Positive reinforcement has often been referred to as reward training. Rewards imposed on a horse during training must first be associated with a primary reinforcement for the horse to distinguish it (e.g., a small treat provided immediately after the positive behavior or verbal rewards like "good boy/girl").
This type of reinforcement can be quite successful in training a horse. Today, more trainers use positive reinforcement in their training programs. There is a move to more natural horsemanship and an increasing desire to understand why a horse reacts to a situation based on its natural instinct.
For more information, see Reinforcement for Horse Learning.
