What is an example of operant conditioning in horses?

Operant conditioning in horses involves using rewards or consequences to influence their future behavior. The example of scratching a horse's withers right after they pick up their hoof effectively demonstrates this principle. In this scenario, the act of scratching serves as a positive reinforcement for the behavior of lifting their hoof. This reinforcement creates a positive association with the action, encouraging the horse to repeat it in the future.

By providing immediate feedback (the scratch) right after the desired behavior (lifting the hoof), the horse learns that this action leads to a pleasant experience, thereby increasing the likelihood of it happening again. The timing of the reinforcement is crucial, as it helps the horse make a clear connection between the behavior and the reward.

The other choices, while they may involve interactions with horses, do not exemplify operant conditioning as directly. Feeding after a procedure can be more indirect, letting a horse run freely does not reinforce a specific behavior, and ignoring a horse can lead to confusion rather than clear behavioral guidance.