. Classical conditioning is all about how an animal feels about a situation, not just what they do. Though experiences horses develop conditioned emotional states. These can be both unpleasant and pleasant associated emotions with the experience.
Think of classical conditioning like this: instead of focusing solely on controlling a horse’s behavior through reinforcement or punishment, we shift our attention to helping the horse form positive emotional associations with food, people, and training environments. When used properly, classical conditioning can be a game-changer in handling problem behaviors around food.
The Dog Shelter Story
To illustrate the impact of classical conditioning, let’s visit a story from a dog shelter. This shelter housed dozens of rescue dogs who barked uncontrollably whenever anyone entered the kennel. The loud barking made it hard for the dogs to find homes, as potential adopters were overwhelmed by the chaos.
Training every dog individually wasn’t an option—there simply wasn’t enough time or manpower to work with each one. Instead, they tried an unconventional approach. Every time someone entered the kennel, they tossed treats to the dogs, regardless of how much barking was happening.
At first glance, this strategy seems counterproductive. If the goal is to stop barking, why give a reward when the dogs are behaving in a way you don’t want? According to traditional operant conditioning logic, feeding the dogs should reinforce the barking and make it worse.
But something remarkable happened. Instead of barking more, the dogs started calming down. As they began associating the arrival of people with something pleasant—food—they became less stressed, anxious, and reactive. Over time, the constant barking stopped. The emotional state of the dogs shifted, and with it, their behavior naturally improved.
This is the power of classical conditioning at work. The trainers didn’t need to "correct" the barking; they simply changed how the dogs felt about people coming into their space. Once the dogs felt more relaxed and secure, they were in a much better position to learn new, more desirable behaviors like sitting quietly or greeting visitors calmly.
Applying Classical Conditioning with Horses
Now, let’s translate this into horse training. When a horse acts out around food—becoming pushy, aggressive, or anxious—it's often because they feel insecure or stressed about their access to the resource. Their behavior is a reflection of their emotional state, not a deliberate attempt to misbehave.
By focusing on how the horse feels, rather than just what they’re doing, we can help shift their mindset. Just like the dogs at the shelter, horses can start to form positive associations with people and food, reducing their anxiety and making them easier to work with.
This approach might seem counterintuitive at first—feeding a horse when they’re being pushy or muggy sounds like you’re reinforcing bad behavior. But when you look at it through the lens of classical conditioning, you’re not just reinforcing behavior; you’re reshaping how the horse feels about food, about you, and about training. We just have to do it in a safe way.
Over time, as the horse’s emotional response changes, the problematic behaviors will naturally start to fade. And that’s when you can introduce more specific operant conditioning—reinforcing behaviors like standing calmly or waiting patiently. But it all starts with helping the horse feel safe and relaxed in the presence of food.
What You Can Do Instead
Classical conditioning's super powers do not of course eliminate the very real and always present operant conditioning though! We can use positive reinforcement to train more pushiness if we are not careful, just as we can create more pushiness by correcting or withholding. We need to use both with intention.
The goal isn’t to ignore problem behaviors or to keep reinforcing them. Instead, it’s about creating a training environment where the horse feels comfortable and safe, so they can learn more appropriate behaviors.
Here’s what I recommend:
Set the horse up for success: Create a safe environment using things like protected contact, feed pans, and ensuring the horse’s basic needs are met (forage, companionship, etc.). A stressed or hungry horse will struggle to learn.
Reward generously at first: Early on, just focus on giving the horse food regularly—without worrying too much about perfect behavior. This helps to create a positive emotional association with the situation and takes the pressure off the horse.
Gradually introduce expectations: Once the horse is feeling more relaxed, you can start rewarding specific behaviors, like standing still or waiting patiently. If the horse makes a mistake or offers the wrong behavior, just reset (by feeding into a pan or by hand, without a click) and try again.
Don’t stress about reinforcing the “wrong” behavior: It’s okay if you occasionally reward a behavior you don’t want more of. Training is a long game. An occasional reward for the wrong behavior isn’t going to ruin your horse. Over time, you’ll build a stronger foundation of good behaviors through consistency and clarity.
Work with a coach who is experienced in this area: If your horse is pushy or aggressive, a blog post, a few social media posts, and a book or two are not going to be enough. You need someone to help guide you, answer questions, identify problem areas, recognize patterns, give unbiased feedback, and to support you through the ups and downs of training.
Conclusion: Positive Reinforcement with a Twist
At the end of the day, we need to rethink how we’re using food and rewards in horse training. Instead of relying on punishment or withholding reinforcement, we can help our horses feel better about their training by shifting focus to classical conditioning. This approach not only reduces problem behaviors but also makes training a more enjoyable experience for both you and your horse.
When in doubt… just feed!
You don’t need to be afraid of feeding a pushy or muggy horse. With the right strategy, you can create a positive training environment that builds trust and reduces anxiety—no corrections or withholding required.
Adele Shaw
If you’re ready to transform your horse’s behavior and build a stronger, more positive relationship with them, The Willing Equine Academy is here to help. Our courses and coaching focus on positive reinforcement techniques that get lasting results without the need for punishment or corrections. Whether you’re dealing with aggressive, dangerous, or pushy behaviors, or you just want to improve your horse’s overall well-being, the Academy offers expert guidance and a supportive community.
When you join, you’ll get access to:
Member exclusive courses to support you and your horse in the areas you need most
A thriving community of like-minded trainers and caregivers
Weekly live Q&A sessions and training livestreams
Annual virtual shows to showcase your progress
Personalized coaching to address your specific challenges
Let’s work together to create a safer, happier, and more rewarding relationship with your horse! Learn more and join us today at The Willing Equine Academy.
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