Step 1: Tie the treat to one end of the string.
Step 2: While your horse is watching, place the treat on the other side of the fence so that your horse can see the treat, but cannot reach it. Feed at least half the string back under the fence so that your horse can reach the free end.
Step 3: Encourage your horse to pull the string to get at the treat, but don't let it eat it. If your horse does nothing, show it how to pull the string.
Step 4: Do it all again, so that it gets used to the idea.
Step 5 Do it a third time, but this time leave your horse to work it out on its own. What does your horse do?
Results:
A - Horse pulls the string and gets the treat immediately
B - Horse takes some time before it pulls the string to get the treat
C - Horse doesn't manage to get the treat
If option A - Your horse has very quickly associated the action of pulling the string with the delivery of a reward. It could be that your horse has experience of performing this action already, and that it therefore took to this task quickly, or maybe your horse is simply very good at learning new physical tasks.
If option B - Your horse has worked out that if it carries out the physical action of pulling the string, it will be rewarded. This is pretty impressive because pulling a string may be an entirely novel thing for your horse to do.
If option C - Your horse has not learnt that pulling the string will lead to the reward. This could be because carrying out the action of pulling the string is either a difficult or very strange thing for your horse to do, or it could be that your horse is not that good at associating a physical task with the arrival of a reward.
That is the end of the tests for this pet.
Tune in to Test Your Pet on Saturday 1 May, 6pm, BBC One, to discover the results of Britain's largest ever pet survey.
If you would like to view another pet's tests go here.
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