What is Tricktraining?
Trick training is also known as liberty dressage. In trick training, you use positive reinforcement (R+) to clearly explain to your horse what you expect. In this way, you can teach a variety of different tricks.
These exercises are not only fun to watch, but they can also be used to improve your horse’s body awareness and movement. A true win-win!
These exercises are not only fun to watch, but they can also be used to improve your horse’s body awareness and movement. A true win-win!
What can I teach my horse with this?
The possibilities with trick training are almost limitless. You can teach basic tricks such as the jambette, flehmen, Spanish walk, lying down, sitting, rearing, and more.
But you can also introduce more playful behaviors, like pulling a blanket over themselves, unzipping your jacket, painting, crawling, and other fun tricks. You could say that anything a horse is physically capable of doing can be put on cue.
But you can also introduce more playful behaviors, like pulling a blanket over themselves, unzipping your jacket, painting, crawling, and other fun tricks. You could say that anything a horse is physically capable of doing can be put on cue.
Is working with food dangerous?
This is probably the most common concern people express. They expect their horse to become nippy, rude, or pushy. And indeed, if we don’t establish the right foundation, that risk does exist.
That foundation is called clicker training. You teach your horse that a reward only follows when you make the specific reward sound. Not when he nudges you, not when he pins his ears, and not when he sweetly rummages in your pocket. Only when you make that one clear sound.
And the rule works both ways. When you make the click sound, your horse knows that a reward will always follow. You don’t pull your hand away, and you don’t make your horse wait longer. A click equals a reward—without extra conditions.
Only once your horse truly understands this, and no longer tries to get food on his own initiative, do you start teaching tricks. When approached correctly in this way, I can guarantee that you will not create food aggression.
That foundation is called clicker training. You teach your horse that a reward only follows when you make the specific reward sound. Not when he nudges you, not when he pins his ears, and not when he sweetly rummages in your pocket. Only when you make that one clear sound.
And the rule works both ways. When you make the click sound, your horse knows that a reward will always follow. You don’t pull your hand away, and you don’t make your horse wait longer. A click equals a reward—without extra conditions.
Only once your horse truly understands this, and no longer tries to get food on his own initiative, do you start teaching tricks. When approached correctly in this way, I can guarantee that you will not create food aggression.