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Days in Horse Country – Teaching Tricks
Dogs do tricks all the time, so why not your horse? Teaching tricks to your horse is a great way
to deepen your bond, and it also gives you and your horse a way to entertain
your friends.
Some of the tricks you can teach your horse include bowing, counting, drinking from a bottle, and sitting up. Let’s work on one of the easiest tricks to teach; kissing.
Cut up some carrots in small pieces and have them close by. Dress your horse in a halter and lead rope and work with him in his stall. Stand in front of him with a piece of carrot in your hand. Lift the carrot to your cheek as you give the command “gimme kiss” or you making a kissing noise. Your horse will stick his nose up to your hand to get the carrot. As soon as your horse touches his nose to your cheek, open your hand and give him the carrot.
Perform this about ten times so your horse will be sure to get it. Then try it without the carrot. Instead of putting your hand up to your cheek, just raise your hand up to your face and say “gimme kiss” or may the kissing noise (whichever prompt you have decided to use). If your horse touches his noise to your face, make a big fuss over him while you give him piece of carrot.
The secret to this trick, and all tricks, is repetition. You want your horse to understand the verbal cue and respond to it eventually without using a hand signal. Keep practicing, and start to slowly eliminate your hand from the trick. When your horse eventually responds only to your verbal command, he has officially learned the trick.
Michael