Are you and your horse stuck at home and looking for activities you can do together?
There are still lots of things you can do.
Here’s a list of activities that are a bit different, lots of fun and will make your relationship even better!
Category: Horse Training
21 Things You Will Discover in the Horse Tricks Academy
Here’s just some of the things you will discover in the HORSE TRICKS ACADEMY. (Plus each month we add new tricks and activities!)
(We only open the Academy to new members a few times a year)
The Horse Tricks Academy is a fun and different online training program that will take you and your horse step-by-step from simple tricks to doing wonderful things together!
Plus you will join a community of friendly and supportive people (800+ members).
3 Principles
Most horses will happily do anything you ask if these 3 principles apply:
- The horse is physically able to do it.
Your horse must be able to physically do what you are asking and it must not cause him any pain or discomfort. If your horse finds something difficult or painful they just won’t want to do it. (And we want trick training to be lots of fun for you – and your horse).
If you have an older horse or one that has injuries then look at tricks that are easier for him to do. For example I rarely ask Trigger to do a Full Bow (down on his knee) because of his age. But there is a trick called the Simple Bow which is much easier for older horses to do and still looks really nice.
How To Teach Your Horse Treat Manners
Some people worry that using treats during training will cause their horse to become pushy, nippy and turn them into a horrible food monster!
Unfortunately this is likely if your horse doesn’t learn how to behave around treats. For most horses food is their favorite thing and they just want some… NOW!
Thankfully it is easy to teach your horse to have perfect manners around treats.
Would you like to know more about your horse’s personality?
Is your horse an Extrovert or Introvert? Right or left brain? And does this relate to the whorls (swirls) on their face?
I am currently researching the connection between a horse’s facial whorls and their personality.
Please fill out this survey on horse whorls and find out more about your horse’s personality (it’s really interesting!)
Increase Your Horse’s Attention By Defining Your Training Sessions
If you want to teach your horse lots of tricks you need to clearly define the start and end of your training sessions. Your horse needs to know when you are about to start teaching them something new and to give you their total attention.
To signal to my horses that I am in training mode I wear a Treat Bag around my waist. This bag is a great place to store treats and it has a spring that holds the bag open so I can easily get to the treats.
But best of all… if I’m wearing the treat bag my horses know we are going to do some trick training and to pay attention. Even if it’s just a quick 5 minute session.
You can use other ways to signal the beginning of a trick training session. For example you could put a particular halter on your horse or train in a certain area reserved for learning new things.
If I am wearing a Treat Bag my horses really come to attention and watch every movement I make.
My hand movements and other cues now contain important information for my horses on what they need to do to earn a tasty reward (VERY important stuff for horses). Continue reading “Increase Your Horse’s Attention By Defining Your Training Sessions”