In this episode I speak with Paul McGreevy Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science. If you’ve ever had a difficult conversation with traditional horse people and you’ve wondered how your training methods and beliefs can be backed up by science, then listeners, this is the podcast for you!
Paul has spent 23 years scientifically researching horse behaviour and welfare in both the UK and Australia. He has published 250 peer reviewed papers as well as books on equine and dog behaviour and he is the co-founder and honorary fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science.
He also talks in this interview of his 8 weeks trek on horseback from Victoria to Canberra. So he is not a desk bound scientist, he is a real horseman who has a passion for equitation science and debunking myths that are out there around some methods of training.
I believe it’s important for us as conscious horse people to keep up to date with this kind of science so we can have real conversations with people who think we are all a bit woo woo in our methods. Paul tell me where and how we can access this information and also how we can be a part of the new study they are doing where they are collecting data from all over the world that will help revolutionise horse training the world over.
To connect with Paul you can follow the link belowWebsite http://sydney.edu.au/vetscience/about/staff/pmcgreevy.shtml
Here are links to some of the research papers we spoke about in the interview
Food reward and pressure and releasehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/233588289_The_use_of_blended_positive_and_negative_reinforcement_in_shaping_the_halt_response_of_horses_Equus_caballus
Trigger Treater:https://www.triggertreater.com/
Cath Evans work with shape of head in dogshttps://www.researchgate.net/.../6436933_The_Distribution_of_Ganglion_Cells_in_the_...
Donkey v horse brainhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/331083791_Preliminary_investigation_into_relationships_between_donkey_and_horse_skull_and_brain_morphology
Paul's equine behaviour bookhttps://www.elsevier.com/books/equine-behavior/mcgreevy/978-0-7020-4337-6
ISES, conference links on position statementhttps://equitationscience.com/equitation/position-statement-on-the-use-misuse-of-leadership-and-dominance-concepts-in-horse-training
Here are some other research papers of Paul's that you might like to read
McGreevy, P, Boakes, R. (2019) The shocking use of ‘jiggers’ in horse racing. The Conversation. 15th February 2019. https://theconversation.com/the-shocking-use-of-jiggers-in-horse-racing-111176
McGreevy, P., Henshall, C. (2018) Dressing up for Melbourne Cup Day, from a racehorse point of view.The Conversation November 4, 2018 https://theconversation.com/dressing-up-for-melbourne-cup-day-from-a-racehorse-point-of-view-104771
McGreevy, P.D., Franklin, S. (2018) Over 20% of Australian horses race with their tongues tied to their lower jaw. The Conversation. 9th July 2018. https://theconversation.com/over-20-of-australian-horses-race-with-their-tongues-tied-to-their-lower-jaw-99584
McGreevy, P.D., Fawcett, A. (2018) Poll says most people support a ban on whips in Australian horse racing. The Conversation. February 22, 2018. https://theconversation.com/poll-says-most-people-support-a-ban-on-whips-in-australian-horse-racing-91917
McGreevy, P.D., McManus, P. (2017) Why horse-racing in Australia needs a social licence to operate.The Conversation. November 3, 2017. https://theconversation.com/why-horse-racing-in-australia-needs-a-social-licence-to-operate-79492
McManus, P., McGreevy, P.D. (2017) When the pressure is on, some riders breach the whip rules in horse racing. The Conversation. January 17, 2017. https://theconversation.com/when-the-pressure-is-on-some-riders-breach-the-whip-rules-in-horse-racing-71157
McGreevy, P.D. (2016) Why nosebands should be loosened on dressage horses at the Olympics. The Conversation. May 10, 2016. https://theconversation.com/why-nosebands-should-be-loosened-on-dressage-horses-at-the-olympics-56370
McGreevy, P.D. (2015) How to feed a racehorse and keep him healthy. The Conversation. November 3, 2015. https://theconversation.com/how-to-feed-a-racehorse-and-keep-him-healthy-49595
McGreevy, P.D. (2014) Whips hurt horses – if my leg’s anything to go by. The Conversation. October 29, 2014. https://theconversation.com/whips-hurt-horses-if-my-legs-anything-to-go-by-33470