Tricks, what next?

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Stacey6897

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So the horse I bought myself to compete with, isn't sound enough, ok for hacking, might be ok for Riding Club one day, anyway, have been trick training as I can't think of what else to do with this enormous, expensive, field ornament.

He'll kiss, hug, lie down, bow, curtsey, sit, pull his saddlecloth off his back and do a bit of a Spanish walk/march.

Any ideas on what to do next? Thinking about getting him to drink from a bottle, otherwise it's just going over the old stuff til it looks nice, refining cues etc. I'd like to learn to vault, but don't think he's up to cantering a circle for a long time, plus he's over 17hh!
 
Most vaulting horses are 17hh and over, one of the local clubs horses is 18.2hh. Because the stride is longer it makes it much easier to get on.
It is quite hard work though, friends horses are so fit, they are very well schooled as they need to be very well balanced.
 
He's going to struggle with cantering a circle though, we'll just stick to tricks and hacking out, bit gutting but there you go, that's horses eh?
 
Favourite trick
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Join Horse Agility. Ace!!!! Have just joined myself because my 2 porky miniature shetlands desperately need something to burn off the calories! Cross between Trec, Handy Pony, Mounted Games, except all done UNmounted. Different levels for about 15 or so "obstacles". Training sessions available, other obstacles you can make up yourself, enter in person or via video on-line. Google them for more info. I'd never heard of it until a member posted something about it on here a couple of weeks ago. This Forum is brilliant!!!!
 
Will he bow down onto his knees? I have been trying to teach my boy but everytime he goes down he sticks his head underneath his stomach :o I need some tips!
 
Lead by the legs, lead by the tail, push a ball (play football), my horse smiles when you give her a treat but I have NO idea how you'd teach that one! Drag something, pick up bits of grooming kit and hand them to you, sidepass over stuff like barrels...
Or what about doing some liberty with him? Can you get him to weave in and out of cones without you touching him (you're not allowed to cheat and weave too)? Or make a figure 8 in and out of two cones with you stood to one side keeping your feet still? It sound like you have a lovely horse and a great relationship, congratulations.
 
That's an amazing array of tricks!!! how do you teach him? do you do food rewards? I'd really like to teach my horse some too :)
 
The rope around his fetlock is so I can hold his leg up without bending down.

To teach him to bow, I started off using sweets, but he had his head between his legs, then as soon as he's had his treat, he's up, so instead, I pick up his left foot (with the rope), his leadrope is over his right shoulder, (his nose is tipped away from me), I needed the foot rope to start as I'm too small to pull on the headrope and his foot at the same time, then ask him to lean back til his cannon is flat on the ground, as soon as he starts leaning back, even just shifting his weight, release leadrope on his head and let him carry on down, make sure his cannon is parallel to the ground so his knee doesn't dig in.

Then worked on getting him to "Hold" then laying down (tons of cuddles and sweets), after that, as he's getting up, try to interrupt him with sweets and saying "SIT", do this loads and loads and you have a horse that sits! Simples! :p
 
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