Have you ever felt your horse showing off a new trick ?

4theloveofjake · Have you ever felt your horse showing off a new trick ?

Last night Jake was so entertaining to watch.He literally put on a show for me ! It seemed like he was waiting for me all day to demonstrate his new feat and his intelligence in figuring it out.

Rewind....

Each spring when the leaves turn green on a mulberry tree and a few others in the paddock, I pull down the branches and let him nibble on the leaves. He learned how to ask for them. He would come near me and look at me, look up at the branches and then shake his head up and down. I would immediately pull it down for him and let him munch.

Well yesterday he showed me he can do it all by himself now and he was so animated. He kept looking at me to see if I was watching. Then he'd eat and walk briskly over to another tree and eat from that one and then walk to the next. His steps were deliberate and he seemed like he was very proud of himself and couldn't wait to show me. I started laughing and told him he was so smart and adorable.

Now that he knows that I know he is becoming more open to communicating on a deeper level !

whudson

My horse does it all the time.

I taught him to pick up stuff....

Whenever he is tied...nuthin' else to do, right

If there is anything to pick up then it is " See Mom I can pick up this!"....halter..lead rope...brush...whatever is in front of him he picks up and passes to me...unless he is eating..then of course he is eating

jackspark

I taught Rookie to close gates. Now if I am not paying attention to him he'll trot to the nearest gate and try to shove it closed, kinda rough on the ones that are already closed!

bit

Yep, Gunner has been picking up everything, and tossing it at me. He throws like a girl.

Docked by the Bay

My old horse Rusty was a big scaredy cat. I was trying to convince him he could jump over a barrel. We tried and tried and the day he did it, I was bowing up and down saying Yes, Yes, Yes. So guess what, every time after that when he did something he thought was right he would shake his head up and down at me as if to say, Yes, Yes, Yes. They really are amazing.

I would love to know how you guys taught your horses to pick things up. My current horse is quite mouthy and I think he would take to that very well, I just don't know where to start.

Maggie

bit

This was the first day I owned Gunner. I feel a litte funny say that. You can't own a horse. This was the first day I started paying Gunner's vet bills. He wasn't allowed to touch anyone or anything with his mouth by his previous owner. He'd get smacked if he did. I realized he was an lbi/lbe and he was probably mouthy. I gave him a carrot stick, encouraged him to hold it, praised him big, and after that, he picks up everything. Likes to hold my shirt with his lips. So does Hawk, the lbe in the pasture. He started picking up his food bowl and handing it to me when he was done. Tried it with a cat, and the cat was not amused. Oh, I have a picture of that, too.

The cone was his next play thing and then, the cat.

At least he picked him up by the nap of his neck. Kitty was not happy. My cats don't give him the chance. He's been picking up stuff ever since. Just have to teach him how to pick up those wal mart bags and get em upstairs. I hate carrying groceries.