Advanced Horse Training – Tricks


There is a little trick that you can use to train your horse more easily, especially if you use clicker training. I will tell you the trick a little further down the page. You’ve half done your job if you have already taught your horse to focus on something like a pylon, plastic bottle or any other object.

If you do not use clicker training, do not be discouraged, you can still teach your horse tricks without a clicker. When my mom was teaching her horse Manitou tricks, clicker training had not yet been invented. Simple praise and treats still go a long way. If you do want to use a tool like a clicker you can use a training whistle or make clicking sounds with your tongue. The reason clickers are so useful is because you can give your horse praise the instant they do something you want.  It is faster than a verbal reward like “Yes!” or “Good Girl!” and so it is more accurate to click.

Before Starting, Use Common Sense

For example, I would not teach some horses to kiss. Horses that are mouthy and love to nibble and bite things, young ones especially, are not the perfect candidates for kissing. Horses that are grumpy and snappy should not be taught how to kiss either. If you train a horse to place their mouth near your face you want to make sure that they are obedient and respectful.

If you have a horse that you do not trust enough to kiss your face, you can still teach her to kiss your hand.  The process of teaching the trick will be the same, but instead of targeting your cheek, you would target the back of your hand.

There are some horses that I would not even teach to kiss the back of my hand for fear of losing my hand!  However, I could still teach these horses to give a hug.

What You Will Require

  • A Clicker (or very close attention so you can praise your horse at the right instant).
  • Little treats such as sugar cubes, apple pieces, horse crunch, or carrot slices. Having a variety of treats keeps things interesting for your horse.  Using handfuls of concentrates or grain can be pretty awkward, but if you prefer it feel free to use it.
  • A fanny pack or big pockets to store the treats.
  • At least 10 minutes dedicated to trick training a few times a day.
  • Lead rope and halter if your horse is out of its stall or you can work with your horse’s head as she looks out over the stall door. Head movement may be restricted through the use of cross ties making it uncomfortable for the horse. Learn more about horse training equipment.

The time required will depend on the horse. Some will learn quickly and others will take longer, so be patient.

Teaching How to Kiss

The trick is to place some treats in your hand and hold your hand next to your cheek. Then tap your hand and say, “kiss” (or any other cue word you want to use). The horse will eat the treat out of your hand and in the process will touch its nose to your cheek.  When the horse touches its nose to your cheek mark it with a click or praise and give another treat, but this time away from your face.  This way the horse learns that its target is your face and after a while you can stop putting treats in the hand beside your face. The horse begins to understand that when it touches your cheek the treat is received afterward, away from your face. Make sure that you feed the treat away from your face because you might accidentally teach your horse to bite you.

Keep the training brief (only 10 minutes).  After a brief training session go away and do something else and then you can come back and train for a few more minutes.

Do not reward your horse with a treat if it becomes pushy; we do not want to encourage pushy behavior.  Instead, back off for around 10 seconds then slowly start training again. It is more important that the behavior is done respectfully than perfectly. I strive for accuracy as I advance through the training of my horse.  Once you have mastered operand conditioning, training a horse is lots of fun!

Amanda Spring recommends the Horse Training Secrets Revealed course to anyone who wants to learn how to train their horse properly and effectively. This course has helped thousands become better horse owners and trainers — check it out right now.