Today I would like to give you an input on how many creative possibilities you have to train your horse tricks. And I’ll show you that the “classic lessons” don’t have to be the end of the line!
But why actually circus lessons?
In short: They provide variety in training and motivate most horses immensely. Above all, they ensure that your horse starts to think actively again – and to look for his own solutions. In the long run, you will definitely benefit from this under saddle as well!
Because there is nothing better than a horse that actively tries to do everything right, isn’t there?
With the help of circus lessons your horse learns in a playful way that it is only worthwhile to think along. At the end of the day, this also ensures more trust – and the even closer relationship that we all want with our horses.
How does it work?
Circus lessons are structured in the same way as all other training lessons should be in terms of training: The horse is shown in small steps what we want him to do – and we reward him for it.
What sounds so logical is unfortunately not always so in everyday life: because we humans put ourselves (and therefore our horse) under much more pressure when riding than we do with circus lessons. Whether my horse can lie down in 3 months is often less important to us than a balanced canter.
So it’s a matter of first making ourselves free of all expectations that so often hinder us in horse training.
This is often easier with circus lessons – but as I said, you are also welcome to integrate this into your “other everyday training”. However, this does not mean that you should no longer have a final picture in your head of where your journey together and of course the current training step should lead.
Because we already had it from inner pictures: They really effect something with the horse! Then it’s just a matter of having fun and sharing the joy of every small step in the right direction with the horse ?
But now let’s get down to brass tacks!
I would like to explain to you today, which funny “lesson without sense” I have taught my horses – which always provide amused laughter!
It is about a quite simple exercise: The head shake.
Many horses learn this exercise very quickly, although you always have to be careful not to overdo the training! This is because head-shy horses in particular, who have a problem with being touched on the head, are not good candidates for this exercise. It could make the head touching problem even worse!
However, if your horse can be touched well on the head, he will usually understand this exercise quickly in a few minutes – and you should not practice it for longer at the beginning anyway ?
Shaking the head on “command”
To get your horse to shake his head for the first time, I gently “tickle” his ear. It is often enough to touch the fine hairs at the base of the ear to encourage the horse to shake its head slightly. This is enough for us at the beginning and we reward the horse for this movement!
The most important thing: Give a voice signal from the beginning! Your horse should never learn to shake his head as soon as your hand moves near his ear! After all, it should still be possible to touch it there in the future ?.
I usually use the classic word “no” for this. But it can be especially funny if you use the word “Or?” as a signal. With some of my horses, I’ve had fun asking them a question in front of an audience that ends with “Or?” and the horse shakes his head.
This can be pretty funny when you ask your horse, for example, “My companion looks good today, doesn’t she?” – and it shakes its head in response ?.
So you already have the “first audience attraction”, so to speak, without much effort! And especially these little things, often make me quite a lot of fun!
In any case, entire photo series have already been made with this command – and I also think that it just always looks great somehow when mane and mop of hair fly through the area!
With this in mind, have fun practicing – and just lower your expectations a bit. You’ll see that you and your horse will benefit immensely. And every now and then some knots will be loosened, which you have been biting your teeth on so far ? .
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All the love
Your Kenzie
