Generalization of a tactile stimulus in horses.

The research paper focuses on examining horses’ reaction to a tactile stimulus and testing its generalization over six similar stimuli. The research found out that the horse’s behavior could be manipulated by the initial training stimulus, and the response to additional stimuli decreased as the stimuli diverged from the original one.

Methodology

The researchers carried out the experiment by:

• Mounting a response panel in the stall doorway which had a lever and a grain dispenser.
• Securing a tactile-stimulus belt to the horse’s back. This belt had seven solenoids mounted on a burlap strip, each of which could deliver a light tapping stimulus at various locations along the horse’s back, separated by a distance of 10.0 cm.
• Training the horse to exhibit a measurable response, which was lip pressing, and training the horse under various reinforcement schedules in presence of the training stimulus.

Generalization Testing

After training, horses underwent generalization testing, which was carried out in two sessions. This reflected on how the introduced stimuli were perceived and responded to after the initial conditioning from the training stimulus.

Results

Results of the experiment showed that:

• The horse’s behavior could indeed be manipulated by the training stimulus. This reality was established by the fact that horses responded the most to the training stimulus.
• The tendency of the horses to respond declined when they were presented with test stimuli that differed from the training stimulus. Therefore, the more the test stimuli strayed away from the training stimulus, the less were the responses.

Relevance of Findings

These findings are significant in understanding behavioral principles in relation to training horses. Understanding how horses can be conditioned to respond to specific stimuli, and how this response diminishes as the stimuli deviate from the original, can contribute to better, more efficient, and humane horse training practices.