How To Train Your Horse To Smile
|
|
This is a really cool party trick. It doesn't involve any complicated equipment, the horses love it and it's very effective! The trick is the smile.
Goal
To create a big "smile" with your horse. He'll lift up his lip and hold it, usually raising his head up in a big "grin". This is a natural behaviour, a horse will do this movement when he smells something funny as a reflex. Some horses will have really flexible lips, others will only lift them a tiny little bit.
Time
Sessions shouldn't last more than 10 minutes, or after his first "smile" or he's starting to get it, leave him alone and move onto something else. Always quit on a positive note. He should get this down-pat within a week.
Cue
The final, polished cue is to simply point at his lip and say "smile!"
Method
A very simple trick to teach. You can use a clicker or verbal cue as he starts to lift his lip, but it's not required. I'm going to show you two separate methods, and I've never seen one or the other not work for a horse. I personally used method "B" to train Ted to smile.
Equipment Required
Halter, leadrope, horse, a pocketful of treats (carrots, chopped up apples, gumnuts).
1) Have your horse in a regular halter with a leadrope attached. You can stand him in a stall to reduce distractions.
Method A: Stand beside your horses head, or in front of him, and offer him a smell of a strange scent, like a chopped up onion or garlic (please don't use ammonia, it is poisonous.) Use your imagination, but keep it natural and no fine powders. Another option is to tickle the top of his upper lip with your finger until he lifts his lip - this works really well for some horses.
Method B: Lift a carrot out of your horses reach, like over a fence or hold him in place and make him reach for it. His lip will reach for the carrot upwards. Tease him with the carrot, encouraging him to arch his neck upwards and lift his upper lip.
2) As soon as the horse lifts his lip in response to the smell, or trying to reach the carrot, reward the horse. Reward the horse for even the slightest try, and be enthusiastic when he successfully offers a smile.
3) He should make the association very quickly. When he starts to get the idea, introduce the verbal cue "smile!" and a point towards the lip. It really shouldn't take him long to make the connection and start smiling when your finger goes near his lip. Be sure you reward for every try and successful smile. Eventually your horse will realise it's a trick and add his own expression to it. Horses love to smile when they get the swing of it, and will offer it to people in hope of a carrot.
Don't forget, don't overtrain. I know it's tempting, and like you hear in the cutting circuit, "just one more cow!" - quit while you're ahead on a light happy note. That's what tricks are all about. |
|
|
All That Jazz
cool! i'll have to try with my horse :)
cool! i'll have to try with my horse :)
|
Jul 3, 2011
• 9,678 views
|
|
|
|
IggyPogo
Pogos going to have fun with that! Did you know that goats do the phlemon reaponse too? (which I probably misspelled)
Pogos going to have fun with that! Did you know that goats do the phlemon reaponse too? (which I probably misspelled)
|
27 days ago
• 9,667 views
|
|
|
|
|
Apr 12, 2012
• 9,670 views
|
|
|
|
haleybop21
so cool! i am going to teach my horse how to do that now! ( I will put my horse and I smiling like that in senior pictures, lol!
so cool! i am going to teach my horse how to do that now! ( I will put my horse and I smiling like that in senior pictures, lol!
|
6 hours ago
• 9,380 views
|
|
|
|
|
More News by Baby Lou Tattoo
|
|
January 2009, I woke up from my sleep, stretched and walked into the bathroom. I was about to turn 16 years old, stepped on the scales, and my heart sank. 96 kilograms, and at that time, I was 5'7" -- obese. Yep, medically obese. ...
|
|
This is a tutorial on on of the most vital elements of art - colour. I will be starting with the most simple areas and delving deeper and deeper into the more advanced sections of colour theory. I will cover how to use colour to ...
|
|
I'm going to explain to you, best I can, though granted it WILL be fairly advanced, how I get my exact light. So many people have issues with lighting and WANT to get it right, be it a manipulator or a painter. I will be using DIA ...
|
|
|