Believe it or not….Trigger (the chestnut horse in the pictures) is 18 years old.  We have only been together for just over a year.  He used to be a barrel racer but is now retired from that line of work.

Trigger feeling young

I thought he might struggle to learn new things.  But although it took him a little longer to get the idea in the beginning, now he understands what I am asking him and he has been picking up new tricks as quick as a young horse.

Young horses tend to be a bit more curious, which can make learning easier.  An older horse may be a bit jaded or ‘switched-off’ (they have just learnt to do the what they are asked with the minimal amount of effort).  Teaching an older horse tricks can spark their interest in learning and trying new things again.