Think carefully about which tricks you want to teach your horse.  There are some tricks that can be quite dangerous if not performed in a safe area and by an experienced person, for example rearing or lying down.

Some horse tricks can be dangerous

Horses will sometimes, particularly in the early stages of training, do tricks without being asked.  This is partly because they are keen to get a treat and they haven’t yet learnt that they ONLY get a reward when ASKED to do a trick.  You should never give your horse a treat unless you ask them to do something and they do it.

You don’t want to be out riding one day and your horse decides to perform his newest trick (without being asked) – lying down with you and your saddle on board.  Or even more dangerous – your horse decides to rear.  Rearing is a trick that requires strength, calmness and excellent balance from your horse.  Your horse could do enormous damage to himself (and you) if he doesn’t get it right and flips over backward.

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The time it takes for your horse to learn a new trick will depend on several things.  These include age, temperament, attitude and previous training (both yours and the horse’s).

How long to learn a trick?

Also horses are very much like people in that they learn at different speeds and they find some things easier or more enjoyable than others.

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WHERE you practice your horse trick training can have a big impact on how quickly your horse learns new tricks.  If you train your horse in an area where they are relaxed and comfortable they will learn much quicker and retain more of what you teach them.

Introducing a new trick object

To really get the most out of your trick training sessions your horse needs to be focussed on you and what you are trying to teach them.  The worst place to teach your horse tricks is in an area where they are unsure and constantly looking around.  A horse that is nervous and worried has very little ability to learn new things.  All their attention is focussed on what is going on around them and not on you.

Try and practice your trick training in an area familiar to your horse.  I use a small yard that serves as my training area and is also the area I feed my horse.  He is very comfortable and relaxed in this area.  He is in the right frame of mind and he is focused on what I am teaching him – he isn’t worried about his surroundings.   Once my horse is completely accomplished at doing a particular trick I will then practice in other areas.

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It is very important that once you start teaching your horse tricks that you ONLY feed your horse from your hand if he does something that you have asked him to do.  You horse needs to learn that from now on the only time he gets a treat  is if he does something you ask AND he does it correctly.

If you feed your horse treats at other times he won’t make the connection between doing something right and getting a treat.  You may also find that several other things will happen – your horse may get confused during trick training or he won’t try very hard to learn a new trick or he will be constantly mugging you for treats.

Only use a small amount of each treat (carrots are about 2.5cm long)

Many people like to give their horses a treat just because it’s a nice thing to do and because we love them, but if you are serious about trick training you need to resist the temptation to feed them treats at any time other than trick training time.

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If I want to teach my horse a trick I think about the final result I want, then try and break the trick into as many smaller parts as possible.  I use a ‘Horse Trick Planner’ to work out how I am going to teach the trick.

Horses learn much quicker and are less likely to get confused, if you teach them in small steps rather than attempting a trick all at once.

Make sure that your horse understands each part thoroughly before you move onto the next part.

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Your horse may already do tricks or he may do something that can be turned into a trick.

Watch them and think about what they do naturally each day, especially around feeding time or when you are grooming them.  Could this form part of a trick?  It makes it much easier to teach a trick if they already do part of it.  For example does your horse stamp his foot when waiting for his food?  This is the start of a trick where your horse can count by stomping.

Does your horse like picking things up?

I have owned horses that love picking things up.  If I’m grooming them, they will pick up brushes, hoof picks – anything that is lying around.  This horse tends to be very good at the ‘fetch’ trick.  They can usually be taught very easily to run after a ball and return it to you, or pick up your hat if it falls off.

My horse can open gates.  He came with this trick.  I watched him one day playing with the latch on a gate until he worked out how to open it and then he just pushed the gate open with his nose.  He obviously knew what he was doing and had performed the same ‘trick’ on several other gates.  Without much work I have taught him to open gates while I’m out riding.  I don’t need to get off him.  I just undo the latch and he does the rest. 

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A common problem when you first start showing off your horse’s new tricks is ‘Stage Fright’.

It goes like this…..Your horse performs a trick perfectly and promptly when it’s just you and him (or her). But tell some friends what a wonderful trick horse you have, invite them around for a demo and it’s almost as if your horse never knew the trick!

A trick not going to plan

Some horses don’t mind how many people are around or what is going on, but the majority of horses will see this as a new situation and at the very least will be a bit distracted. Your horse may also be nervous about having extra people around. To a horse, extra people can mean something is about to happen eg a visit from a vet or farrier; two very necessary professionals but people that your horse may not like or is worried about.

You could also be nervous or anxious about showing the new trick and your clever horse to your friends. We all know that horses pick up on nerves and your mood.

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It’s hard to admit but a few years ago I realised that most of the horses I had owned would rather be in a large field, eating grass with their horse friends, than being ridden or working with me.

Make it fun when you are around

Now I understand why.

I used to catch my horse, groom it, saddle it, ride it, put it back in the paddock.  Next day I would catch my horse, groom it, saddle it, ride it and put it back in the paddock etc, etc, etc.  Not much fun for my horse (except maybe the grooming part).

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I read an old book recently and it talks about horse personalities and how a different style of training is required for each type.  I think it is important to find out what type of horse you are working with so you can adjust the way you train to suit the horse personality.

Looks like a Type 1

The book talked about how all horses could be classified under one or a combination of two or more of the following types:

Type 1. Teachable, docile, kind
Type 2. Stubborn, wilful
Type 3. Nervous, ambitious, determined
Type 4. Treacherous, ill-tempered, resentful

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"Give me a kiss"

There are so many tricks you can teach your horse.  There are all the usual ones like Kiss Me, Hug Me, Say Yes, Say No, but also have a think about useful tricks you can teach your horse.  These can make life a lot easier (and safer) around your horse.

"Pick up your foot"

Pick up your feet. I just point at my horse’s foot and he will pick it up.  The farrier loves this one!

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