What Tricks Have You Taught Your Horses?

He will push the gate open with his nose if I say 'push it' (and also sometimes when he thinks he is being helpful but I actually want it to close ;)) not sure that it counts as a trick really, but close as we get!
 
i taught mine to pick up his leg in front for a treat......he learnt it within about 2 minutes and then spent the rest of the time lifting said leg up very high and pawing and looking at me so we stopped it! lol.
 
I started to teach my then two year old to bow when I said please... Only thought better of it when I was talking to someone outside his box, said please and he went down on one knee... I'd rather like to show him soon, and don't much fancy bowing to the judge if they ask for an 'individual show please' :D
 
To pick up a small cone between his teeth - kind of on the way to "fetch",: but I can't get him to bring it all the way back as he starts looking for his "click". So with clicker training - also learnt to lower his head if I rest my hand on his poll!
 
Another one for 'give a paw/leg' for a treat - just the same too -took about 3 goes when she was young and does it all the time ... I dont even need to say anything now = just hold something and say 'ask nicely' and she gives her little paw (again and again and again ....) :rolleyes:
 
Mine will lift both front legs up on command, it started as a precurso to spanish walk, but I've not got that far yet! It does help when tacking up as I can stretch any girth wrinkles by getting him to do it himself :)

He never gets food for doing it, it would never have his front legs on the ground! :D
 
Victoria25 said:
Another one for 'give a paw/leg' for a treat - just the same too -took about 3 goes when she was young and does it all the time ... I dont even need to say anything now = just hold something and say 'ask nicely' and she gives her little paw (again and again and again ....) :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I taught mine when he was very young so maybe when hes a bit more sensible he will get it! although im not a big one for treating. he gets his treats in with his dinner. im such a bad mummy!!
 
Spanish walk, bow, sit (from lie down) push, football, come. we'll start on some more soon. He would be easy to teach to rear but he isn't respectful enough of space to be allowed that one.

Before his box rest we were working on me holding his bridle up at one end of the arena, calling him and he would come trotting over and put his head in it...very sweet!
 
Mine will buck & bronc under saddle on command. When younger she had a habit of doing it in canter out hacking to let off steam, so I simply introduced a very specific set of commands when she was doing it anyway, same as teaching aids for more normal stuff. Also kind of have a do what you like command I use on hacks sometimes, which means she is free to do what she likes in terms of spinning, leaping, prancing about. Again, taught cos she did it anyway. Both taught originally so I could choose the time & place to let off steam, & continued because we both enjoy being silly.
Does loads of other random stuff like open doors & gates. Again, she did it anyway I just taught her a command for it.
Will hold legs up, taught her that as a kid when picking feet out, gradually reducing how much support my hand offered till she would hold it up without a hand under. Automatically squares up if you go behind her with clippers, or will hold foreleg up while you do elbow. Not taught as such, she just got asked to so many times she does it from habit. Likewise lifting her head if you touch the front buckles of her rug, & if you are rugging, grooming etc will automatically move away from wall when you swop sides. Same for mucking out, she stands in one half, second you walk to other half she moves to done side. More habit & being a sweetheart than tricks though.
 
I have taught my loan mare to stand by the mounting block and let me off, this stems from my early riding days when I wasn't fit enough and felt to heavy to jump down from a 16.3 back, now I can with ease but she just automatically stops there to let me off. :)

I did it by asking her to stand there and giving her a polo or horse treat each time I got off.
 
Lots of info here;

Alexandra Kurland - http://www.theclickercenter.com/

Shawna Karrasch - http://on-target-training.com/ she is a meember on HHO

Carole Fletcher, simple and more advanced tricks, very safety conscious - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trickonometry-Trick-Horse-Training/168180399872762

Intensive training from foalhood, very active forum - www.imagineahorse.com

Everything we ask a horse to do is trick training, just conditioned responses, whether we like to admit it or not.

It isn't so hard, nobody thinks twice about training a dog, or a child (and what we can get them to do is amazing :D) horses are just the same, you just have to find the key to your specific horse. Some are more receptive than others, the mouthy ones that will do anything for a single nut are the easiest ones.

The most worthwhile tricks a horse will ever learn are to give their feet, lower their heads, lead anywhere, tie up and ground tie.
 
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My mare was on complete box rest for 8 months 3 years ago. I clicker trained her using my tongue as the clicker. I taught her, when I point to each leg she will lift it up and wave it, if I point to her head and say "say no" she will shake her head no and if I throw a tea towel she will catch it in her mouth. I only treat with a couple of fibre nuts.
 
Mine bows. Not particularly intentionally and took ages for her to realise picking up feet was what I was actually asking for :/
All of them will come over and pop head straight in headcollar while on shoulder or in hand but that's purely from having several youngsters all wanting attention.
Two will cuddle me (head wrapped round when I'm stood at shoulder)
None do anything useful :p
 
taught rio to piaffe/passage by lifting alternate hands... started to teach him to copy what i was doing with my legs whether that be by movement or standing still then brought in hand movement with it and lessened how much leg movement i was doing until there was none and he was just doing it to the hand movement :)

taz can sweep, hold brushes and whips and he knows stand and stay until i call him :o
 
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