WHAT SCIENCE AND EXPERIENCE TELL US ABOUT HOW HORSES LEARN
DR. STEPHEN PETERS

Aired September 27, 2019

Every time we think we can make a definitive statement about how the human brain works, science makes advances and, in many cases, proves those beliefs to be wrong.

Well, the same is true of our horses’ brains, which directly impacts how they learn, how they experience the world, and how we can more effectively work with them – and, especially, provide them with better lives.

Neuro-scientist, author, and horseman Dr. Stephen Peters was frustrated by the many, often opposing views about training and working with his own horses, He decided to apply his knowledge of the human brain to developing science-based horsemanship. His goal: to understand how a horse’s brain and its behavior are related and affect learning.

So Dr. Peters partnered with trainer and fifth-generation rancher, Martin Black, whose early years training horses were guided by working for legendary horsemen Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt. And together, Dr. Peters and Martin wrote the book Evidence-Based Horsemanship to share their intriguing findings.