# Tricks to teach...



## markadoodle (Mar 31, 2009)

I bought a VERY smart 33" Silver dapple pinto gelding that is 3 years old.

I bought him Saturday and now it is Tuesday so he is settled in enough to start really working with him,, He knows how to setup and stretch very well and so now I would like to work on FUN things. Please give me not just ideas BUT HOW TO DO THE TRICK!!!! How do you teach a horse to lay down? Count? Shake? Sit? Bow?

Thank~You in advance!

Kay!


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## Laura Leopard (Mar 31, 2009)

markadoodle said:


> I bought a VERY smart 33" Silver dapple pinto gelding that is 3 years old.
> I bought him Saturday and now it is Tuesday so he is settled in enough to start really working with him,, He knows how to setup and stretch very well and so now I would like to work on FUN things. Please give me not just ideas BUT HOW TO DO THE TRICK!!!! How do you teach a horse to lay down? Count? Shake? Sit? Bow?
> 
> Thank~You in advance!
> ...


There are some great books out there that will help you teach your horse these tricks. One is called Trickonometry. I can't remember who the author is, but I attended one of her clinics a few years ago and my horse left the clinic shaking her head yes and bowing. She still does it to this day many years later.

It would be kind of hard to explain how to teach some tricks over the forum, but one you can try is to teach your horse to say no. Start with having a bunch of treats in your hand. Take a piece of hay or your finger and tickle the horse's ear. If they shake their head, reward with a treat. Before tickling the ear ask a short no question, like "insert horses name" Are you a draft horse? Each time the horse shakes his head reward him. Eventually you can change out the questions, as long as you start the question the same.

Laura


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## markadoodle (Mar 31, 2009)

Ok I will attempt this trick. The problem is i am 14 so i dont have money to buy a book but haha WHAT A GREAT EASTER PREZ! i will talk to my mom and tell her your horse still knows how


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## Rebecca (Mar 31, 2009)

I would highly recommend clicker training.






As for the tricks themselves, start with the small stuff. For example, shaking hands, saying yes, bowing, and walking off lead. PM me if you have questions or want to see videos/pictures of what I've taught my horses. I'd love to help you get started!

Also, there are lots of great books out there, Trickonometry is pretty good, I got a lot of ideas from that book even if I didn't use the same exact methods. Go on Amazon.com and look up trick training horses or clicker training horses, you will come up with lots of inexpensive books.

Have fun!

Rebecca


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## maplegum (Mar 31, 2009)

Get onto youtube and check out some of the training techniques there. Trick training is lots of fun and really rewarding. These little horses pick up things so quickly. I actually found it was easier to train my horses than it was to train dogs!

Shaking hands is a simple one to start with.

Hold some treats in your hand and simply lift a leg with the command 'shake'. Offer a treat.

Keep this going until until the horse starts to offer it's leg all on its own. This took me only a matter of moments to train Bailey and Willow to do this. Bailey and Willow were only babies when I taught them this one.

Here are a few pics of some of their tricks.

kisses






shaking hands











standing on the pedestal
















Drinking from a cup...LOL. Not really a trick as such, but kind of cute. Willow can't drink from a cup.






Bailey can also walk backwards on command and I'm teaching them to bow. They both pick up things at different speeds so I'm just patient with them.


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## midnight star stables (Mar 31, 2009)

I just want to say that to "Say No" Trick is NOT good to teach show horses! You need to touch their ears for clipping, grooming, brushing and more clipping - If you teach them to react poorly to having their ears touched this will only cause you all a great deal of pain and frustration later but it is a Hard habit to break! I have several trick horses, each that do a number of things, but I will NOT teach the "No" trick. Ever.

Midnight does everything under the sun... But a great relationship with the horse is mandatory before you can get too far.


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## Ouburgia (Apr 1, 2009)

I would say: Don't start teaching tricks if you're not completely sure of what you are doing. Things learned the wrong way can cause accidents, confused horses and wrong behavior.

Get one of the books that is mentioned before and get knowledge first.

I'm not sure how it is in the USA, but here in the netherlands there are a few people you can take lessons/training from


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## markadoodle (Apr 1, 2009)

Well i know how to teach tricks and know how to teach a few--what i should teach them is what i am asking... Thankyou

BUT i dont know how to teach to lay down. And THANKYOU SOO MUCH FOR THE PICTURES maplegum! Umm well im gunna go work with teaching him to lunge in the round pen Yay HOW EXCITING HAHA not i love working with him but he is horrible at lunging! Also any one in the MMHC doing the meet the minis day at tractor supply? If so i think i will bring him! Cant wait for show season guys!!! ANY ONE GOING TO THE AMHA overnight show?? just wondering ok well i have procrastinated enough i am off to work with BroDee now!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Apr 1, 2009)

Most of the books recommend teaching the horse to lay down by teaching them to do a very relaxed bow, then gently and slowly pulling them off-balance with a lead rope over their withers until they flop onto their sides. My horse was the kind to offer to lay down all on his own (he naps all day and lets me lay down with him in his stall or paddock) so I taught him to bow, then to go to both knees, and before I could get to the point of using the rope he just did it all on his own one day. I praised the daylights out of him and now he does it every time I touch a certain part of his body and say "Kody, down." The hardest part was teaching him NOT to lay down unless I meant him too! *LOL*

Leia


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## Laura Leopard (Apr 1, 2009)

midnight star stables said:


> I just want to say that to "Say No" Trick is NOT good to teach show horses! You need to touch their ears for clipping, grooming, brushing and more clipping - If you teach them to react poorly to having their ears touched this will only cause you all a great deal of pain and frustration later but it is a Hard habit to break! I have several trick horses, each that do a number of things, but I will NOT teach the "No" trick. Ever.
> Midnight does everything under the sun... But a great relationship with the horse is mandatory before you can get too far.



I agree that the no trick could be a problem, but my horse is fine with having his ears clipped. This is due to the fact that I, first of all didn't hurt him by touching his ears. I just tickled them. Secondly, I paired a word cue with the trick. My horse knows the difference between when I'm asking him for his trick and when I'm clipping his ears. He doesn't just shake his head whenever he sees a treat. I'd be in so much trouble when I was baiting him for halter if he did. Granted, this may be the exception to the norm.


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## normajeanbaker (Apr 1, 2009)

If you are going to be able to get a book, the Trickonomtry book is really easy to follow and includes pictures. I got it for Christmas several years ago and it goes step by step, and includes how to teach them to lie down. I am teaching my retired mare to bow with the steps from the book and it makes it pretty easy! I havent looked at any other books, but this book is nice and easy to follow and has lots of tricks in it.

We have 2 horses going to the MMHC TSC day. And have a bunch going to the MMHC rated show(6 or 7 on the AMHR day and 2 on the AMHA day).

~Jen~


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## markadoodle (Apr 1, 2009)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> Most of the books recommend teaching the horse to lay down by teaching them to do a very relaxed bow, then gently and slowly pulling them off-balance with a lead rope over their withers until they flop onto their sides. My horse was the kind to offer to lay down all on his own (he naps all day and lets me lay down with him in his stall or paddock) so I taught him to bow, then to go to both knees, and before I could get to the point of using the rope he just did it all on his own one day. I praised the daylights out of him and now he does it every time I touch a certain part of his body and say "Kody, down." The hardest part was teaching him NOT to lay down unless I meant him too! *LOL*
> Leia




Okay thankyou this is very helpful as I DO KNOW how to teach them to bow.


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## markadoodle (Apr 3, 2009)

Okay hey guys![

I am so oh so happy Hi O Silver [broDee] learned how to stand on a pedistal in like 2 days and know he does it like a pro!! i have also been working on halter and showmanship exersizes. I have worked on bowing but he is horroble!

 MAY I HAVE TIPS ON CLICKER TRAINING?


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