How to Trick Train Your Horse

Teaching your horse to perform tricks offers benefits for both you and your horse: It's an excellent way to bond with your equine companion and something you can do when you're unable to ride because of the weather, an injury, or your horse's age. In addition, it's not only a way to impress your family and friends with your horse's ability, it's also a good way to capitalize on your horse's natural tendencies. And, of course, teaching your horse some tricks is just plain fun.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter
  • Lead rope
  • Treats
  • Cloth
  • Strong-smelling liquid (ammonia, perfume or after shave)
  • Nail
  • Dressage or similar whip
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Instructions

  1. Preparation

    • 1
      Your horse won't be able to concentrate if there are distractions present.

      Select a familiar place to work with your horse. If you try to teach your horse in an unfamiliar location, it won't be able to concentrate on you; the horse will be too busy looking around, especially if there are a lot of strange horses or other distractions.

    • 2

      Select a time when your horse is able to focus on you. Don't try to teach it when it's close to its feeding time or near its usual turnout time. The horse will be too busy anticipating its grain or turnout to be able to pay attention. A good time to work with the animal would be when you bring it in from turnout or after a ride; its extra energy will be gone, and it'll be ready to give its attention to you.

    • 3

      Do not try to teach the horse anything new if it's ill or in pain. Once again, it won't be able to focus. Most tricks are easy to teach and are based on a horse's natural tendencies, but just as it's hard for a person with a headache to concentrate, it's also hard for a horse if it doesn't feel well.

    Teach Your Horse to Smile

    • 4

      Place a small amount of strong-smelling liquid such as ammonia, perfume or after shave on a piece of cloth. Hold the cloth near your horse's nostrils until it curls its upper lip into a smile. This is the same as the flehmen motion a horse makes when it smells something strange. Tell the horse to "Smile" as you do so.

    • 5

      Reward the horse with a treat as soon as it curls its lip back even a small amount.

    • 6

      Repeat several times, slowly increasing the length of time the smile is held before rewarding the horse. After it will perform the smile on the verbal cue, stop using the strong-smelling liquid.

    Teach Your Horse To Say Yes and No

    • 7
      Use a halter and lead to stop your horse from walking off.

      Restrain your horse with a halter and lead so it can't walk off. Be sure the lead is long enough that it can still shake its head.

    • 8

      Tap your horse lightly with a nail on his neck near the withers to simulate a fly bite. You may have to experiment with a few spots until you find the one that will cause it to shake its head "no." Reward the horse with a treat as soon as you get even the smallest amount of the desired motion.

    • 9

      Repeat several times, gradually substituting a slight brush of the whip for the nail. Add a short question that will require a "no" answer as a cue. Later the question will become your only cue.

    • 10

      Tap the horse's chest lightly with the nail, until it shakes its head up and down or curls its neck to try to remove the fly on its neck. Reward the horse with a treat as soon as a vertical nod or shake occurs.

    • 11

      Repeat as you did for the "no" response, gradually substituting the whip for the nail. Add a short question needing a "yes" answer for your final cue.