Trick Training

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Charmaine18

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Has anyone tried teaching their horse to do tricks? I was looking for schooling exercises on Google and found a few sites explaining how to teach tricks like giving a hug or a kiss, bowing and shaking hands. Seems like it would be a fun way to get your horse listening to you and build your bond... has anyone tried it? I'd quite like to try it with Scoobs, although I think the rather no-nonsense YO would probably laugh at me.
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Naaawwwww!
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It would be really cute if Scooby could do that... but then again he is a really dribbly pony so it would be quite gross too. Think I might stick to hugs with him.
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Yes.

My mini has quite a repertoire. He'll rear, bow, spin, pick up items, retrieve, nod, shake his head, cross his front legs, back up, whoa, ground tie, go left or right, walk to heel, come to call etc, etc.

If you DO trick train though, make sure that the cue you give is totally different to one that say, the Farrier touching a leg to pick it up gives, they don't take kindly to being booted in the face by a knee because the horse mistakenly thought he meant say please.

It isn't advisable to teach rear unless you know what you are doing, and why.
I generally teach it to stop it.

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If you teach any tricks and sell the horse on, sell them with an instruction manual - I am serious, it saves a lot of confusion for horse and new owner in the long run.

Basically everybody teaches horses tricks all the time, whoa, stand, over, just everyday tricks that we all take for granted. Loads of things to do that makes life easier for everyone. have fun.

Trickonometry (not to hand so I can't name the Author) is a good basic book, very clear instructions and lots of commonsense advice.

www.imagineahorse.com is an interesting trick training site to browse, they have a very active forum.
 
I would love to do this with our shetland, unfortunately the trick remembering part of his brain seems to be full, with his personal repertoire including the following :

Making my sandwiches disappear
drinking curry pot noodle juice
redesigning the stables
redistributing everyone else's rugs
getting in the way
pi55ing all the other horses off
arranging the electric fence how he wants it
Emptying all grooming kits from within the tack room

looking cute and denying he had anything to do with the above!!!

If i could just teach him to do it all on command i reckon it'd make me look really good lol!!!

But i love him
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Thanks for the advice Enfys!

Tennessee, your Shetland sounds awesome.
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I love bogsh!te ponies!
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I might teach Scooby to give me a hug, it seems like a fairly easy one to start with and it's cute!
 
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