Native American and European Cultural Differences Reflected in the Type of Learning Principles Utilized in Horse Training

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Greg S. Oberbeck.
Dr. Charlie Apter and Dr. Julia DeLancey (Art History), Faculty Mentors.

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Native Americans lived a very simple lifestyle. They sought to be at one with nature and believed that as long as they respected Mother Earth then all of their needs would be met. It was their belief that their actions caused reactions affecting other living things in nature. Native Americans sought in their interactions with horses to become one with them. The goal was the human-horse relationship. For Europeans, the goal was appearances. This led European horse trainers to be dominating in their approach to the horse. These two perspectives were reflected in the type of learning principles used in the training of their horses. Native Americans used a system of positive reinforcement, whereas Europeans used a system of escape and avoidance conditioning. These approaches to horse training, and images of horses in art from these two cultures, will be used to explore this dichotomy in approach to the horse.