Does anyone teach their shetland tricks?

I apparently taught mine to demolish 30 yards of post and rail fencing. It was pressure and release, and reward.

Pressure on the fence, release of all of the posts and reward of eating the lawn!

He also learned to long rein a dressage test. No tricks though.
 
Red-1 said:
I apparently taught mine to demolish 30 yards of post and rail fencing. It was pressure and release, and reward.

Pressure on the fence, release of all of the posts and reward of eating the lawn!

He also learned to long rein a dressage test. No tricks though.
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This made me laugh!
 
Hee, I like that!
When I was a kid I taught mine to rear on command, she was great at it and never did it inappropriately. Also to pull a sledge, pick up buckets and drink out of bottles. I never quite got the lie down though which was a shame, I'd have loved her to do that.
 
Probably sounds stupid now, but I started by waving the whip at her so she lifted her head, then tapping her chest - not hard, honestly! Whenever she threw her head up I'd say "hup" until she did it without the tap. Then I added some arm waving and stepping quite firmly towards her until she started lifting her front legs. Then built it up higher. I have photos somewhere....She was a really smart pony and picked it up so fast. A pony nut each time was her reward.
She knew it so well that when I tried the "hup" command when she was well into her 20s, after years of never practising, she did it first time. She was a very special pony.
 
Not really tricks but I did some horse agility with my Grandson's mini Shitland, he seemed to really enjoy it and none of the obstacles bothered him at all. I also taught him to stand on the mounting block (ok, not the most sensible thing to do) and he used to tip his feed bucket over and stand on it in his stable.
 
Mine could rear, buck, bow, and on long reins he could half pass, shoulder in, spanish walk, and his party trick, piaffe! He was in the local paper 8 times, did some demos and had a part in the panto :) miss that little character. His less desirable party trick was trying to bonk my mother every time she entered the field...
 
I haven't taught mine but they can get out of the field without breaking any fencing and end up on the green down the road where there is plenty of grass. They can then convince neighbours that they need treats like carrots and apples before said neighbours bring them home on a dog lead!!
 
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