Trick Training

[Erickson Miniature Horses]

I've been teaching Penny to bow and she's doing great!!

This summer I would like to teach her more tricks and was wondering how to teach a horse to rear, play dead, roll onto his back, roll all the way over, and stand on a pedestal? (What to use for the pedestal?)

 

[BSharpRanch]

A word of warning...Rearing can be a cute trick, however it can also become a dangerous vice. Think long and hard about all possible future plans for your horse before thinking about teaching rear. Then if you still want to do it you need to think long and hard ob the cue you wish to use so there is no confussion with anything else she is or will be taught now or in the future.

A word of warning...Rearing can be a cute trick, however it can also become a dangerous vice. Think long and hard about all possible future plans for your horse before thinking about teaching rear. Then if you still want to do it you need to think long and hard ob the cue you wish to use so there is no confussion with anything else she is or will be taught now or in the future.

 

[BSharpRanch]

Pedestal work is rewarding. You can start with just a small piece of plywood on the ground, then place it on a pallet, making sure that it covers the slats so a hoof doesn't fall through. I jave a friend that used a 55 gallon plastic barrel cut down to about 12", then filled it with dirt and cut a rubber piece for the top. Worked well, not movable though. Hubby built mine out of a few 2x4's and a sheet of plywood. Has a rubber mat on top.

 

[miniaturehorselover]

Hi there I been trick training my mini for two years and never been able to train her how to fully roll all the way ..if u want to train a mini to lay down, put her at a bow and put pressure on the opposite side near her stomach then u would be more likely to be happy with ur result..Once u got her to lie down u can teach her how to sit..for sitting put her at a lie down slowly push her head back as if u where wanting her to have a dressage neck lol leaving her with no options but to sit

then reward her.For the pedestal, I grabbed one of her legs put it on it and put pressure on her halter making her go up just keep rewarding them eventually they will get it

.. also rearing. .my mare never ever wanted to rear cause to her it wqs dangerous aha so I lifted one leg up as hight as it can and she reared with time

or tie a rope around her leg bend it as u where cleaning her hoof then pull on the rope and she will rear

my mini knows sit,lie down,kiss,say yes,rear, walk on her hind legs,bow,smile,shake a hoof and walk on a pedestal

lemme know if u have more questions

 

[miniaturehorselover]

As close as u will go to playing dead is more easy when u have a yearling, when u make them lie down they instantly flop down as if they where dead

 

[Little ones]

The advice above is very good. If you want show your mini, the trick training cues may interfere with that. That's why I don't teach them behaviors that might be confused with what you really want,

especially in the show ring. Remember some of those cute little tricks are considered bad behavior by others.

There is a trick training book "Tricknometry" written by Carol Fletcher (who has been trick training for years) with pictures and very good suggestions. She is on Face Book and probably has a website.

I met her at a Horse Expo in Florida when she was doing a presentation of a trick trained mini and it was really good.He was wearing little red tennis shoes and a baseball cap

! Also, go on Amazon or You Tube.