Teach Your Horse to Give a Hug
Who doesn't need a hug sometimes? Of course, it would be difficult to teach a horse to give a human type hug--it would actually be quite dangerous, but he can give you a hug with his neck and head. For a horse that is too nippy to teach a kiss to, this might be a safer alternative.
Your horse should already have excellent ground manners. This will keep you safe and your horse will be easier to train. If you've already taught your horse to target on a something like a small plastic bottle, pylon, or another object, you've already got a good start. If not, check out the first steps in clicker training to get started.
You don't need to clicker train first, but the training may go faster if you do. The clicker simply makes it easier to give praise at the exact instant the horse does something correctly. Clicking is even faster than saying, "Yes!" to reward the behavior and therefore more accurate. You'll find training will go quicker if you reward at the right times.
What You'll Need
- A clicker (or your close attention so you can praise with your voice at the right instant).
- Small treats like carrot slices, sugar cubes, horse crunch, apple pieces. Your horse will probably like a variety.
- A roomy pocket, treat bag, or an old fanny pack to hold the treats.
- Ten minutes of time a few times a day.
- Your horse in a loose stall, or round pen, or in a quiet stable aisle with a halter and lead rope. The horse can't be tied or you will restrict his head movement.
How much overall time you will need will depend on the horse or pony. Each training session should be short, about ten minutes.
