You’ve seen those horses that are best friends. They are nearly always close to each other and call out if they are parted or nicker when they see each other again.
They have what is called a ‘pair-bond’.
While your horse will never think of you as another horse, there are ways that you can use this natural instinct to pair-bond to encourage a similar relationship with you.
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 an interactive online video-based training program that will take you and your horse step-by-step from simple tricks to doing wonderful things together!
Plus you will have access to a community of like-minded people (700+ members) who provide lots of fun and support.
I like to offer my horses different toys to play with and see what they want to do with them.
Letting your horse have a say in the play process will really increase your horse’s motivation and enjoyment.
I had been originally teaching Bella to fetch, but then she started to pick up the ball and throw it. She really enjoyed doing that so we played around with her throwing the ball to me to catch, rather than continuing with ‘fetch’.
Horses that like each other, groom each other. It is one of the ways they care for each other and maintain their relationships.
You can do something similar by finding a brush that your horse really likes and having regular grooming sessions. They only need to be short – just a few minutes every day.
Continue reading “BONDING TIP: Find a Brush Your Horse REALLY Likes”
One of the best tricks to teach your horse is ‘touch’. It is SO simple but has many uses.
You can use ‘touch’ to help your horse accept and approach scary objects.
It works like magic!
Most horses will happily do anything you ask if these 3 principles apply:
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.
