Ever taught your horse something by mistake?

[FlyingCircus]

After nearly being dragged when I was turning my gelding out this morning, I realised that I've inadvertently taught him to pee off as soon as I've taken the headcollar off!! This morning, I hadn't quite managed to undo it properly and he thought I had so he was turning ready to sod off.

This is a result of me trying to shoo him away each morning after letting him go, as otherwise he goes straight for nuzzling at me for treats.

Anything you've taught your by mistake?
I also once accidentally taught him to have his feet picked out only in one particular order and he got really frustrated if I ever tried to do them the wrong way.

 

[milliepops]

yep, accidentally taught Kira to canter from the wrong leg aid. She just wasn't getting it so I ended up teaching her to canter from my inside leg aid. If I gave the aid with outside leg then she would strike off wrong.
Have just about re-trained the right way round -it was causing me bother in dressage tests because I'd go on auto pilot and give the same aid as I give Millie, which was opposite to what she knew.

(hoping not to start a debate about inside vs outside leg aids for canter depart... this is the way round I prefer )

 

[Wimbles]

One of my horses now appears to bow on command thanks to some badly taught carrot stretches....... he doesn't even do it properly and just face plants the ground....oops!

 

[Serianas]

Taught thug pony to nearly knock me out when he wants his cheeks scratching... He slams his head onto my shoulder and nudges me with his muzzle, without realising his head is rather heavy. Ah well, affection is affection lol

 

[Illusion100]

Had a bit of bother bridling mine, so decided to clicker train. Now when I go to put a bridle on he's too enthusiastic and tries to gobble whatever part of the bridle he can get to first.

Bridling goes something like this;

Present bridle, remove headpiece from his mouth, try again, remove cheek piece from his mouth, try again, remove browband from his mouth, try again, remove both headpiece and browband from his mouth, try again, accidently remove bit from his mouth as on autopilot by this stage, try again, finally get bridle on, do victory dance.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Always used to give my horse a treat at the same time as squishing (kissing) his nose, no real reason just happened like that...

He now seems to think that treats come directly from my face.

 

[ShadowHunter]

I also taught mine to pee off a soon as she was released into the field, thankfully it was easy to correct... oops.

 

[rachk89]

Yeah he fidgets at the mounting block now because I hesitate and he knows if he fidgets I don't get on. Once your weight is in the stirrup though he does not move an inch which is a big improvement from when I got him (he used to walk off as soon as your weight was in the stirrup but he quickly realised that I freak out when he does that).

 

[Skib]

Yes - that "All right" means "Canter". The other day out hacking I replied "All right", to my companion, and the mare went into canter. A lovely transition. Was about to be cross when it all came back to me - in lessons she would anticipate canter and I used to hold her and at the correct point for the transition, say, "All right". And she cantered. That was last summer - A very clever mare.

 

[Hexx]

I was bringing one of the riding school horses back into work after a bout of lameness. It was a wet week and a huge puddle had formed across the road, he would not go through it, in the end, I turned him round and rein-backed him through it. We did this for a week! He was fit enough to go on a hack by the weekend and when he got to the puddle (which was still there), much to the surprise of the staff member who was riding him, he turned round and backed through it!! I got given the job to get him to go through puddles forwards!

His name? This puddle-phobic horse? Dolphin!!

 

[Enfys]

Well, I don't know that I taught her, more a matter of association really.

Duracell pony always stops at the mailbox at the end of our driveway so I can collect the box (still mounted) and then she stops dead at the second post of the porch (where I have a hook for her bridle) I can jump off and leave her and she will not move from the spot. I always un-tack her there and she gets a couple handfuls of grain. If it is raining, and only if it is raining, she will hop up on the porch and stand underneath while I un-tack.

 

[AppyLover]

My sister taught Ted to undo the velcro straps on a pair of her boots and then do them up again which was cute but now he tries it on all pairs of boot with anything near the top like the claspy things on wellies and if your not paying attention your at risk of him waving your leg around. I complain at her every time he does it

 

[Enfys]

My sister taught Ted to undo the velcro straps on a pair of her boots and then do them up again which was cute but now he tries it on all pairs of boot with anything near the top like the claspy things on wellies and if your not paying attention your at risk of him waving your leg around. I complain at her every time he does it

LMAO at this

 

[nikicb]

Yes!! I use the alarm on my phone when I lunge to time how long on each rein. All 4 of mine have learnt that the alarm means changing the rein. I do push them on through it, but they are quite funny. It may not be a bad thing. If my phone actually rang when I was riding, they would probably just stop and await instructions. x

 

[Evie91]

Used to whistle at my old mare to canter.
Have my own tack for share horse, so like to untack by the car so can put saddle, boots, numnah and hat straight in! Then give horse a treat which I keep in the boot. Now horse has taken to striding over to the car and doing emergency stop at the boot! When bringing him in the field or when I come back from a hack, he takes himself straight to the car and parks up!!

 

[Woolly Hat n Wellies]

I accidentally taught Billy to back up to the word "step".

I was teaching him to back up from the ground using a light pressure on the rein, but kept getting my pressure-release timing wrong. I started saying "step, step, step" to myself to help get it right. Now he just steps back from the word, which is useful!

 

[DirectorFury]

Mine does a wonderful medium trot in time with a tongue-click noise. Unfortunately I'm struggling to re-train her to just do it off my seat/legs without accompanying sound!

I also use an interval training app which has different buzzers for changing pace - horse now does it automatically and I've had to start using it with headphones so she can't hear.

And when she comes in to her stable she won't get into position to pee until she sees me waiting with her pee bucket. Strange mare .

 

[Zipzop]

I started to teach mine in hand, to pick the front legs up high in preparation for Spanish walk. I did it for a while but gave up before we got very far. He got to the stage of picking it up and pawing a little bit. For a while after I stopped, at random times I'd be standing either in front or beside ( or someone else would be , ie instructor) and I'd have to leap out of the way as he almost kicked me trying to show off his new leg moves. I had to laugh as it was completely my own fault!

 

[Vodkagirly]

Mine does a wonderful medium trot in time with a tongue-click noise. Unfortunately I'm struggling to re-train her to just do it off my seat/legs without accompanying sound!

I also use an interval training app which has different buzzers for changing pace - horse now does it automatically and I've had to start using it with headphones so she can't hear.

And when she comes in to her stable she won't get into position to pee until she sees me waiting with her pee bucket. Strange mare .

Inteval training app? Please share

 

[Paint Me Proud]

Kasper is normally tied up eating his haynet in the stable when I bring his feed out the tack room at the back of the stable. I put his feed bucket down in front of him and then undo his headcollar. I always take the headcollar off then go straight out the front of the stable to hang it up outside. As a result when i take the headcollar off kasper wont put his head straight down to the bucket but instead goes around the back of me to allow me to walk out of the stable. I never taught it intentionally but it's something I really like, he obviously respects me enough to take a bit of extra time getting to his feed to allow me free passage out of the stable. Also when i come back in the stable from hanging up the headcollar and walk behind him, back towards the tack room, without fail he will always look around at me as I pass him, and I have no idea why, lol!

Kasper also appears to have taught himself to pee in the sand school every time I get on, strange horse.

 

[Evie91]

ENfys - love your house! I want a horse on the porch!!

 

[Merrymoles]

Yes - that "All right" means "Canter". The other day out hacking I replied "All right", to my companion, and the mare went into canter. A lovely transition. Was about to be cross when it all came back to me - in lessons she would anticipate canter and I used to hold her and at the correct point for the transition, say, "All right". And she cantered. That was last summer - A very clever mare.

This made me laugh because I am guilty of saying "off you go then" to allow my horse to canter when lungeing, particularly if I can see he is desperate to move up a pace. I did think to myself the other day that I really must go back to the proper canter command before I inadvertently said "off you go then" at some inappropriate moment!

 

[FlyingCircus]

FFS. Forgot again this morning and nearly ended up half way across the field again. Damn clever horse.

 

[DirectorFury]

Inteval training app? Please share

It's called Interval Timer on the Apple store. You have to program your own sets to it, but there are loads available online to use as a baseline .

 

[Vodkagirly]

It's called Interval Timer on the Apple store. You have to program your own sets to it, but there are loads available online to use as a baseline .

Thanks

 

[Sukistokes2]

On the lunge I seem to have taught my horses to stop to ......" And that's it..." Rather then whoa.......Coming from.....And that's it whoa , I suspect.

 

[LittleRooketRider]

One of my horses now appears to bow on command thanks to some badly taught carrot stretches....... he doesn't even do it properly and just face plants the ground....oops!

Had a bit of bother bridling mine, so decided to clicker train. Now when I go to put a bridle on he's too enthusiastic and tries to gobble whatever part of the bridle he can get to first.

Bridling goes something like this;

Present bridle, remove headpiece from his mouth, try again, remove cheek piece from his mouth, try again, remove browband from his mouth, try again, remove both headpiece and browband from his mouth, try again, accidently remove bit from his mouth as on autopilot by this stage, try again, finally get bridle on, do victory dance.

I was bringing one of the riding school horses back into work after a bout of lameness. It was a wet week and a huge puddle had formed across the road, he would not go through it, in the end, I turned him round and rein-backed him through it. We did this for a week! He was fit enough to go on a hack by the weekend and when he got to the puddle (which was still there), much to the surprise of the staff member who was riding him, he turned round and backed through it!! I got given the job to get him to go through puddles forwards!

His name? This puddle-phobic horse? Dolphin!!

I'm practically wetting myself! 😂 Oh the irony!